Joel Olmos '17 Recruiting Profile

    I am an excellent candidate for your team because I have a certain drive most people do not have when they play the game. I put all my effort into whatever sport I am playing and give my coaches and teammates unconditional respect.  What makes me different from other recruits is my attitude when it comes down to playing the game and making sure my mind and body are prepared for what comes my way. Academics will always come first because if I grind in the classroom, I will be able to grind out on the field with no worries about barely making it. I have had a lot of tragic moments happen in my life and doing what I love frees my mind and I just get to be myself again. 

Scars tell stories. They can also shape one’s life. Only recently I knew that I could never get that day out of my head. The feeling of betrayal and helplessness run through my mind as fresh as ever and the only thing that frustrates me is that there is no explanation for how someone, who was once a father to you, can commit such a horrific act. However, I chose to not be stuck in that tragedy forever. I have learned to let that day be a driving force for everything I aspire to become.

Throats are slit, blood is pouring, two weeks living in a nightmare has finally come to an end or so I thought. I thought after the day my own father’s and uncle’s throats were slit, that it would bring me to peace knowing that it was all over. I always had the feeling that he was watching us. This was the same man who had been in my life for over ten years and who supposedly “loved” my family. A very abusive man to my mother but he always made it up and everything was suddenly “fine.” He had to take his angers and frustrations out on everyone around him. He had the choice to move on and find another mate. He had the opportunity to live a happy life. But he chose to bring everyone down with him. Just knowing that things could have been worse and that my family and I could have been murdered really scares me. No fourteen year old should ever have had to go through that. I have found a way to cope with these feelings.         Playing sports has been my outlet for many years now and whenever I play now it helps me forget what has happened for that moment in time when I step on that field.

When I step back for a pass or when I run the ball, my mind is pure. Only good thoughts. I feel safe. When I get that bat in my hands I feel invincible. When I run the bases I feel as if nothing is weighing me down. When I track that ball down in the outfield and make a diving catch I am happy to be alive. I am happy that I get to play the games that I love. I am happy that I get good grades and to know that I haven’t fallen off the tracks to success. Knowing that I can achieve my dreams no matter what I have been through catches me off guard. Knowing that I am capable of overcoming something so traumatic is a blessing.

I feel like most kids in my shoes would be stuck in that day and would never be able to get out. I am just so grateful that everyone is alive and I have my loved ones in my life. I just want to let people know that when times get tough, to just think about where they are in life and how blessed one is to be able to fulfill their dreams. Because only a couple years ago I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it.