Erick Garcia '24 Recruiting Profile

My goal is to teach and to lead, I want to be a history teacher and a support system and resource to kids who need it. I am the captain of my wrestling team, and the 1st boat coxswain for my rowing team. Everyday I'm at practice, no matter what sport, I get the opportunity to push kids and bring out the best in every single one of them. I am a tutor for the AVID class at my high school, and I love being able to teach and show kids there academic potential.

Coxing has expanded and improved my ability to lead and to make quick decisions. For example, during our regionals match I needed to make a decision whether to pass a boat before a narrow, or to wait until we exited the narrows. I had to decide whether my rowers would be able to pass this crew, or if I thought we needed more time and to wait for us to exit the narrows. I ultimately decided that my rowers had the physical and mental ability to pass the crew ahead of us. My choice was right and we were able to pass the crew, the choice I made helped us place 3rd in the regional race.

Another example of leader ship, was during the Head Of The Charles. I had a beautiful line coming up to the Eliot bridge, a crew on our left side was being pushing into us and I did my best to yell at them to yield so we could overtake them because we were the faster crew, the boat never yielded and we clashed oars which lead our bowman's oar to flip caused him to over the head crab. Even in a stressful situation I was able to calmly instruct him to feather the blade out and for everyone to sit ready. Although we got 53rd place instead of our predicted 28th which we would've gotten if not for the crab, I showed that I am able to take charge of a situation, overcome obstacles in stressful situations, and that I could lead my teammates even when they were stressed out .

A friend and I created a soccer clinic where we taught non-athlete elementary aged kids how to play soccer.   Most of these kids had never played sports before, or never found interest in it. A handful of them were neuro-divergent. We had to learn how to make kids with ADHD and ADD become engaged and interested in what we were teaching. I myself have ADHD so I had an easier time understanding what I needed to do to grab the kid’s attention. I had to make sure any drill or activity we did seemed like a game more than a chore. We were able to make the clinic fun for all the kids and the children would show up engaged and ready to play; I believe this is where my interest to teaching and leading started.

This year I have been extremely lucky to be the Wrestling team captain. I have been able to lead wrestlers and show them how to push themselves past what they thought they could. I was able to use my coxing experience on the wrestling mat. I push kids during conditioning; I let them know they can do it, and that the physical pain they are going through is only temporary. To be champions they need to push past there mental barrier and give me more.

I think my skills of pushing people past their perceived limits, my ability to command leadership, and my ability to connect with all my teammates would be great addition to a crew program.