Photo by Thomas Marchese
Reagan Marchese
Reagan is a 12-year-old who attends Tomlin Middle School, where she plays for the volleyball team as well as competitive tennis outside of school.
How long have you been playing Tennis?
I have been playing tennis for 6 years.
How long have you been playing volleyball?
I have been playing volleyball for 2 years.
Which sport do you prefer playing out of the two and why?
I like playing tennis more. I enjoy seeing how much I have grown over the years, as well as learning the importance of teamwork by playing team tennis with some of my best friends.
Which one is harder to learn in your opinion and why?
Tennis because you have to learn technique and strategies for the game, as well as how to move around the court efficiently while battling the Florida heat.
What’s your favorite memory from playing tennis?
I remember a time when I played a tournament, and to win, I had to beat one of my friends that was in my class. She was one of the best in our class, and it was the last point. We were tied, and she came up to do her awesome volleys, and I hit it right by her. I remember this because after that, I was so much more confident in my playing and never doubted my decisions.
What’s your favorite memory from playing volleyball?
I love the memories that I have made with my friends in between games in our tournaments when we were either playing a crazy match of avocado smash or making our coach’s play mini volleyball with us, we always had a great time as well as getting to see my best friend grow as a player and as a person. She was always by my side after tough practices or bad days.
What advice would you give someone wanting to try out for any sport?
Every sport is challenging, and a lot of times you will ask yourself the question, “Should I just stop playing?” No! Sports take time; you will not just become amazing right away. You have to practice and make mistakes. So whatever sport you decide to do, challenge yourself, don’t give up.
When you’re not playing sports, what are you doing in your free time?
I like to participate in an organization called the National FFA Organization. Last school year, I served as an officer for my chapter as well as competed in many CDE (career development events ) competitions. One of the CDEs I competed in was floriculture. Our team was second in the state, since I was the highest scoring on my team, I got to represent our chapter on stage at the 97th Florida FFA state convention and expo in Orlando. I also enjoy going to my personal trainer at 2Tuff where I do a series of different exercises within an hour.
Is there a sport that you haven’t played that you want to try? If so, what is it?
I have tried many sports over the years but one I have not done is track. I think I would enjoy it a lot because I love to do 5ks with my mom and sister. I also love to race my 6-year-old cousin Oliver.
Do you have anything fun planned for the Summer?
I have many family vacations planned. I get to go on my first flight to Colorado and to the mountains in Georgia. I also got to go to Orlando this past week for the FFA state convention. I am also looking forward to going to tennis camp, personal training camp, and participating in volleyball classes this summer.
