girl running track

Making an Impact on Life Through Sports

Addison Brabb  |  Senior  |  Boys Town High School

Boys Town High School sports have had a huge impact on senior Addie Brabb’s life. She participates in track and field, softball, cross country, and basketball, but it wasn’t a smooth path at first. “Before I came to Boys Town, I had never played a team sport,” she said. “When I first got here, I tried out for track and was cut before try outs. This really wasn’t that big of a surprise; I was not athletically prepared.”

Later, she was able to join the softball team and became the starting pitcher her first two years. “After softball I found a love for running and joined the cross country team. And after cross country, I tried out for basketball and earned a spot among the five starters. Soon after basketball I tried out for track and field once again and earned a spot on the team. We won our conference, went through many personal records, and I won the Most Dedicated for Track and Field award at our annual sports banquet.”

Being a part of the teams at Boys Town helped Brabb develop self-realization, discipline, and teamwork. “It has brought about lots of opportunities to tolerate differences and adapt to new worlds,” she said. “Boys Town High School is not the normal high school; it is full of diversity. All the kids that come through campus are very likely to be from different backgrounds, ethnicities, and character. And when you learn to play on a team with a bunch of girls you don’t know or understand very well, you start to truly understand what the word ‘team’ means.”

Brabb has bumped up against many obstacles through the years playing sports. “Multiple times I wasn’t able to win every 10×10, make every shot, win every race, or strike every pitch. And sometimes I would be hard on myself and start to feel like giving up. But the amazing Boys Town coaches that I have helped me push through all those disappointments. They helped me realize that I can’t let my mistakes define me.”

Brabb added that she’s proud of the massive growth in her character through playing sports. “I’m finding abilities I had all along.” People around her tell her that she’s hard-working and she believes she gets her motivation from within. “If I want something to happen, I have to make it happen.”

More stories like this one can be found at our Varsity Corner.

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