With lacrosse practice five days a week overlapping with volleyball two to four times a week, Grant High School sophomore Abby Matsushima works hard to keep her coaches happy. But pressure can build when a 15-year-old student has to prepare for sports, get homework done and begin searching for the right college. We sat down with Matsushima to find out how she keeps it together.
How did you get involved with two sports?
I started lacrosse in sixth grade and I started volleyball in sixth grade. I kind of was just like, ‘Oh, sports!’ because I quit swimming and I quit softball and I quit soccer, so I just started up a new thing to stay out of trouble, to stay active.
Why do you play sports?
To compete. I want to win. I like winning. And my teammates are my friends. We’ve become really close. I was picked to be on that team (for volleyball). I was so scared the very first day because I would be with those girls for six months and I was like, ‘What if they don’t like me? Oh my gosh, they’re going to hate me.’ And then I got there and one of the girls hugged me and was like, ‘Oh, I’m so happy you’re on this team.’ And I thought, ‘OK, I like this team.’
What kind of role do you play as a member of your teams?
The goofy one. The one who always makes everyone smile. I’m always the one who trips over their own feet or comes in and says something really random and everyone starts cracking up and forgets about whatever is bothering them.
What does it feel like when you win a game?
For lacrosse, it’s basically like, ‘Yes, we worked hard’ and for volleyball, it’s a big relief. You’re like, ‘Yes, I won this. In your face.’ They’re different feelings. For lacrosse, it’s over a long period of time. For volleyball, the points are adding up. If you’re neck and neck, your heart starts to race and you’re like, ‘OK, we’ve got to get a few more points.’ The score goes to 25 but you have to win by two. One time we won but it was 30 to 28, so it went back and forth, back and forth. It was so intense. I was a little nervous but I was like, ‘Bring it on.’
Would you say that sports are your life?
Yeah. If I didn’t have sports, I wouldn’t know what to do. I didn’t like choir and I didn’t like theater. I like photography, though. You can change what you want to do. If I want to take a picture of something and I want the background to be blurry, I can do that. You can manipulate it. Developing is nerve-wracking. You get adrenaline because you don’t know if it’s going to turn out or what it’ll look like. For digital, it’s like, ‘boom,’ and you have it automatically. But on film it’s like, ‘If I do this wrong, this’ll happen.’
Is it challenging to juggle two sports and school?
Not as much right now. But I’m getting a little worried for next year because hard classes are coming and more commitment to school, so I guess I have to tackle that too.
Do you ever think you do too much work?
Sometimes. I like being busy. It keeps me on my toes. It’s like, ‘You’ve got to work hard. You’ve got to earn something. You’ve got to put your mind to it and just do it.’
Who inspires you?
Misty May Treanor. She’s an Olympian for beach (volleyball). I met her, actually, at a camp, and she’s really nice. I look up to her because she won the Olympics and she also went to school. She had so much stuff and she worked so hard to be where she is.
You’re already looking for colleges as a sophomore?
You have to start early for sports. I’m wanting to get either a little money or a half scholarship. I don’t know if I’m good enough, though. It depends on if I love the school ‘cause school comes first.
What are you planning on studying in college?
Physical therapy or athletic training. When you watch football games and you see those people rush onto the field and go, ‘Are you OK? What hurts?’ I want to be one of those people. I just thought that was really cool and I’m so interested in how the body works and moves and all the muscles and ligaments.
What first interested you in physical therapy?
In April of last year, I dislocated my knee and so I got really interested in how my ankles affect my knee and how my hip affects my knee and how my calves and my quads and my hamstrings, how all of that affects it. I was talking to my physical therapist and she said, ‘You should look into physical therapy or athletic training, you’d be really good at it because you’re interested.’ It opens my eyes to a lot of things.
