Athletes of Character
Tyler Whitaker, a power forward for the Warrenton Warriors Varsity Boys Basketball Team, believes basketball has served as a proving ground that has prepared him for life’s more difficult choices to come. This year, Tyler is a senior at Warrenton High School and is excited to give his best shot at adulthood after graduation. His confidence stems from the hard work he’s put in with the school’s athletic programs over the last four years, annually competing in track as well.
For Tyler, the lessons he’s been taught transfers over fluidly into his job and his involvement in the community as a whole. When he’s not scoring points for WHS, Tyler is actively involved with his local church, Coastline Christian Fellowship. In the local work force, Tyler clocks in at Doogers Restaurant on nights and weekends. It is here that he’s discovered that years of teambuilding has become an invaluable asset in how to interact with others, the fellow staff and his boss.
In line with his hard-working attitude off the court, Tyler has been specifically working on approaching each player with respect. He acknowledged, “It’s all about understanding one’s place and how that fits in with the roles of others,” This fundamental trait has extended to a newfound humility with his coaches, a long running lesson in trust.
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Tyler hopes to inform other kids about how sports can prepare them for the real-world. He argues that an athlete makes for a more reliable worker since a sizeable requirement of playing sports is to show up for a set schedule. “When you sign up for a sport, your making your choice to go… to work hard and continue on.”
Always standing beside him, Tyler credited a strong backing from his parents, Alan and Regina Whitaker of Warrenton. In hard times, the Whitakers have taught Tyler that if he decided to give up on things he’d never progress past it and he’d be caught in a mind of failure. It’s a warning on what Tyler considers to be “a continual fail.” He adds, “If you don’t try at anything at all, that’s just quitting. Quitting transfers over to everything.”
Head first, he’s come to realize that working hard and pressing on won’t ever be easy. However, Tyler counsels that any strive will be at its greatest when its surrounded by a positive environment of people that want to see success as much as you do; much like a team aiming for a win.
By Jared Acuna
