Athletes of Character: Brent Walsh
By Jared Acuna
“Avoid that snooze button and get up,” advised Brent Walsh, a senior athlete at Seaside High School. Walsh makes the time to compete in two sports as well as perform the lead trumpet for the school’s Honor Band. After hours, he even runs his own detail business on the side.
Still, Walsh is most happy when he’s stepping out of a dugout. “Baseball is my passion,” smiled Brent, a middle infielder for the SHS Seagulls. “I grew up with a bat in my hand. When my grandma used to babysit me, we’d always go out in the field. She’d cut out these little carpets as base pads, toss me the ball and I’d smack that and run the bases. I would always hit it over the trees, probably lose one or two every day. I just kind of adapted to that sport. It’s been fun.”
Today, Brent’s batting average is in the .300 range. With baseball being first in his book, Walsh discovered that the game wasn’t always a priority with high schools. His love for the sport was finally rewarded when Brent was invited to play with an 18U Academy team in Beaverton, a bunch of guys who all loved baseball as much as he did. “It was a great experience. We played really well together.”
As for his other sport, soccer, Brent was the voice in the back, one of the team’s most crucial roles. “If you see a center back make a mistake, it’s usually going to be pretty costly. You have to let people know what to do. When I say something, they listen.”
Last season, Brent’s team made it to the playoffs in La Grande. The Seagulls put in a lot of sweat to get there, ranking 11th out of a final 16. High winds and an unfamiliar turf got the better of them though. They lost 3-1.
Brent, who even braved a hip injury two seasons ago, has acquired a special insight on losing. “Nobody likes to lose, but sometimes it can be a learning point too. You’re not going to win every game, so pick guys up and do what you can. Set that example. Leadership is big. It’s not just adapting to players, but putting them first before yourself.”
Walsh believes that attitude will give a return next year, even though he won’t be there. “It builds up. Younger players are looking up at us, saying, ‘I want to be like those guys.’”
Graduation looming, Brent’s athletic skills have gained him attention among universities. Despite prospects, he’s a firm believer in back-up plans, like criminal justice or piloting with the Air Force. A member of Future Business Leaders of America, he’s got an innovation that will be taking him to state finals in April. It’s Walsh’s unique brand of prioritizing that makes him stand out from the rest. “I think about what else I can do and how to be more productive. I try to be a positive influence on others.”
Entrepreneurship aside, Brent explained, “I have that teenage life too. I try to make time for everything. My down time is family time.”
In the off season, Walsh loves wakeboarding and learning how to surf. Yet, his most satisfying stress relief came by shutting off his phone when he served last summer at Young Life, a Christian adventure camp. “I try to get other people involved. It’s nice to get away and log out.”
From his late grandma teaching the basics of ball to his sister mentoring with schoolwork, Brent has kept an emphasis on family before everything else. “You’ve got to sit down for a second and think: I don’t want to have to vacation from my own life. A lot of people think that money buys happiness, but you’ve got to have family too. You know, parents aren’t going to be there forever. When I’m in college, they’re not going to be able to come to every single one of my games. I’m going to be looking up into the stands and I’m not always going to see family rooting me on. There’ll be a crowd, but it won’t be the same as my parents. It brings a smile to my face knowing that my parents are here supporting me now.”
