Justin Sagote

Poly day (Justin is all the way to the right (Multi-cultural day)

“Dude I didn’t even realize you thought I was a hero!” Justin giggles as he mumbles his words. A puny 180 lb, 5’8" lineman shows his huge heart in his everyday life without even noticing it. His “long hair-doesn’t care-Samoan” mentality and hilarious personality answer my next question. What makes you the hero you are? Justin grins and replies in his false New Zealand accent, ”Well, I am very gospel and I have a very good relationship with God. And he leads me to do right in life. I guess I just am myself. I never thought of myself as a hero.” He adds, "And my mom keeps me in line." As I laugh I ask, ”Your mom still whips you?” Justin and our mutual friend and I burst out laughing with tears of humor. When the laughter finally comes to a halt I ask seriously but with a slight grin on my face from the humor before, ”How were the previous years of your life? How did it make you different?” His face then turns serious as he stares at the drawings on our usual green lunch table in a deep trance of thought. Justin says, ”Well, my family had a lot of problems financially and with drinking and the law. One day I decided to just change my ways and bad habits and look to God. My life has changed greatly as the relationship with God I had grew stronger. My father stopped drinking, I feel healthier physically and mentally, and now I found a true love and passion in my life: football.” Later on that day during practice Justin says he can’t wait to lead this team to a championship and is looking forward to our upcoming season.

It is mid football season. Everybody is heat-exhausted, physically and mentally fatigued. It is only the middle of practice with another half left on the week of our hardest competition: Los Gatos wildcats. Everybody is exhausted from hell week from conditioning. We have our hands resting on our buckled knees as we try and suck in our last ounces of air before we have to get ready for our next 110yd sprint. I recognize Justin Sagote’s (a 2010 year graduate Varsity football player) hand already on the chalked yard markers. Even though we all can see he is clearly exhausted from the previous ten sprints, he has the discipline and determination with his perfect three point stance. Justin is the first on every sprint on our last 440yds even though he is not the fastest. After every 20yds I make out my blurry, exhausted image of Justin’s legs almost giving out in the beat up cleats I gave him last season . When I think his legs will finally give out, Justin kicks harder, pumps his hands faster and keeps going to his best ability until he reaches the last chalked marker. This shows his great determination and heart which I admire. Even though he breaks down to his knees after every sprint, he gets right back up and keeps finishing first. In those moments I realize it isn’t his physical ability that takes him the last few sprints. It's Justin’s heart that does the job. I grow that day learning you do not have to be the best to do the best as long as you have great determination and heart like my fellow teammate, Justin Sagote.

I have made a promise to live my life in the spirit of Justin by always being the best I can be. Every obstacle or play, I will take it head on and go to the best of my ability in hopes that someone will realize in me what I see in Justin. I hope they will see the heart and dedication to the things we do to better ourselves in life. I want my peers to understand than you don’t have to be the best to do the best on any given day. As long as we are optimistic and learn from one another we can take ourselves to the next level and overcome everything by doing our best in every split second of life.