Senior Sam Meyer strikes a precarious balance between school and his La Salle sports teams; he plays lacrosse, runs cross country as well as track, and participates in ski races, all while keeping his grade point average at a 3.9 so far this semester.

Meyer has been skiing for most of his life.

“When I [first] started skiing… I was two,” he said. “I was seven when I started ski racing.”

In the spring, Meyer enjoys running the 400-meter dash, 1500-meter dash, 3000-meter dash, and the 4×100 relay.

His multiple sports obligations often have conflicting schedules. “I usually go to state for skiing, and that takes up almost a whole week, so I have to skip lacrosse practice,” said Meyer. 

Meyer will soon be returning to the state championship for ski racing in Ashland.

“Ski racing at La Salle my freshman year was very small,” he said. “It was me, three other girls, and my friend Luke… [and] over time, it kind of evolved.”

Meyer’s introduction to his other sports came in 8th grade with the encouragement of his father. “My dad probably is the biggest inspiration for me for sports, because he’s always been there,” he said. “He’s always the one making sure I’ve got everything ready.”

With his father being his number one support system, he has supported Meyer by driving to and from the mountains where he practices skiing.

Meyer cites his father as the reason that he stuck with lacrosse and cross country, which, at first, were sports that he was slow to acclimate to.

“At first, I didn’t really like it and I thought it was terrible, but my dad was like ‘you’ve just started and you’re committed; you’ve got to follow through,’” said Meyer. 

Meyer and his father have a tight bond and has always been there for him.

“I really, really love my dad,” he said. “My dad is probably one of my best friends.”

When Meyer first started playing lacrosse, they would play catch in the yard to improve his skills, while also strengthening their relationship.

He has learned that no matter where you are, whether the field, the mountain, or the classroom, hard work always pays off. “The harder I work, the more I invest myself in it, the better I feel, and the more it makes sense to me, and the more fun I have,” he said. “So I don’t do things halfway.” 

Meyer has multiple outlets other than sports such as playing the card game, “Magic: The Gathering” in his free time and playing Dungeons and Dragons with his friends after school.

“I’m a big nerd too, which is kind of interesting,” he said. “I play three varsity sports, and yet I’m super nerdy.”

Meyer says that his work ethic perfectly applies to all parts of his life. “You have to push yourself to do [well], same with athletics, and same with school,” he said. “Any extracurricular activity… is super beneficial to my skills and just learning how to do better in life.”