Freshman Elliot Choi went from not playing any sports before high school to grinding for a starting spot on the football team. 

Choi was originally born in Colorado but has lived in multiple states growing up. Each place he has lived in has had big sports programs, especially on a high school level, influencing him to think about trying a sport when he got to high school.

“High school is basically your last chance to play sports unless you’re going pro,” Choi said, regarding his motivation to start playing. He was also motivated by one of his good friends, who told Choi that he believed he could play. “That gave me the motivation,” he said.

Football so far has helped him adjust to the school and make some new friends. “Since I’m a freshman, and I don’t know anyone here, it helped me [and made it] a little easier to meet new people and socialize,” Choi said. 

Even though he hasn’t competed in a sport before, he grew up playing them with his friends. “My earliest sports memory is probably when I played soccer when I was about four,” he said.

“Since I’m not that good at that kind of stuff, it’s just a hard time being on the same page with [my friends],” Choi said. He feels that starting a sport will help his connection with a lot of his friends. 

Even though he has never played football before this year, he has always had a passion for it. “I like the LA Chargers,” Choi said, his reason being his favorite player, Justin Herbert, who is on the team.

Another reason Choi said he began playing was because he thought he needed to live a more active life. Starting a sport was his way of changing that, along with taking weight training as an elective to accomplish this goal. “You’re going to get stronger and healthier,” he said. 

“Just being committed to this and putting in the work, I’m proud of myself for that,” Choi said.

Choi is not only starting football this year but is also planning on playing golf this spring. Although he has never joined a team before, he has been playing golf for a while. He feels that he has the experience to play, but is nervous when it comes to competing for his school.

“A future goal I have is just to be a good varsity player, a good important player,” Choi said. “So I have some good memories when I leave for college.”