While academics is a priority at ACP High School, we also equally value our extracurriculars such as sports, clubs, and organizations/associations. Not only is it esteemed on resumes and college applications, extracurriculars help develop life skills, such as working in a team and taking initiative, that are incredibly important in the real world. It also shows other people how involved you are with your community and portrays you as a well-rounded person, which is respected among society. Sports specifically heightens a person’s critical thinking skills, team morale, and of course, endurance and stamina. You can continue playing that sport as you grow older, which is highly encouraged by medical professionals as you get to expand your horizons and meet all kinds of different people with a variety of personalities as well as reducing pressure and stress. With that being said, we’ll be looking at a specific sport that our school has a team for: Mountain Biking. While interviewing President Gavin Kormos -a member of the Class of 2023- hopefully, together we’ll learn the value of mountain biking, what you can gain out of it, and why you should join the team next year.

Q: Why do you think people should join the team? What skills have you developed from becoming a part of the Mountain Biking community?

Gavin: People should join the Mountain biking community to get in shape, learn new skills, and make friends. Personally, I have developed many skills being in the Mountain biking community such as being able to go over obstacles and jump stuff on my bike.

Q: What specific physical and mental skills does Mountain Biking specialize in? What makes the sport stand out from other physical activities?

Gavin: Mountain biking requires a very low level of physical strength due to the fact that one should mostly rely on skill to get over obstacles and not strength. Due to this, people in all walks of life could give mountain biking a try.

Q: How long have you been on the team? Is there a specific reason that you wanted to join? How has it impacted your life?

Gavin: I have been on the team for four seasons at this point in time. I wanted to join the team in order to make friends. I joined ACP Middle School in eighth grade and did not know many people, and because of being on the team, I made so many friends. Mountain biking has allowed me to meet new people and see a lot more of Arizona, as races could be up three hours away. 

Q: Other than Mountain Biking, have you done any other sport or would you like to try other sports?

Gavin: Other than Mountain Biking, I run cross country and participate in track and field.

Q: If you had all the money in the world, what would you do with it? 

Gavin: It would be useless as there would be no value for money anymore as no one else would have it.

Being a part of any sport requires dedication, hard work, and perseverance. Partaking in any sport isn’t just another event that you need to do; it’s a lifestyle because you are dedicating your time and energy into building a bond with other people and working on developing your skills. It is important to not deter from doing what you love. Joining an activity like mountain biking leads to building and developing life skills that are crucial to succeeding in society, so make sure to try-out for the team and have an extraordinary day!