High school sports are the catalyst for many professional athletes’ careers. Athletes can accelerate their potential to the next level by joining the varsity and junior varsity programs provided by schools, but as all-encompassing as our Trojans athletics roster is, there are certain sports that are unable to take part in this opportunity. According to the Medium, these sports are categorized as “niche,” meaning they are restricted to specific demographic interests and accessibility to geographic locations, and do not captivate the general audience. Three niche sport athletes share how they were able to professionally develop their unique games outside of MHS’ athletic programs.
Snow can be an instant red flag for those who struggle with cold temperatures, but junior Stacey Chi embraces it. Chi started skiing in the second grade when her uncle brought her along with her cousins for lessons, but after growing bored of its basic “pizza” and “french fry” techniques, she switched to snowboarding lessons and instantly became allured to its complexity, she said.
“My mom was like, ‘Oh, maybe you should try something more challenging.’ And so I went to snowboarding lessons instead,” Chi said. “There was a lot of falling and bruises at first, but I was eventually able to balance my board.”
Now, Chi effortlessly shreds the slopes at Palisades Ski Resort in Lake Tahoe every winter and can do a variety of snowboard tricks in the halfpipe and off rails and ramps, such as nollies and 360s, she explained. These tricks not only give her thrills, but they also provide solitude and tranquility in times of discomfort, she added.
“Last time I went snowboarding, it was during my finals week, which was pretty stressful, but looking back on it now, it gave me a lot of motivation to work in school before going up to the hills,” Chi said. “I really do enjoy snowboarding. I feel like it’s a way for me to set everything aside and just focus on the moment … it makes me really happy.”
In a much milder climate, Senior Olivia Chu practices horse back riding with her hazelnut-brown Westphalian horse named Griffin at Five Star Equestrian, she said. She competes in a particular branch of horseback riding called “show hunter,” she added.
Originating from the European tradition of horseback hunting, show hunter consists of the horse and its rider navigating through a specific course with hurdles to jump over, Chu said. The judges then evaluate the speed and accuracy of each jump, the appearance of the horse and the rider, and the overall elegance of the performance, she said. Therefore, it is important for her to regularly train with Griffin, she added.
“Relationships with horses are certainly different from those of domestic pets,” Chu said. “Cats and dogs are more like your friends. But horses, since you’re riding them and you’re showing them off, it’s more like you are working together in a partnership.”
Griffin’s show name — the label used by official show horses — is Parasido, Chu said. He was passed down to her from her brother, who leased the horse before her, she added. Although Chu is glad to be following in her brother’s footsteps as a horseback rider, she stresses about the cost of competing in shows and maintaining Griffin, she said.
“(Horseriding) is very hard to sustain,” Chu explained. “There’s your lease fee, … your housing fee, … your farrier’s fee to clean hooves. … There’s also show fees. I feel like it’s kind of pay to win because the more money you have, the better horse you can get.”
Squash may just seem like an ingredient in Griffin’s diet, but to junior Riya Navani, it is the sport that molded her to the tenacious person she is today. According to the Squash Revolution website, “Squash is a racket and ball sport played by two or four players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow, rubber ball.”
Navani is one of the ten squash professionals who play for Team USA, She represents the U.S. by traveling to tournaments around the world, including Birmingham (UK), Paris, and Amsterdam, she said. She is currently ranked number one in the Team USA junior girls U17 bracket, she added.
“My favorite memory of squash came from the 2022 Dutch Open final,” Navani said. “I had to stay an extra day to play in the tournament. I was there all alone, which was really tough because having my team behind my back is a lot easier. But after I won, all the emotions and feelings I held onto in that high pressure environment just released. It was the first time I cried after winning a match … I saw videos of my team watching the match on stream at the airport and seeing them cheer for me was probably the most special moment I’ve ever experienced in my life.”
Navani said she started squash at the age of seven after being inspired by her brother, who played professionally in college. Now, she is in the recruitment process to compete at the intercollegiate level but is unable to disclose the school, she said. Although she does not plan to devote her entire life to the sport, she will forever hold a strong affection for it, she added.
“Playing a sport has definitely changed my life,” Navani said. “That’s one thing I don’t emphasize enough. I wouldn’t be half the person I am today without finding such a deep passion for squash,” Navani said. “On one hand, I am grateful for my athletic abilities, but on the other, squash has taught me so much off (the) court. … Going on this other journey where you have a separate life of constant travel and school makes me more appreciative of both.”