Derek Darkenwald

• Grade: 12
• Sports: Tennis, Basketball and Baseball
• Positions: Mixed doubles and shooting guard
• Age Started Playing: 5

How would other people describe you?
They would say I’m extroverted, outgoing, really talkative, easy to get along with, always happy, and almost never mad.

How and why did you start playing?
I figured from the beginning, since I was a little kid, that I was going to be one of those kids. I looked up to my sisters playing sports all the time, and I would always join them in playing volleyball or basketball. It was just the feeling I had; seeing the people they hung out with made me want to hang out with those people too and not fall into bad groups.

Describe how you prepare before a game.
I definitely listen to music and lock in, also focusing on the previous game—analyzing what I did, what I flawed in that game, and how I can fix it to avoid making the same mistake again.

What do you think your reputation is as an athlete?
Consistent, definitely. I’m at every practice and don’t miss a lot, even though I have a lot of sports going on. I know what I have to do for each one of those sports. I’m definitely working on them: Monday I have basketball scrimmages, Tuesday I have tennis matches, Wednesday I have baseball scrimmages, and Thursday and Friday I’m flying. So it’s a really busy schedule.

What personal superstitions or traditions do you have before, during, or after a game?
My parents come to almost all of my games, no matter the sport. I always say hi to them, if that could count as a tradition.

Tell us about your favorite memory as an athlete, either on or off the field.

I know everyone says bus rides are great for all sports, but definitely the bus rides with my teammates—listening to music. For baseball, when we went to Dallas on the charter bus with our friends, feeling bougie on the bus was fun.

Tell us the story about what you are most proud of yourself for.
I’m definitely proud of being able to stay in all three sports and not quitting, starting from freshman year and ending in senior year. Even though there were some times that it was really hard to keep up, it was overwhelming. I definitely kept up with it, and I couldn’t have done it without my parents.

Who is someone you are thankful for and why?
Mainly all my family members, as I mentioned before, my sisters I looked up to. My parents pushed me, and my grandparents wanted to practice with me, whether it was conditioning or wanting to go to the tennis court at 8 at night. They all really believed in me and pushed me in a way.

What advice would you give to people that may want to play your sport?
For tennis, I know people look down on it a lot since it’s not a famous sport to play, or maybe they think there are weirdos who play it. But it’s really fun. You may not think it’s fun; watching it may be boring, but in the moment of playing, it is definitely fun. Basketball requires a lot of conditioning. If you think you’re up for that, the coach is going to be really hard on you, but you know that it’s going to pay off in the end and make you feel like a new person. It’s a lot of work that you have to put in outside of school and practice. Baseball is the same; you have to get better. If you’re not practicing, you won’t be successful.

What’s on your bucket list?
I want to go to Peru. Even though I’ve been to other places that have been on my bucket list, I also want to get my private pilot license; I’m halfway there with that. Hopefully, I’ll finish it by the end of senior year, and I want to beat my grandpa in a tennis match.

Favorites

• Team Tradition: Chanting before a game
• Post Game Meal: Raising Canes
• Exercise: Cardio 
• Drills: Man on second
• Song: “Fancy” by Drake
• Movie: “Hitman”
• TV Show: “Outer Banks”
• Coach: “All of my coaches”