Demicah Arnaldo
June 10, 2025
“Ten turnovers to two assists? That won’t get you anywhere.”
It’s the voice I heard in the background. Directed right. at. me.
That’s what everyone saw. Not the effort. Not the pressure. I was seen, but just not as me.
I think back to Seattle. The game. The last tournament of the fall season.
I used to love this sport. I used to feel calm with the ball in my hands. Now I feel like I’m being tested every second. Now, every time I step on the court, it feels like I’m walking on glass. Now, I just hear a voice saying I’m falling behind.
From the moment warmups started that day, everything felt off. I couldn’t quiet my thoughts all game and left feeling like I let everyone down, especially myself.
That week was brutal. I was quiet at school, quiet at home. I didn’t feel like myself and I didn’t know how to explain it to anyone. Every time I picked up a basketball, I felt a lump in my throat.
At the last practice of the season, I finally talked about what happened: that the weekend didn’t feel like me. It didn’t fix everything, but it helped. It reminded me that maybe I was being harder on myself than anyone else.
People think the hardest part of being an athlete is the physical stuff: the conditioning, the training, the weight lifting. But where would you be if it wasn’t for your mind? No one talks about the quiet stuff, the mental stuff: the pressure, the fear of failure, the feeling of needing to constantly excel in your sport, academics, and in relationships.
I started to wonder if I was mentally weak. I started to wonder if everyone else felt like this. If the opponents on the other team felt the same pressure, the same isolation. And if they did, then we probably had more in common than we thought.
Maybe in all of those battles against each other, in light and dark, we were all struggling quietly to just hold it all together.
“Every time I picked up a basketball, I felt a lump in my throat.”
Being a student-athlete can feel isolating. We balance school, sports and expectations, while feeling like no one sees everything we’re carrying. That’s why I wanted to be part of the Student Athlete’s Council: not just to be seen, but to help others feel seen for who they are:
Like Max, who always keeps the energy high.
Cristiano and Caroline, who are gritty and tough and never shy away from the toughest matchups and challenges.
Ava, who can quiet and focus her mind while she’s on the blocks before the gun goes off.
Isaac, who constantly celebrates his teammates and pushes everyone to do better.
I’ve learned how important it is to support others when they feel like giving up and to give credit to those who keep showing up, especially when it’s hard.
It’s not about being perfect. It’s about persistence. It’s about knowing your teammates are struggling too, even if they don’t say it out loud. A teammate of mine leaned over during the game and said, “Stop thinking. Just play.” She reminded me that leadership also means listening and lifting others up.
“I started to wonder if everyone else felt like this. If the opponents on the other team felt the same pressure, the same isolation. And if they did, then we probably had more in common than we thought.”
I’ve said that exact same phrase to my teammates before. I’ve tried to be that voice for others. But in the moment, I needed someone to be that voice for me. And that teammate stepped in when I was drowning in a voice that wasn’t my own.
Sports have taught me resilience and leadership and those lessons don’t stop when the season is over. So it’s time to go beyond my own team to make sure all athletes feel supported and valued. It’s leadership rooted in empathy, not ego. It’s also about belonging, growth, and giving back to the people and programs that have shaped us.
I hope StAC encourages younger athletes to understand that being involved in sports is not just about titles or stats. It’s about community, encouragement and consistency. It’s about shaving and bleaching your head after a big win to hype up your team like Cristian, showing up after three practices, volunteering and still being positive like Caitlin and Declan, and coaching junior squads while still competing on your own team like Luca and Tia. Being a part of StAC means stepping beyond my own team to help build an environment where all athletes feel seen.
“It’s leadership rooted in empathy, not ego. It’s also about belonging, growth, and giving back to the people and programs that have shaped us.”
I’ve learned that the most impactful leaders aren’t always the loudest or the ones with the best stats. They’re the ones who stay committed, support others, and lead with compassion. Sometimes, leadership looks like being the voice for a teammate who’s struggling. And sometimes, it’s about using your own to be honest about your struggles, so that others feel less alone.
