Finding Success In Basketball, Football And Lacrosse

Throughout his years at Great Neck South High School, rising senior Joe Huang found a great deal of success in basketball, football and lacrosse.

His start in football and lacrosse during grade school provided an early exposure to the sports he loved the most—while his early discovery of his passion for basketball led to numerous awards and successes.

As a rising Asian-American athlete, Huang looked up to successful NBA players, such as Jeremy Lin, as inspiration to help fuel his love for the game. The athlete chose to play these sports specifically because of the winning mentality he grew up with and describes himself as an “aggressive person that really wanted to win.”

Success came at a price, though, as Huang said he had to make sacrifices to achieve accolades in sports.

“It is difficult when you have such a commitment to sports to balance school and sports,” he explained.

Daily practices and frequent games meant finding the time for school work was very difficult. Balancing the complexity of school and sports would often lead to the deterioration of much of his free time.

But, Huang admitted, “It was worth it.”

The impact that his coaches had on him benefited him in ways that no classroom setting could have, and for that he is thankful for the opportunity to play.

Huang has received numerous accolades for his successes in all three sports.

This year, he received team MVP honors for the varsity football, while leading the team with four touchdowns during the season.

Last year, he was given the rare opportunity to play on the varsity basketball team as a sophomore and never looked back. This year, he was one of the team’s top rebounders
and scorers, playing a pivotal role in the success of South’s basketball team.

He also led the varsity lacrosse team in goals this year.

With incredible successes in all three sports, he became a leader, inspiring numerous teammates to become better athletes—and better people.

Sports has provided many benefits for Huang. It helped him “stay fit” and be healthy all year round. It also provided a route of escapism from the daily stresses that come with school work.

Junior year of high school is challenging, and Huang found sports to be an effective stress-reliever. Having that “sports mentality” also helped him persevere through life’s challenges, which helped him develop characteristics, such as grit.

Huang wants to major in finance when he goes to college, and he has already received multiple offers to play Division II and III college football. He hopes to continue the mastery of his craft in college and continue developing those instinctive leadership qualities.