Discipline is crucial for high school student athletes. Juggling work and athletics is a task that no one is ever truly prepared for, and constancy is key. For senior Oak Park High School football captain Pasha Heydari, however, discipline is just part of the job.
“Football requires constant, difficult, and grueling work,” Heydari said. “Time wise, football takes up at least four hours a day between weight lifting, watching film, meetings with players and coaches and practice itself on the field.”
Hours become days, days become months, and months turn to years in the blink of an eye. Yet for Heydari, football remains unchanging through it all.
“It’s a year-long commitment, every year,” Heydari said. “Practices start as early as February and go until November, when the season ends. We spend so much time drilling in skills that it feels almost impossible not to be successful. And when we aren’t training for football, we have to be in the weight room lifting and doing speed training to keep our bodies in football shape.”
This raises the question: How does he actually do it?
“Honestly, having played all four years in high school, I have simply just adapted to it,” Heydari said. “Year after year, I’ve had more work and more responsibilities, but I’ve learned to be efficient and get my work done in the amount of time I’ve allotted for it. Oftentimes, it’s not convenient to have to listen to review videos while driving to school to study. But honestly, I don’t mind it; it’s a skill and ability I am glad to have as a high schooler.”
Football itself only adds to the challenge, both physically and mentally.
“On the body, football isn’t easy,” Heydari said. “There hasn’t been one week where our whole team is healthy. You have to play through injuries, sprains, stingers, and whatever else you may have. Every player on our team is banged up in a way, but we play through it for one another.”
Heydari himself plays a key role on the field that pushes him even further.
“As an O-Lineman, our team relies on us in a way that isn’t seen easily by watchers,” Heydari said. “If our O-Line doesn’t play to our ability, our whole offense is lackluster. While we don’t get our names announced quite often, the offense relies on our backs, to pass block, run block, and set the tone for how our offense will play. Without the O-line, there is no offense.”
In Heydari’s view, it takes a crucial skillset to be a varsity lineman.
“Being on the O-line and D-line is the most physical position in football,” Heydari said. “Every play, you’re going head to head with other players, in the trenches. Physicality is what wins games, and you need a certain level of aggression and strength to be successful.”
However, as a team captain, the challenges extend beyond the field alone.
“The biggest challenge we’ve had as a team over the last year is losing many key pieces of our team,” Heydari said. “We had three two-way starters transfer to different schools and our entire defensive coaching staff stepped away from coaching. Our roster, already being very small, now had even less players. Injuries had an even bigger impact on our roster size.”
This required players to step up and new coaches to enter the system and make the best of what they had. Luckily, as Heydari continues, things are working out.
“That being said, I am very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish as a team even considering these setbacks,” Heydari said. “We want to show everyone that even with the loss of players and coaches through injuries and departures, we’re a powerful team.”
To keep himself on track through all of these hurdles, Heydari makes sure to leave time for hobbies.
“Outside of high school football, I generally have a passion for sports,” Heydari said. “I keep up with and watch basketball and football on TV whenever I can. It makes for great conversations with friends, and has a great community on social media. I’m also passionate about the sciences and medical studies, which is what I look to study in college.”
Though Heydari doesn’t plan to pursue football after graduation, he’s built memories with the team that he’ll carry for the rest of his life.
“I’ll never forget the bus rides back from away games, playing music and having fun after having just gone into battle with each other,” Heydari said. “Being able to spend so much time with my teammates has created memories I will forever be thankful for. Everything from the meetings, to the dinners after practice and the huddles before games will always have a special place in my heart.”
Managing football and school has embedded the idea of discipline in Heydari’s character.
“I would say the biggest lesson I’ve taken away from football is being able to manage so many parts of my life and learn from the discipline it builds,” Heydari said. “Football is hard and unforgiving, so being able to stay committed and give it everything I have every day is something I am proud of. Really, that’s what makes football so special. It’s unforgiving even through pain, and we play through it because we know we need each other.”
