Though Prep students are very committed to their school sports, many do out of school sports, a big commitment.
Sophomore Jackson Decker spends early mornings and late nights rowing. His neighbor’s recommendation to try rowing back in 2016 has influenced him to find his passion, and even brought him to become 13th in the nation for his division.
Decker is currently rowing with club Seattle Scullers with the goal of eventually rowing in college. When asked about his experience there and why he has chosen to stay with them instead of switching to Prep’s team, his answers were simple. Decker has been with Seattle Scullers for over 6 years and feels that they will allow him to go far with his rowing career in the future.
Crew is a huge time commitment for Decker as he wakes up at 4:30 every day to row and then practices at night again at 5. Although his days are long, he assures that it is all worth it. “Putting in work and actually seeing that result is really gratifying.”
It all leads to his future goals and getting as close to winning nationals as possible. All of this is achievable because of his committed parents who have strongly supported him through his crew career.
Besides winning regattas, the sunrises over the Cascades and the skyline at night are his favorite things about crew.
Alex Zaboukos ‘26, an Irish Dancer, talked about her experience of doing such a niche out of school sport. She has been dancing since she was 4 years old because of her older sister. Many people don’t understand the commitment and difficulty of Irish Dancing since it’s not a very common sport.
It has been such a gratifying experience for her as she said, “I’ve made my strongest connections at dance and these girls have become my best friends.”
Having spent so much time rehearsing daily for competitions and performances, she has made strong bonds with the other dancers that will last a life time.
Because she spends so much time practicing, her favorite part of Irish Dancing is the competition and being able to see all her hard work put together.
“The feeling of getting on stage and being confident is just something that really can’t compare with anything else.”
Zaboukos and Decker, both star athletes in their sports, spend hours rowing or dancing to perfect their sports.
