Waking before the sun and staying up long after the lights go out, Dripping Springs High School athletes build their lives around their sport. From the outside, the work looks painful—runners logging miles in the heat, wrestlers drained with exhaustion, tennis players endlessly repeating drills. But they press forward for one reason: the love of the game.
DSHS wrestling coach Joe Kirksey explains the thrill of his sport: “It is the ultimate contest. It requires all the things you might expect in a sport: strength, conditioning, technique, strategy, and mental toughness.”
For swimmer Laurel Hoskovec, it’s a quieter fulfillment: “Swimming is special because it’s just me and my thoughts.” Teammate Zach Collins adds that the solitude and “dark, early, cold mornings and extremely hard work” make swimming unique.
And that hard work feels good. Wrestler Lucy Clarno says that wrestling “forces you to grow through discomfort. I love that it tests you both physically and mentally.”
Across all sports, athletes talk about the same experience: the satisfaction of getting better. “I love swimming because there is really no limit,” says Laurel. “I can always push myself to go faster.”
For many athletes, that growth happens in the silent struggle when quitting feels easier than staying the course. “It’s not easy to wake up early and put in the miles … and keep going when every part of you wants to walk,” says cross country and track runner Callie Schumacher. “But being able to keep going and feel that sense of accomplishment at the end is worth it.”
Of course, athletes love to win, and many point to the significance of personal bests, exhilarating competition, and big victories. But it's also the challenging times, not the triumphs, that reveal how much the sport matters. Madeleine Johnson remembers leaving a disappointing tennis tryout with pride instead of regret: “I knew I had left everything on the court. At that moment, I had never been happier to be playing tennis.”
Over time, such moments turn athletes into stronger, more resilient versions of themselves, no matter the sport. “Swimming can be a lonely sport because athletes spend so much time with their heads in the water, alone with their thoughts,” explains coach Mike Hoskovec. “It takes a certain type of mentality and internal motivation to thrive in that sort of grind.”
Runner Wes Anderson shares this view, noting that distance running rewards commitment: “This sport feels more special than anything else I do because it does not usually award talent as much as dedication and persistence.”
Kirksey echoes this idea, adding, “In wrestling, like many times in life, you get what you earn.”
Across the board, athletes consistently emphasize one truth: They love their team and their teammates, cherishing the bonds built through shared meals, long bus rides, and tough workouts.
Even in “individual” sports, athletes embrace the collective effort and pride of contributing to a team. Golfer Paige Rogers explains, “Golf is special because you can compete individually in tournaments while also contributing to an overall team win with your score.”
That camaraderie makes victories sweeter. “Winning alone is great, but winning as a team is much more special,” says wrestler Caleb Collins.
“I love congratulating my teammates when they cross the finish line,” adds runner Angel Gallardo.
And despite the score, these athletes love the game because they love the person they are becoming. Golfer William Mangione says, “What I love most about golf is the lessons it has taught me.”
Tennis player Olivia Eggleston agrees: “Every moment I have spent on the court has shaped me into the person I am today. It has taught me some of the most important lessons and principles that I will take with me throughout my life.”
Whether lining up a putt or settling into the steady rhythm of a swimming stroke, these athletes find freedom, purpose, and joy in their sport. And while wins and losses may fade, what endures is the work, the growth, the people beside them, and the love of the game.
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