Bethany Brophy works a part-time job having fun taking care of young children registered in the after-school program at Pasadena Place.
It gives her money she uses to put gas in her vehicle to boot around wherever she goes and she is enjoying the freedom that comes with it.
It’s also a break from the daily grind in the classroom for a 17-year-old who will be among the Pasadena Academy graduation class of 2019.
However, this weekend Brophy has something else on her mind.
The senior student athlete is focused on helping the Pasadena Academy Falcons achieve success on the hardwood at the 2018 provincial 3A female volleyball championships being hosted by the Humber Valley community.
When her team takes the floor, Brophy is hoping the competition brings out the best in her game.
Facing some of the top athletes in her sport in the province, as well as representing her school at home and performing to the best of her ability is sure to bring its fair share of pressure with it.
She is up for it though.
Brophy has played female baseball at the national level for her province and has seen her share of exciting matchups on the volleyball court so she knows how intense things can get.
“There’s a bit of pressure because you want to do good in front of people you know, you want to show that you’re a good player and that you can do what you need to do,” she said.
Brophy figures the best way to beat the home court jitters is to worry about the things that are in her power to control.
She just wants to play the way she is capable of playing and believes the team has what it takes to be competitive against a field of tough teams from across the province.
She’s going to graduate from Pasadena Academy and pursue a life beyond the confines of a high school setting.
She would love to cap off her senior year by hanging a championship banner from the rafters of Pasadena Academy.
It would be at the top of a career of fond memories and friendships.
She will always appreciate the fun times she had along the way, but more importantly she is thankful for everything she learned about life away from the court. She believes she learned a lot about being a good person and a good teammate so all the hard work was worth it.
“It has just brought me up as a person … going out and meeting all these new people and just really experience much more in life,” she said. “Sports has brought a lot of joy to my life which has made me better as a person and makes me want to work harder.
“Oh definitely. I’m going for (the gold).”
