Editor’s Note: This story was reported by Plamedie Ekumbaki, and the accompanying artwork was created by Oliviera Ekumbaki as part of the Spring 2025 Kalamazoo Voices of Youth Program. The program is a collaboration between Southwest Michigan Second Wave and KYD Network in partnership with the YMCA of Greater Kalamazoo, funded by the Stryker Johnston Foundation. The Voices of Youth Program is led by Earlene McMichael. VOY mentors were Jane Parikh (writing) and Taylor Scamehorn (art). 

KALAMAZOO, MI — Thinking of playing high school sports? Or already do? Here’s what current and former athletes want you to know.

“Engaging in sports provides students with a unique opportunity to build confidence and develop a strong sense of identity,” says junior Lakeisha Turner, a softball player at Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo. 

Ciarra Freeman, a senior at Loy Norrix who is on the track and field team, agrees. 

“Playing sports can build your self-esteem,” she says.

It did for her. “Sports, in the beginning, saved me from a lot of depression. When you’re in a good environment around teammates and coaches, it makes it better day by day. It helps motivate you and tells you to keep going and keep trying, and that pushes you and if you don’t, it feels like guilt.”

Loy Norrix Principal Christopher Aguinaga sees the benefits in sports. 

“I think sports for many kids is a motivator,” he says. “In order to be able to play, a student-athlete has that student name in front of it, so the pressure to be academically eligible, I think, is a motivator that pushes students to excel.”

But, like anything else, sports have pros and cons for students. 

“It can affect them positively and negatively, but most of the time it affects them positively,” says Loy Norrix counselor Becky Parsons. “It makes students feel more connected to school. They can build friendships and relationships with coaches and students, and have to stay eligible, so there’s often more motivation to pass classes. But, sometimes, it can be too much, especially for multi-sport athletes, and can cause issues with time management.” 

Artist: Oliviera EkumbakiAguinaga concurs that sports can pose time management issues for some athletes. “It can be a stressor when it comes to time management.”

Parsons recommends students get a planner and take advantage of help provided by the school, whether tutoring or anything to help them succeed, to avoid this pitfall.

From the athlete’s point of view, time management isn’t the only challenge.

Freeman, the runner, points to the danger of comparison. “Once you see your progression starting to go down, you may feel bad about yourself,” she says. “And, sometimes, when you see someone better than you, it might make you feel bad.” 

On the other hand, athletics can leave students with lifelong skills and lessons.

That’s according to Parsons, who herself played tennis and volleyball in high school. She says sports helped develop in her two characteristics that have lasted into adulthood: “Realizing that the team success is more important than individual success, and time management.”

For Aguinaga, sports offered life lessons, too. He played them as a youth.

“Sports taught me the routine of practicing,” he says. “If you missed a couple of days of practice, you could feel it. It also taught me it was okay to not excel in everything.”

Plamedie Ekumbaki plays sports at Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she will be a senior in the fall. She has been in Voices of Youth Kalamazoo before, so she was excited to return for the Spring 2025 cohort. “I feel like it’s such a cool and safe environment to bring up issues in the community as well as solutions,” she says. “Everyone is so nice and helpful.”

Oliveira Ekimbaki’s Artist Statement: “My topic is about the impact of playing sports on teen mental health. Sports can take great dedication and build self-esteem. I chose colors that are different from each other because teen athletes are given different advice. I drew a basketball because of how certain teen athletes try to compete with other teen athletes. I had to think about my sister Plamedie. She is a track star who is about to go to college, and sometimes she has rough days because she didn’t do a certain thing correctly. A thing viewers should know about my piece is that it took me seven days to finish. It took opinion, dedication, talent, and a great mentor to finish this piece”

A Gloucester teenager who died after his family said he would not recover from a crash last Monday recently graduated from high school and was set to attend Coastal Carolina University, his obituary read.

Christopher Dailey, 18, died on July 4, days after a car crash on Route 128 in Gloucester on June 30. Dailey was with three other friends and fellow graduates at the time of a crash on the highway bridge over the Annisquam River for a report of a head-on, rollover car crash around 1:45 a.m., the Gloucester Fire Department said in a statement.

After the crash, Dailey was flown to Boston Hospital, the fire department said. Dailey was put on life support, with his family preparing for organ donation, according to Dailey’s father in a post on Facebook.

Dailey was born Dec. 19, 2006, in Beverly and grew up in Gloucester, his family wrote in his obituary. He went to schools in Rockport and participated in youth sports, from baseball to soccer to lacrosse, “but his true love was hockey.”

“Learning to skate at just two years old, Chris went on to become a four-year varsity player for the Gloucester High School Fishermen, serving as co-captain and earning the distinction of Defenseman of the Year his senior year,” his family wrote. “He was a member of the National Honor Society and a proud graduate of the GHS Class of 2025, eagerly anticipating beginning his studies in business at Coastal Carolina University this fall.”

Dailey was known for having an “infectious personality, warm heart, and a contagious smile that lit up any room,” his family continued. He had an adventurous side and spent time at the beach or going fishing, skiing or riding dirt bikes, along with making memories with his friends and family.

“Chris was always willing to lend a helping hand, offer encouragement, or simply share laughter with classmates, teammates, and loved ones,” his obituary read. “He loved his family and friends unconditionally and never hesitated to share that love which will live eternally in our hearts forever.”

To his parents, he was a special gift; for his sister, Rachel Dailey, they had “an incredible connection” that was “unbreakable,” his family wrote.

Dailey is survived by his parents, Rich and Nicole Dailey, and his sister Rachel, and several family members across New York, Florida and Georgia.

Dailey’s funeral Mass will be held at Saint Ann’s Church at 74 Pleasant St. in Gloucester at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 10. His interment will follow at Beech Grove Cemetery in Rockport.

“His memory will forever remain alive in the hearts of those he touched with his kindness, love, and zest for life. His spirit of adventure, friendship, and unconditional love will continue to inspire all of us,” his family said.

Time and time again, local athletes have shown that the journey from Long Beach to the NFL is a round-trip, not a one-way voyage. 

Jordan High School alum John Timu is the latest example of a former NFL player returning to his hometown to offer a football camp to aspiring young athletes. This year’s edition, run by the Timu Foundation, was the 3rd annual camp, and it was offered in its third different location in Long Beach.

After debuting at his alma mater, the event moved to Cabrillo High last year and was held at Long Beach Poly High School this past Saturday. Having the camp at its third different location offered campers from different neighborhoods an easier opportunity to participate.

“The whole idea behind it is to shed light on the best part of Long Beach. And for me growing up, this was my sanctuary,” said Timu, while standing on the sidelines at Poly’s Burcham Field. “I’m a Jordan alumni through and through, but Long Beach is my home … And hosting these events here, having the coaches be involved, allowing parents to come meet the coaches who are in it, that allows our coaches to build a relationship with the community … That’s what this camp is, but our foundation is bigger than that. It’s about serving Long Beach and giving back to our community in the best way we can.”

Kids all the way from Kindergarten age through high school were offered the chance to participate in the free camp, where more than a dozen coaches ran them through drills and skill work on the field. The campers were divided into three separate sessions–K-5th grade, 6th-8th grade, and high school–offering them drills catered to their skill level.

Timu thanked new Poly head coach Justin Utupo for sharing the Poly facilities, and he remembered back to his high school days when they went head-to-head in the Moore League. Both were members of the Class of 2010, with Timu a standout quarterback and defensive back at Jordan, and Utupo wreaking havoc as a defensive lineman/linebacker at Lakewood High.

“There’s always a deeper connection when there’s a Polynesian pipeline, and like you said, we were the same year, so there’s always been a competitive dislike for one another,” said Timu with a grin and plenty of respect, calling Utupo a superb player. “And part of our connection was having the same message: trying to uplift the best thing about the city, and that’s the people in it. We want to serve them through the sport that we both did well in, so that was kind of our connection there.”

In the NFL, Timu played three seasons for the Chicago Bears from 2015-17, and then began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Washington in 2019. After a brief stint at his alma mater, he made the jump back to the NFL, spending three seasons as an assistant with the Los Angeles Chargers. This past season, Timu was a defensive assistant with the Atlanta Falcons, where he remains on staff.

As he pursues the next stage of his football career, Timu and his foundation have shown their deep commitment to Long Beach, showcasing what local schools and coaches can offer to young athletes in the community. But more importantly, football is just a vessel, and Timu hopes to make meaningful connections beyond what the kids learn between the lines.

“We just want to make an impact in any way we can,” Timu said. “Coming out here to get a workout is one thing, but making an impact is another. I think we’re bigger than just the sport of football. We’re trying to uplift our community as much as we can through community service, and through events like this.”

For more information on the Timu Foundation and to stay informed on future camps and other events, visit TimuFoundation.com or follow them on Instagram at @timufoundation.

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