Welcome to #WOLVESTALK – a SweetwaterNOW exclusive series where Green River High School Wolves inspire our community by telling their stories in their own words.
I am Sophia Arnold, and I am currently a senior at GRHS. I am part of my school’s volleyball, basketball, and track and field teams. I have been playing sports since I was a little kid, and I’ve grown to love all of the practices, weightlifting, film sessions, games, and trips that come along with them.
I have been playing volleyball since I was in fourth grade. I had so much fun doing it that I joined a club team and traveled down to Utah for a couple tournaments. I noticed during these tournaments that some of these teams were really good, and this pushed me to start improving my skills. My mom, who was an amazing volleyball player, helped me whenever I wanted, and it was a great way for us to bond over something we both love.
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Throughout my high school years, being part of the GRHS volleyball team has been an enormous privilege. All of my coaches, from freshman to senior year, have pushed me to be the best I could be. Not to mention, this year was incredible. During the summer, my fellow seniors and I were talking with Coach Dewey about our goals, and we decided that we wanted to win state. Dewey fully supported what we wanted to do, and when we told the rest of our teammates, they were super excited. All of us knew our goal and wanted to work for it. Coach Dewey brought new plays and put a large emphasis on our defense, and while there were growing pains, we trusted Coach Dewey and worked super hard to implement these new things into our game. While we ended up just short of our goal, I am super proud of what we accomplished this year and am so thankful for all of my teammates for their hard work and dedication throughout the season, and to my coaches for raising the bar and supporting us through every win and loss.
Similar to volleyball, I started playing basketball in a city league, and I eventually joined a traveling team. My dad loves basketball. He was always bringing my brother and me to a basketball court in town so we could dribble, pass, and shoot around. He taught me all of my foundational skills, and he still helps me advance my post moves and basketball knowledge to this day.
I am super excited for this basketball season. Last year, we had enormous success. We were 4A West Conference Champions and Consolation Champs at the State Tournament. This year, we are hoping to build on our success from last year. We have a lot of returning players and are all ready to work. Coach Landon has also helped me improve my post offense and defense this summer, and he is always willing to let any of us into the gym when we want extra shooting practice. Our coaches are putting a large emphasis on defense this year. We want to be one of the, if not the best, defensive teams in the state. Coach Landon is also teaching us about the importance of doing the little things right, and with all of this work, my team and I have our eyes set on going even further in the state tournament this year.
My mom actually convinced me to join the LMS Track and Field Team. I do not enjoy just running on a track, and I was scared of hurting my knees during triple and long jump, so I was not sure what I would do. During the first couple days of practice, everyone went around and got to try every event, and I learned that I really liked to throw shot and discus, and that is what stuck with me through the rest of my middle school and high school years.
This year, I am ready to level up my throwing skills. This previous summer, I was able to work with Coach Hansen, and with a former professional thrower at a track camp for a couple days. I learned a lot of things that will help me in discus and shotput, and I can’t wait to implement them this season. I want to qualify for and place at state this year, and am ecstatic for my last track season!
Finally, I want to thank all of my coaches (from the travel teams, middle, and high school) for pushing me to be the best I could possibly be, my teachers for always being there to help me when I have to miss school, for the bus drivers getting us to and from my destinations safely, to anyone who has supported me, and most of all, to my family, who are always there for me!
GO WOLVES!
— Sophia Arnold
