FEBRUARY

2021

both worlds
Playing the best of

Camila Villarreal teammates is something special to

EXECUTIVE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR me,” Patel said. “I know there
@fliipthewriter are people who have my back
when I play. If I’m having a

N
ot many people can imagine play- bad day, I can always count on
ing sports as if it were a full-time sports to clear my head.”
job, but for Coppell sophomore But the life of an athlete is not
Saiya Patel, that imagination is lived all alone. Patel’s parents,
her everyday reality. Bindi and Amish Patel, are sup-
In addition to being on the Coppell varsi- portive of their daughter’s
ty soccer and basketball teams, Patel is also lifestyle, attending
committed to playing left and right winger her matches and
on the D’Feeters Soccer Club, which she has driving her to
been a part of for more than five years. where she needs
With 90-minute practices during school to be.
for soccer and basketball, strength and con- “[Our sched-
ditioning before school, matches and games ules] are mainly
for both sports after school and 90-minute based on where
club practices twice a week, as well as games Saiya needs to be
on the weekends, Patel’s schedule is nothing at what time,” Mrs. Patel said. “We were
short of packed. hesitant to allow Saiya to take two sports at
“I’d say I dedicate 30 hours or so to sports once, but she does a very good job of man-
every week,” Patel said. “I feel overwhelmed aging her school workload along with her
pretty often, but I sports. She is not
the kind of girl

“If I’m having a bad

try to take it step-
by-step and plan we need to worry
out what I’m going too much over.”

paying off in-game

to do that day.” Strength and

day, I can always

The constant ex- persistence are
ercise may tire oth- valuable quali-
ers, but Patel has ties one would

count on sports to
been playing sports expect an ath-
for more than a lete to have, but
decade. The expe- Patel goes be-
yond that. Her

clear my head.”
rience has reward-
ed her with com- character shines
mendable spots on just as bright
the Coppell varsity as her talent on
teams, as well as a the field.
role as team cap- S A I YA PAT E L A good team-
tain in 2019 for the mate and a
S O P H O M O R E D U A L S P O R T AT H L E T E good person all
D’feeters. With
the determi- around, her ded-
nation her coaches and parents know ication to being the best version of herself
her to possess, Patel led her team to does not go unnoticed by those around her.
victory on state, regional and national D’Feeters coach Adam Flynn notes her
levels that year. growth throughout the many years he has
Juggling an athletically-inclined known her.
schedule as well as rigorous academ- “Initially, [Patel] was a quiet, reserved
ics is a challenge not unknown to girl,” Flynn said. “As time went on, she ma-
many high school students such tured so much. She’s quick, she’s sharp, and
as Patel. Aside from sports, Patel she’s the type of kid that - if she puts her
enjoys volunteering in her spare mind to it - she can do anything. Saiya is
time with her family. Regard- a genuine person who holds people account-
less of her busy life, she finds a able, and as a coach, that’s our dream.”
way to fit all elements of it in
squarely and enjoy it too. CAMILA ‘21 can be reached at
“Getting to play with my cxv8266@g.coppellisd.com.

Patel’s duality
Coppell sophomore Saiya Patel plays both basketball and soccer
for Coppell High School, as well as soccer for club team D’Feeters.
Despite the two sports and schoolwork, Patel’s hard work comes
easy as she enjoys what she does. Photos by Lilly Gorman