Life Is Sport

Some students play a sport off-campus. They find something they like and pour their heart and soul into it. James Rivers is not just your ordinary off-campus athlete, though. He is twice as dedicated as most.

“As a young kid, soccer was always second nature to me,” he said. “But my Dad was a basketball coach in Elk Grove so, when I was younger, I played rec ball.” He was torn, though. All of the kids in the apartment he lived in were avid soccer players. “We would be playing all day long until the street lights would come on.” He started with soccer when he was eight and has been playing steadily ever since.

“I play midfield or I play defense [in soccer], but in basketball I am a forward or guard,” he said. Most of his practice time is in Vallejo at the Mare Island Sports Center “because it is a great facility.” They have soccer turf in an indoor field with a basketball court right next to it.

While his heart isn’t on any other sports, he does sometimes play football with his friends. This year he hopes to play either basketball or soccer for Armijo.

Rivers has two older sisters and he sees one of them, Jada, as a role model. “She is always a great person to talk to and gives me advice about school,” he said. “I can talk to her about anything.”

Another one of his role models is a family friend, TJ. “He also plays basketball and went to Benicia High School. He gives me great advice on school, basketball and friendships. He makes sure I stay on the right track,” said Rivers.