Soldat Brings Skills To New Horizons - By Kaya Chang
It's never too late to pursue a dream or a calling; sometimes, overcoming these mental blocks or unsureness can lead to the best outcomes you would ever think possible. Jazmyn Soldat is proof of this, from her journey of starting a new sport “late” in life and finding early success and a new passion. Starting basketball at age five, Jazmyn has been on multiple AAU teams and has spent her childhood up till now dedicated to the sport. Her favorite thing is the camaraderie. “I love the team aspect of basketball, winning and losing together.” After last season, Jazmyn turned to track and field for the first time in her life, her motivation being, “I’ve actually wanted to try track since freshman year, but COVID freshman year made that hard. I got cold feet because I didn’t know what to expect trying something new, and junior year I decided to jump in because if I didn’t now, then when? If I waited until senior year and liked it, I wouldn’t get to do it again. My reason was finally submitting to the curiosity of trying an individual sport.”
Head coach Stuart Allen is more than supportive of bringing student-athletes of other sports into the program, saying, “Track and field is a sport that has mainly two types of athletes. Some athletes are looking to improve in another sport. Track is a great measuring tool of skills that will transfer to another sport. These skills are also a measurement for college recruiters. The other athletes are doing track for its most alluring aspect- the fun. Track is a fun sport, from practices and meets to the large team and the functions we have together. These athletes enjoy competing and improving themselves. Whether an athlete is improving their skills for another sport or out to have fun, roughly half the athletes that turn out are first-year track athletes. Many of the new athletes are surprised by the progress they make, and those newer athletes who are upperclassmen end up regretting they didn’t turn out earlier in high school.”
During her first year in track, after discovering her new love for this sport, Jazmyn had put a lot of her time and effort into her training. She is a 100m, 200m, 4x100m, 4x200m sprinter who competed at the Oregon Relays in the SMR (sprint medley relay) and at state, running the 4x100m and 4x200m. She spent her Christmas break tirelessly working out, hoping to continually improve and widen her progress range by doing individual and team workouts. In her offseason, outside of her basketball and track season, she lifts and does speed and agility training. Overall, Jazmyn likes to be busy in her life and active, keeping her constantly involved in her sports. Her favorite things about these sports involve wide variety or reasons. “I love the technicality of track, it is more precise and you can focus on perfecting the art of running. I love the team aspect of basketball, winning and losing together. That is probably why relays are my favorite events to participate in,” as well as the welcoming and positive environment that the coaches are able to bring to the team. Allen is able to maintain this inviting system in many ways: “We have the largest team out of any sport. Last year, our highest number was above 230 athletes. Although these numbers speak volumes to our environment, those who see it firsthand know we inspire athletes to push their limits while also having fun. Many people think that because they don’t like running, they won’t like track. But what they don’t know is that there are many different types of races and events that don’t have much running at all. Plus, I believe that meets, and team dinners help with bringing in new athletes and keeping the veterans.”
Jazmyn’s best experiences in her involvement with track were both the Oregom Relays and the State Meet. “The Oregon Relays were incredible. It was a surreal experience running on the same field where the world championships were held the year before, and I specifically remember running in lane five, my lucky number, and the lane team Jamaica was in. I was the first leg in that SMR, so I got to hold the baton in the starting blocks. I went to state as an alternate for both relays, so I didn’t officially run, but I got to warm up with the team. State was really fun. I got to watch my teammates compete in many different events, not just running, and I feel like I got closer to members of my team and met new people. State track is one of my favorite memories.” After having many memories from both sports that are incredibly important in Jazmyn’s life, it’s safe to say this chance that she took on track has built a new foundation and has unlocked a part of her that she possibly would never find without track, ultimately making her junior year of high school a memorable one. Take one from Jazmyn’s book: allow yourself to take chances because the result can have the best effect on you and your life. Try new things while you're in high school, and make more memories while you have these opportunities.
