When Sarah Solomon arrived at Lab as a junior and started soccer for the first time in her life, her coach hardly knew what to do with her. But in a brief span of time, she has proven to be much more than an exemplary athlete. To her teammates, she’s a leader, a mentor and, above all, a friend who inspires with her unwavering optimism, sincerity and dedication — to others and to the three sports she deftly balances.

For Sarah, now a senior, participation in sports is much more than just an extracurricular activity.

“Sports are my safe place. They are the place I need to go at the end of the day to breathe and think about nothing for a bit, and run,” she said.

Sarah loves sports so much that she participates in back-to-back seasons of volleyball, basketball and soccer. Having done dance, gymnastics, flag football, cross country and swimming in the past, sports in all varieties constitute a way of life in which she can channel her competitive instincts for good.

“Being able to have a space where I can feel less anxious or my most confident has allowed me to figure out who I am as a person,” Sarah said.

When she lived in Hamilton, New York, near Colgate University, the college’s student  athletes and her cyclist father acted as athletic role models for her. 

Now she has become a role model in her own right.

For sophomore Stella Sturgill, who plays on the girls soccer team, Sarah has helped her to think about the point of exercise with a healthier mindset: instead of coming from feelings of inadequacy about one’s body, working out can instead be about caring for oneself and others in a positive way. 

For the soccer team, Sarah has demonstrated her encouraging and friendly character both in her work as a goalie and outside of games. She has set up social gatherings and introduced her teammates to weightlifting to strengthen in the off-season.

“She is kind of like the glue, and she is the mutual person that connects people,” Stella said.

Furthermore, Sarah has a striking candor.

“I don’t think there is anyone who is more authentic to herself, and I think she carries that authenticity through everything she does,” Stella said.

Her dedication to her friends comes alongside persistent practice, which includes focused drilling and off-season work.

For Maya Atassi, a junior who plays basketball with Sarah, Sarah is a reassuring and energizing captain.

“She always has this optimism. She’s always looking on the bright side of things,” Maya said.

Through gestures large and small, whether it be bringing snacks before the game or finding ways to entertain others on bus rides, Sarah combines team spirit with earnest friendship.

“When she sees you she hugs you, when she sees you down she asks you how you are — it’s just the little things that make her who she is,” Maya said.

Likewise, volleyball teammate Ariana Vasquez, a senior, feels revitalized by Sarah’s good-spiritedness and motivation to always train harder. For her, Sarah didn’t even feel like a new student.

“Her attitude on the team was just so positive and she was always bringing everyone up and keeping the energy there,” Ariana said. “She gives the best hugs ever.”

Despite her highly demanding athletics schedule, Sarah said that she doesn’t feel it’s a particular struggle to balance everything. Athletics is simply how she can be the kindest and strongest version of herself, and for all her friends, it shows. 

A pandemic and moving to another state couldn’t repress her indomitable spirit, and she’ll surely keep playing more sports, always improving and remaining a source of hope and joy in her teammates’ lives.

“I don’t know how I did it,” Sarah said, but it sure was good that she could.