This season, BAND went on the look for exceptional young athletes who empower and inspire everyone around them. We asked coaches to tell us about an athlete that has inspired them and the rest of their teams to work harder and push forward in the face of challenges.
We were amazed by the incredible stories that coaches from all over the country sent in about their athletes. The amount of love and passion felt by the coaches who submitted was clear in every entry, and it has been very difficult to narrow down the list of deserving and qualified athletes.
BAND is very pleased to present our Recommended Athlete Scholarship to Athena Diaz.
Congratulations, Athena!
Based on her skill, sportsmanship, and perseverance, Athena has been awarded the ‘Recommended Athlete’ Scholarship by everyone here at BAND. We hope she continues to uplift her teammates and help them band together!
Athena Diaz is a talented 16-year-old martial artist with two black belts in Taekwondo. She decided to leave her old studio so she could compete in more tournaments.
Despite lots of experience, Athena had to start from the bottom and unlearn training from her previous studio. After repeated ankle injuries, she was nervous to continue training.
Her studio encouraged her to come back and teach while she was healing. Athena remembers what it was like being the youngest, so now she tries to be a good example and support kids when they feel like the odd one out.
Far beyond her own achievements, Athena loves to see her students progress and improve.
After a few months, she was able to attend her first tournament. Despite re-injuring her ankle, she won a Gold medal in her final event.
At BAND, we are inspired by Athena’s passion for teaching and her positive attitude. We hope that this scholarship will inspire Athena and everyone at her studio to continue pursuing their dreams and band together!
A great coach inspires their athletes, but great athletes inspire their coaches.
Thank you to everyone who submitted their athletes for our competition. Our submissions may be closed, but we have more winners still to be announced!
Stay tuned to our blog and social media for more contest updates.
