South Georgia - In The Game High School Sports Magazine

When Travis “Trav” Harris started high school, his parents told him the responsibility of making good grades was his. They also said he could have increased responsibility in other areas of his life if he kept up his grades. “It turned out to be pretty good motivation,” Trav says, although it’s a bit of an understatement. Currently, Trav is tied for first in the Valdosta High School Class of 2010. And he’s managed to maintain one of VHS’s top two grade point averages while balancing his time among a variety of sports, some of which keep him competing year-round.

Trav loves sports, but he has always known that his key to a successful future lay with academics. He’s an exceptional athlete; this year, he ran on the Wildcats cross country team and is currently playing both soccer and golf. If he really wanted to, he could at the very least obtain a cross country scholarship of some degree at a smaller school, even if he had to go the junior college route. But he’s not interested in playing sports in college. Instead, he has his sights set on a career in civil engineering. He’s been accepted to Georgia Tech, and he plans to begin classes there in the fall.

Doing well in school hasn’t been that difficult for Trav. He realized early on what he had to do. “I learned if I focused on the material in class, it was easier to study later on,” he says. He has always taken class very seriously — he doesn’t goof off, skip or sleep. He takes notes and pays attention. Trav is also very organized. He says he doesn’t write out priority lists. Instead, he keeps a mental note of what is due and when it needs to be turned in. “I just know what to do,” he states.

Trav would rather do his homework at school instead of at home after practices or games. His schedule is flexible enough to allow him get most of his work done before he ever leaves Valdosta High each afternoon. On those occasions when he does take his work home with him, he gets it done immediately after practice. “When sports are over, I do my schoolwork first thing. That way, I can sit down and enjoy dinner with my family. Early on, I procrastinated, but that didn’t work very well,” he says.

Because he is so focused on prioritizing his academics, Trav has few problems balancing sports and school. This year, he has remained active almost since school began. Cross country dominated his time through the late summer and early fall. He did get a respite through the latter part of the first semester, but not long after he returned to school from the holidays, it was time to begin golf and soccer. Still, he endeavors to keep sports and school separate from each other. He worries about his grades until the final bell rings. Then it’s time to put that aside  and  give  practice  everything  he

has. Once practice or games are over, then it’s back to academics. “I’ve found that I can’t do well in school if I’m worrying about sports. I also can’t do well in sports if I’m worrying about school. I have to keep them separate,” he says.

So far, his plan has worked out. You can’t argue with his position among his classmates, and the engineering program at Georgia Tech is second to none. But there’s more to Trav’s success than just hard work. That’s definitely a big part of it, but hard work can be for naught without the proper instruction and curriculum. Trav is quick to give Valdosta High the credit for preparing him for college. “I feel like I’ve gotten one of the best educations I could possibly receive. I haven’t missed out on anything here at Valdosta High,” he says.

The above statement holds true for athletics as well as academics. Trav has tried a little bit of everything in his athletic career. He played tennis and golf in middle school. Then, in the ninth grade, he dropped tennis to focus on golf. For two years, he was strictly a golfer. Then, in the eleventh grade, Trav decided to take up soccer. He had no soccer experience; he just thought it would be a fun game to play. He ended up making the varsity squad and has been an important part of the team for the last two seasons. Trav plays outside mid on the pitch; it didn’t take long for others to notice his exceptional endurance and above-average speed. An invite to join the cross country team followed, which he obliged during his senior year. Trav subsequently qualified for the state meet in his one and only year on the cross country team and posted a personal best 18:16 5K in a meet in Bainbridge.

For all that he’s done, golf remains his primary sport. Trav has been playing competitively at the school level for five years. He started playing in middle school because his dad and brothers played, and he wanted to spend time with them. Trav enjoys the individual aspect of golf, and he likes to get on the course by himself and practice for as long as he wants to.

It hasn’t been easy being on the Valdosta High golf team over the last few years. During Trav’s freshman season, the team was solid; several players were scratch golfers and they carried the team. The following year, most of those players were gone, though about half of the team was seniors. “That wasn’t a great year,” recalls Trav. His junior season was even worse. The Wildcats had just four golfers, and Trav was also splitting his time with the soccer team. “It was hard to improve my golf game while I was playing soccer. But it was still a fun year,” he says.

After a challenging season last year, Trav wanted to have better performances both on the golf course and on the pitch. His lowest score is 78; he’s turned in several over the years but can’t seem to get under six-over par. “I’d like to beat my personal best score and help the team,” he says. Maybe more important to his golf game than his scoring ability is the leadership role he provides. The 2010 Wildcats are young and have a lot of freshmen playing varsity golf, so a composed, consistent influence like Trav goes a long way. “His experience is important for the younger players. We’ve improved every tournament,” says Ashley Henderson, VHS golf coach.

Trav is a steady golfer who remains calm, no matter the kind of situation he’s in. He’s able to distance himself from bad shots and doesn’t let his emotions run wild. “I don’t get mad and throw clubs. If I hit a bad shot, I move on and don’t let it get to me mentally. I don’t make a lot of birdies, but I stay away from double bogies,” he says. His coach agrees. “The strongest part of his game is his consistency. If he gets in trouble, he gets right out. He’s a very intelligent golfer,” says Coach Henderson.

If Trav has one problem on the golf course it’s that he doesn’t get to play enough. That’s because he’s spending so much time playing soccer. In only his second year on the team, he was chosen senior captain. He plays with an enthusiasm and intensity that makes up for his inexperience. “He started playing later than most everybody else, but he picked up the game quickly. He knew he wouldn’t have the skills other players have, but he demands the ball. He directs traffic on the field and he’s very persuasive,” says Chris Chastain, Valdosta High’s soccer coach.

Trav looks like he’s been playing soccer a lot longer than 18 months. He’s picked up on game strategy very well, and he’s a solid player on both offense and defense. Valdosta isn’t going to make the playoffs this year, but they did manage to beat Lowndes for the first time since 2006. The Wildcats won 4-3 and Trav scored one goal — with a header from a corner kick. “We had a good chance to make the playoffs but we hit our stride too late. But for the first time in four years, we were competitive,” he says.

While he’s tried to keep his academics and athletics separate, he’s learned lessons from both that have spilled over into each other. He recalls something he learned from cross country to illustrate this point. “I remember our cross country motto: Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. A lot of people waste talent by not working. I don’t to be one of those. I’ve been blessed to do well academically and be athletic. I want to make the most of it,” he says.•