Hmong SNC Spotlight– August 2021 #1
Hmong Sports and Competitions proudly present to you, our first athlete/competitor of August 2021 on the Hmong SNC Spotlight. In his 4 years at Clovis East High School, he established himself as an elite field goal kicker and a star volleyball athlete. He is a CIF Central Section D1 Boys Volleyball Champion, the B’nai B’rith Student Athlete of the Year, the Clovis East High School Male Athlete of the Year, and has committed to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to play kicker on the football team….. Bryant Muachi Thao!!!
Who is your biggest supporter?
My biggest supporter is my mom. Without my mom, I wouldn’t be where I am at today and definitely would not have had the necessities to be able to compete in the sports I love. Of course, my family is also my biggest support. They have supported me through everything I’ve done, and I don’t know where I would be without them. They’ve played a huge part in who I am today and what I have been able to accomplish.
How were you able to manage HS school and sports?
Managing my time to balance high school work, and multiple sports was not an easy task to do. But what really helped was getting my work done early in class and always making sure I finish my work ahead of time, that way I had the time after school to focus on my sports and recovery. Time management was huge in being able to balance out all the co-curricular activities I was involved in. It definitely took some time to manage everything, but once I found a rhythm, I stuck with it, and it helped me get through the day without having to rush anything.
What is your advice to the younger athlete?
The advice I have to the younger athletes is to keep working hard, and never give up. Although times may seem hard and rough at the moment, you got to keep pushing through it and keep striving forward. Throughout the process, it may seem like nothing is improving or nothing is happening at all. You just have to continue to keep trusting the process and remember it’ll all come into play later on. Keep your head high and learn from your mistakes. We’re human, and we’re not perfect. It is okay to make mistakes, especially as an athlete. That’s how we learn and grow to become a better athlete/player. Not only that, but you also need to focus on your education FIRST. We are Student Athletes, not just athletes. Education must come first and take care of business in the classroom as you would on the field/court!
What is the one thing that sports teach you?
Ever since I started playing sports as a young kid, it has taught many things in life that I will forever keep. One thing that stands out to me the most from playing sports is the ability to learn how to work together as a team. This really stood out to me because in all the sports I’ve played, and for the many years I’ve been playing, you cannot do anything without playing together as a team. You win as a team, and you lose as a team.
What is your future goal/plans?
My future goal in life is to hopefully make it into the NFL and become the first Hmong American player in the NFL. Along with that, I also want to obtain my education and receive my degree, as well as my masters before I want to start a career in the business/entrepreneurship field.
Bryant’s advice to the young kids is one that they should listen to. Time management is is very important! And remember, “We are Student Athletes, not just athletes. Education must come first and take care of business in the classroom as you would on the field/court!” As Bryant continue his football career at Cal Poly, we will be looking forward to seeing him on the field as he continue his dream of playing football in the NFL, and one day owning a business.