This is an article in Sporty Seniors, a bi-weekly column celebrating M-A senior athletes’ dedication to their sport.
“I’d rather have an okay record and have the best team chemistry than a [team] winning a bunch of games and just not really being as close with them,” senior Toa Walker said.
Walker plays defensive end for M-A’s varsity football team and competes in shot put and discus for track and field. Walker has been playing football since eighth grade, with his family supporting him from the very start of his journey.
“Football is a big thing in my family. My dad played it, and my mom’s siblings played it,” he said. “I was surrounded by it a lot, and I thought I would give it a try, and ended up really liking it.”
However, his journey to playing football was delayed due to the pandemic. He began playing for the Vikings, a youth football team, once pandemic restrictions were loosened, with practices taking place at Coach Parks Field. Transitioning into high school, Walker shifted to playing for the M-A football team.
“The Vikings had a lot of people from Menlo Park and Redwood City. And when I came to M-A, there were kids from East Palo Alto, from Redwood City, Menlo Park, and San Carlos. It’s definitely a different community,” he said.
Walker’s interest in shot put was ignited in his sophomore year by his mom and friends’ encouragement, ultimately leading him to pursue the sport.
“I was with one of my friends, and he asked me if I wanted to. We both said, ‘I’ll do it if you do it,’ and so it just started happening. From there, it was pretty fun, and I liked it a lot. It was something new, and that’s what my mom really wanted me to try sophomore year,” he said.
Walker’s very first meet is most memorable for him. It was against Carlmont, and Walker finished on the podium for both shot put and discus, placing third and first respectively. “I was a little nervous because I had heard that people actually took it very seriously, and it was just like my secondary sport. So that got me to start to learn more techniques to get better at it,” Walker said.
As for football, the team had a rough start with few wins. Their first win of the season was against San Mateo, which was the most memorable for Walker. “I think I’ll forever remember that game,” Walker said.
Walker and his teammates ended up facing San Mateo and dominated them once again in the CCS Championship. “There was a lot of doubt this season, but I think that’s just what our team thrived off of,” he said.
Walker finds that shot put contributes to his ability to perform strongly in football. “I think throwing helps me more with football, because it’s about explosiveness. For shot put, you have to be explosive, and it involves using your arm a lot,” he said.
He also builds his strength through early morning workouts, which became a quiet test of his discipline. Walker recounts waking up on those early mornings, letting the weight of the day sink in.
“There’s so much that goes [into] football. Having to wake up and put a lot of work into the sport just so you can improve, and seeing all your teammates there [in the gym] really has made me a lot more disciplined.”
The community Walker has in football is what he cherishes most. His coach, Christopher Saunders, has made a significant impact on Walker’s mentality.
“I thought he was just scary because he’s this tall coach walking around. But whenever I would talk to him personally, he would definitely try to push me more, because he sees a lot in me and all of our teammates,” Walker said. “He noticed I was kind of in my own bubble and that I was very quiet. And whenever we were practicing, [Saunders] would just be telling me, ‘Toa, you have to be a little bit louder.’”
Walker and his team are very tight-knit. They have a tradition of going to their teammate’s house for a post-game hangout every game.
“Shoutout to our entire defensive line and my whole line. They just made the sport a lot more fun for me. And even though there would be times when we would all mess up, we would always be able to bring each other up. And I think our bond and our team chemistry were just amazing,” he said.
With more than half of the M-A student body playing competitive sports, students have ample options to find community on campus and try new experiences. Walker’s advice to those students is simple. “I would say, just do it. I mean, you’re in high school. High school is the perfect time to really try new things,” Walker said. “So if you’re really thinking about something, or you’re on edge about it, I say you just do it.”
Walker will be leaving M-A with fond memories and intends to pursue college next fall.
