When a high school athlete steps on the field or court to compete, they are trusting in the work and time that they have invested in preparation. But when they put on that uniform, they are also competing for more than just themselves, they are also playing for their school and community.

“It means everything when you have the kids of the community looking up to you wanting to be just like you,” said Tucker Garza, a student athlete at Elk City. “It makes me feel grateful to  be a Big Elk.”

Garza is a junior at Elk City High School, where he is a member of the football, basketball, and track teams. He is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the National Honor Society, and the Esports team.

Becoming the player that he is today has not been something that has just happened to Tucker. Instead, he has had to work for it. And he has seen that hard work pay off.

“It has taken a lot of dedication and sacrifice to get where I am today,” he said. “I think the highlight moment of my career would have to be when I tied a school record with the most rushing touchdowns in a game with five as a freshman.”

Along with putting in the time and effort personally, Garza also looks to his teammates to help him become better.

“I think the teammate I like to face the most in practice is Jayden Wynn,” Tucker said. “He comes in everyday to work, pushing his teammates to be the best. The most underrated player on our team is Luke Friesen. He might only be on the scout team but he tries no matter what the day or weather is outside to get the starters better. My teammates are probably my biggest motivation. They push me to be the best player I can be everyday and my coaches teach me to be better at football but grow to be a man.”

In his downtime, Tucker likes to lift weights, spend time with friends and family, and serve his community through his church’s missions.