There have been greater than 17,000 highschool sports activities transfers recorded final college 12 months in California, and some of the weird concerned Chaminade offensive lineman Harout Agazaryan.
On a Monday in January, he checked out of Chaminade. On Tuesday, he started courses and soccer follow at Burbank Excessive. By Tuesday afternoon, when his mom picked him up after soccer follow, he informed her, “I don’t suppose it’s the fitting place for me.”
“You’re in all probability proper,” she mentioned. “How do you are feeling? Do you wish to return to Chaminade?”
“Sure,” he mentioned.
On Wednesday morning at Starbucks, he met with Chaminade soccer coach David Machuca and requested to return.
By Thursday, he was again at Chaminade in the identical courses. He felt awkward, however his academics joked, “You missed me already?”
It took braveness to ask for a second probability, and what a call it has turned out to be. 5 instances this season, Agazaryan has been named a workforce captain by his coach. The 6-foot-3, 255-pound senior been a standout offensive sort out and defensive lineman.
“He’s been wonderful,” Machuca mentioned. “You speak about a child that did a 360. He’s representing what I imagine is necessary to being a captain — dedication, holding folks accountable. He’s doing the whole lot proper.”
There’s so many classes to be discovered from Agazaryan’s experiences.
“The grass isn’t at all times greener the place you go,” he mentioned. “I found there’s not many locations higher than Chaminade.”
It was his dad and mom who gave him the inexperienced gentle to switch though they wished him to remain.
“Truthfully, on the time, I had numerous buddies [at Burbank],” he mentioned. “They had been texting me on daily basis. I wasn’t doing superb academically right here. I believed I wanted a restart.”
He rapidly decided he was improper. However would he have an opportunity to return to his old-fashioned?
Probably the most necessary selections he made was to have a dialog with Machuca earlier than he left. So many instances, college students and their dad and mom don’t even inform the coach they’re leaving.
“I really feel it’s a must to go away on good phrases as a result of I do know teammates that left final 12 months that didn’t discuss to teach Machuca in any respect,” he mentioned. “I felt as a person, I needed to discuss to him.”
That earlier dialogue made Machuca open to welcoming Agazaryan’s return so long as parameters had been adopted.
“I truly informed him when he was leaving I’m actually glad we’re on the level of getting a dialog,” Machuca mentioned.
The second probability has not been wasted.
“It’s been method higher,” Agazaryan mentioned. “I really feel after I got here again, my head switched. I used to be a method higher particular person, higher within the classroom, higher on the sphere. I felt I used to be controlling my feelings extra.”
Coaches have been complaining that it’s tougher to teach gamers nowadays, as a result of they know if somebody takes one thing they are saying the improper method, they instantly take into consideration transferring to a different college.
Agazaryan warns, “Don’t ever burn your bridges since you by no means know what’s going to occur. Simply because one factor dangerous occurs doesn’t imply it is best to take your stuff off and go away. It’s a must to construct a relationship with everybody on the campus, then you definately’ll actually be glad.”
