Four years ago, Jesse Conner knew little – if anything – about the game of volleyball. The math whiz had earned the President’s Academic Achievement Award in elementary and middle and was preparing to begin his academic career at Redondo Union High School.
Conner had participated in few sports growing up, so competing in athletics was the last thing on the freshman’s agenda. But when neighbor Adam Osman, a setter in Redondo’s volleyball program, encouraged him to tryout for the Sea Hawk’s frosh/soph volleyball team and Conner agreed, he had no idea his decision would eventually earn him national recognition his senior year.
Conner recently was selected as a 2011-12 Discus Award winner for his achievements in the areas of academics, athletics and community service. The Discus Awards is a national program that acknowledges and provides scholarship opportunities to all-around high school students who excel in three of ten key characteristics.
“After I tried out my freshman year, the coaching staff said they would post the roster sometime during the week,” Conner recalled. “Every day I checked to see if it was posted and I was so excited to find out I had made the team. Most of the other players had been playing club volleyball for years so I was a little surprised to see my name.”
Redondo’s coaching staff obviously saw something in Conner. His dedication and willingness to learn earned him the Most Improved Freshman award and he became captain of the junior varsity team his sophomore year. He has been an opposite hitter for the Sea Hawk varsity team the last two seasons and has developed a passion for the sport.
“Jesse was a great member of our volleyball program for four years,” Redondo head coach Duncan Avery said. “During his first tryout, he had very little volleyball experience. However, he was one of the most competitive, hard-working athletes with a great attitude. We talk about John Wooden’s cornerstones of success (industriousness and enthusiasm) and these are the qualities that Jesse embodies most. He is a great student athlete who makes the most out of every situation. The last two years on varsity he worked hard every day making the most out of every opportunity to see court time. It was a real pleasure getting to know Jesse as a player but more importantly as a young man.”
Conner has improved his skills by attending Pepperdine’s volleyball camp and participating in the Junior Nationals Contest. He played two years for the Riptides club team and is currently an outside hitter for the Mizuno Rockstar team. He hopes to play for UC Santa Cruz where he will be attending this fall.
“I was considering going to San Diego State,” Conner said. “Even though Santa Cruz is a Division 3 school and cannot offer scholarships, they invited me to come visit the campus, meet the players and get a feel for the school. It was that recruiting trip that helped me make my decision to attend Santa Cruz.”
Volleyball also helped Conner fulfill his community service requirements. He has volunteered as a volleyball coach for the Adams Middle School girls team the last two years this year coached for the United States Youth Volleyball League providing children ages 8 to 10 their first experience in the sport.
“When I first started playing volleyball, I was trying to do everything my way,” Conner said. “Then I discovered that in the long run, it’s better to do it the coaches’ way. They know what they’re talking about. Now, I want to pass the knowledge I’ve learned onto kids who are in the same situation I used to be in.
“At their age, it’s hard to keep their attention but when they listen, I see improvement. For me, the best part of coaching is getting everyone to play, seeing them enjoy volleyball and get better as the season progresses.”
In addition to coaching on the court, Conner has volunteered as a Link Crew Leader at Redondo Union, helping freshman students with orientation and throughout their first year of high school.
Conner has been a member of the Key Club, supervised young children during banquets and served as a tutor for fellow students.
While volleyball has become a large part of Conner’s life, academics remains his primary focus. He is a member of the National Society of High School Scholars and has made the Principal’s Honor Roll throughout his four years at Redondo Union. He is an award winner in Mathematics and Spanish.
Conner plans to major in Mathematics with a focus on Actuarial Science. He admitted that his AP Calculus course this year has been the most difficult class in his prep career.
“This is the first time I’ve earned below an A in any math class since middle school,” Conner said.
Conner said the majority of his teachers were very helpful and he has learned a lot during his four years at Redondo Union.
“Some teachers were harder to work with than others,” Conner said. “I found that the harder the classes, the teachers seemed more interested in teaching that subject and provided more one-on-one instruction.”
Psychology and Physics were subjects Conner found “pretty interesting,” but his favorite class came during his freshman year.
“It was a Media Arts class,” Conner recalled. “We created logos and made movies, learning the vocabulary and production aspects of the industry. That was pretty cool.”
