Four Year Varsity Athlete Senior Grace Kinshofer dives into her last season of UC High Water Polo with high hopes of scoring big. With her energetic personality and tremendous ambition, she looks forward to wrapping up her time at UC High with a splash. 

   From the very beginning, sports have always played a huge role in Kinshofer’s life. “My parents put me into sports starting at a very young age and gave me the opportunity to try everything,” noted Kinshofer. Her love for competing didn’t stop there. Today she spends almost all her free time balancing volleyball and waterpolo. In all her years on the court and in the pool, Kinshofer shared that “…sports have taught me to be disciplined and have better time management.”

   Kinshofer’s commitment to her sports is clear, and one can tell simply by looking at her practice schedule alone. “I go to practice everyday for volleyball. For water polo, we practice before school twice a week and after school everyday,” said Kinshofer. “I think Grace has found success in waterpolo from working hard and putting in the time to get better and striving to do her best,” shared Kinshofer’s teammate, Senior Haley Rodriguez. 

   Even in balancing sports and school, Kinshofer prioritizes her teammates above all and it shows. “Grace affects me personally with her positivity and the incredible attitude that she carries with her at all times,” shared long-time friend and teammate, Senior Lexi Jackson. Junior Samantha Yoo described Kinshofer as “…an incredible friend who has always been there to encourage and support me both in and out of the pool.” These feelings are mutual as Kinshofer added, “I’ve formed so many friendships with my teammates through the sports I play and it always means a lot when I see my family and other friends supporting me on the sidelines.” 

   Alongside forming strong friendships, one of Kinshofer’s favorite aspects of playing sports is getting a chance to be active and to stay in shape. One of her main goals is “…to keep my body healthy and strong so I can keep playing sports my whole life,” said Kinshofer.

   After high school, Kinshofer hopes to continue competing wherever she ends up for college: “I plan to play club water polo and intramural volleyball to stay active and involved at a less competitive level,” said Kinshofer. 

   Friends, teammates, and coaches who have watched Kinshofer grow and improve over the last four years have nothing but excitement for her future. “I think Grace has great success in her future. Due to her hard working mentality, she will succeed in college, both academically and athletically. She also has great social skills which I think will lead her to all kinds of opportunities,” added Rodriguez. 

   As eager as Kinshofer is to start her new adventures in college, she will never forget her sports career at UC High. Kinshofer could not be more appreciative, as she noted, “I’m so grateful for playing sports throughout high school. It definitely has kept me on top of my schoolwork and allowed me to form many new friendships with both players and coaches.”

   Season after season, Kinshofer brought with her to every game and practice her incredible spirit and dedication. With her love for both the sports and her teammates, Kinshofers finishes off her time at UC High with joyful memories, great friends and gratitude.