We Are the League Feature Series: Meet Will Warder

Editor's Note: Welcome to We Are the League, a feature series that recognizes the work, dedication and enthusiasm of individuals who are essential in making opportunities within the Minnesota State High School League a truly great experience for all. During this series, you will meet an incredible array of individuals, including student-participants, who will share their journeys through education-based activities. The League hopes you enjoy this recognition series.

My high school journey

• I’ve surprisingly now done a lot of sports and activities in my life, and not just playing floor hockey for the Dakota United Hawks. I grew up doing adaptive track and field for the Blizzards and have now been racing for them for almost 10 years where I was able to compete in the Paralympic trials last summer. I’m still running track for my Eastview High School team in which this will be my last year before college. I also played football for three years and worked my butt off for that. It really made me into the athlete I am today and definitely helped me when I first joined the Hawks. I didn’t know what to expect when I joined the Hawks during my junior year, but as an adaptive athlete, it wasn’t too long before I found my place on the team. We went to the state tournament as a No. 3 seed and ended up winning the whole thing. I was also selected to the all-tournament team. That was a huge surprise to me during my first year. Then this past year, we went into the tournament as the No. 2 seed and ultimately lost in the state championship game. It's been tough, but ultimately, I'm thankful for the ability to have adaptive sports at a competitive level and make another all-tournament team. It’s been a journey of ups and downs and I'm thankful for every coach, teammate, friend and family member who has supported me and helped me throughout my journey. Now I'm off to college to study creative writing and become a writer. 

Favorite high school memories

• I’ve had a lot of great moments and memories as an athlete and student here at Eastview High School. My favorite moments definitely come while playing my sports. I remember beating my friend, Dom, in a race during a track meet, or snagging a diving catch my freshman year of football. And obviously winning a state championship feels pretty great. However, my favorite Hawks moment, and maybe my favorite moment in general, was my third goal against Rochester. The Eastview boys hockey team was coming to watch our game, many of whom I knew. So there was a lot of pressure from myself to do well. I was still a very raw player and didn’t really know what I was doing, but in this game everything clicked. I was playing defense, rebounding, scoring, assisting against a pretty decent Rochester team. Then I get on a fast break to the net, I get past a Rochester player, move in towards the net then suddenly move to the right, hit the puck in and scored. I remember everyone, including the boys hockey team, cheering as my teammate came up behind me and said “now that’s a goal“ on my way to my first ever hat trick. 

Why I enjoy being involved with high school activities

• I've enjoyed participating in every sport and activity I've been in. Sure, there’s ups and downs, trials and errors, but if we’re being honest, that’s what sports is all about. It's about being competitive and being able to express yourself through your sport and your passion for it. It's being able to be a good teammate and help them get their moment and have them help you get yours. It's about different people from different places and ideas being united with a common goal, culture and sport. Every sport and activity offers something different of value. With track and field, it’s fighting yourself and seeing how much better you can become. With football, it’s being the best teammate you can be, lifting people up when they're down and celebrating them when they're up. And with hockey, it’s about the differences and similarities between one another and how we can put that together for success. Each and every sport has played a different role in my life and I’m thankful for all of them, and as I go on to the next chapter of my life, I'll take each and every one of them with me.