By JACOB WEEKS/Special to the Sentinel
SOMERS POINT – A man can love many things. A man can love his wife, his dog and his children. There is nothing that can get between a man and what he loves, but there will always be room in a man’s heart for his favored sport.
Try to get in between a man and his passion for his sport, and you will be seeing stars sooner than you can say “NASA.”
Gavin Weis is a 17-year-old Somers Point native and there are few things in life that he loves more than playing lacrosse. Plying his trade since the third grade, Weis is an all-star when it comes to the sport. With his third varsity season as a starter for the Mainland Mustangs on the horizon come this spring, Weis credits his parents for playing important roles in his success so far. Additionally, Weis holds a great amount of respect for the Mainland Regional High School program which presented him a platform on which to shine.
“Our lacrosse program is special to me because we are like one big family,” said. “We all support each other through everything. Whether it is our ups or downs, we are there for each other.”
When you play like Weis, almost constantly within the crease taking shot after shot on net, the victories come walking through the door. Naturally, some of Weis’s favorite memories of lacrosse come as a result of these special times.
“After a win and we all have big smiles on our faces and [we] are all joking around talking about well we played,” Weis said as he looks back, prior to his junior-year season being canceled last spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Winning would not be as sweet if he were not able to celebrate the glory alongside his brothers in arms. Weis’s respect for the program also consists of its ability to bring new people together.
“Playing lacrosse in high school has allowed me to make friendships with people that … I might have never made,” he said. As for extending his athletic career in college, Weis is unsure of his, something acceptable given the uncertainty and unpredictable nature of the world surrounding him at the moment. What is definite is his plan to study marketing after graduation.
“Marketing is a real interest of mine because it is all around us,” he said. “It amazes me how there are so many different ways to market to people.” Even before he takes his first step onto a college campus, Weis has been researching his future courses. With two passions – marketing and what call the fastest game on two feet – it wouldn’t be surprising to hear he combines both down the road.
“Out of school and majoring in marketing, I would like to try to find a job with a sporting goods company,” he said.
Even after putting in the hours in the classroom and on the field, there remains the chance that life could hand him the short end of the stick, but given how he wields that playing lacrosse, he should be able to use that to his advantage.