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Westminster Christian School graduate Gavin Diaz often volunteered for the University of Miami football team, charting plays and doing the offensive statistics for the away team. Diaz’s dad, Manny Diaz, was the head coach, so he spent a lot of time on the sidelines both at practice and during games.
“It is very cool and very eye opening,” he says. “You learn a lot. It is a completely different game. I enjoy being on the sidelines. You can see how quick things happen. Also, how strong and fast the players are.”
Being on the field during the games taught him a lot.
“Football is a sport, you win, and you lose, as you win, and as you lose, it teaches you how to stay composed and in the present,” he says. “You learn how to be composed and you get used to being in chaos. There are tens of thousands of people screaming. It teaches you composure and patience.”
Diaz would go to the UM practices when he could, but he also had practice for the Westminster team.
“I never played flag football,” he says. “Fourth grade I was old enough to start tackle football.”
This school year, Diaz a three-year team captain, made the Miami Herald All Miami-Dade Third team his senior season. He made the All Miami-Dade team his sophomore year. Diaz was also a two-time 3A All-Conference team honoree.
While he was a high school star, Diaz opted not to play in college. However, he will try to become a student assistant for the Vanderbilt football team.
“It’s the beginning of becoming a coach,” he says. “I’m not sure I’m going down that road, but it’s a possibility.”
Diaz also played lacrosse and soccer at Westminster. He played soccer for two years and played lacrosse since eighth grade.
“It was another challenge,” he says. “I’m normally better mentally and physically when I’m playing sports. And I enjoy it.”
At Vanderbilt he plans to major in communications studies. He is still trying to figure out what he’s going to do for his career. He is happy he will have options.
“I could be a sports journalist or a commentator or a broadcaster,” he says. “That’s what I would do, if I became any type of reporter or journalist.”
His community service includes volunteering at his church, Christ Journey, where he was a counselor.
“Every Sunday I would volunteer with the second graders,” he says. “It was really enjoyable, and it was cool to connect with the younger generation.”
He also volunteered at the church Kids Camp for four years. The first three years he was a recreational leader and then he was a second-grade co-counselor.
“As a counselor, I would guide them to their activities and sometimes participate,” he says.
Diaz participated in a Blue Missions Trip to the Dominican Republic where he dug trenches and laid pipes to provide a remote village access to clean water.
At Westminster, he was on Leadership for two years. This school year he became a peer counselor.
“It was something I cared about” he says. “I enjoyed the training and wanted to help others. It was a lot of psychology, a lot of how people think.”
A peer counselor helps students who need someone to talk to.
“It could be a student who hasn’t learned to balance between academic life and sports,” he says.
Diaz was also a member of the Science National Honor Society, the National Honor Society, Rho Kappa, and the Computer Science National Honor Society. He was Westminster’s Silver Knight nominee for Social Studies.
Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld
