No matter what he’s training for, Devin Garcia finds inspiration everywhere he looks
(Second of a seven-part series)
By Michael Quinn — MikeDragoSports.com correspondent
Early each morning as he makes his way into the weight room at Berks Catholic for summer workouts Devin Garcia is greeted by “It’s A Great Day To Be A Saint,” a message splashed across one of the walls.
Other inspirational messages cover the walls, such as “Be Your Best” and “Hard Work Pays Off.”
At the end of the day they’re just words on a wall but to Garcia the messages serve as motivation as he continues his journey as a three-sport athlete.
Garcia recently completed his junior year at Berks Catholic in which he played football and basketball for the Saints and rugby for a local club team.
“I try to stay as dedicated as I can, and disciplined,” he said. “It’s hard to balance (three) sports at the same time.”
Workouts, practices and games for three sports can be a lot for a high school athlete to manage, and when there is success in one sport it’s expected in the others, too.
In 11 football games last season Garcia, a linebacker, recorded 75 total tackles, six for loss, and had two interceptions. He also saw reps at fullback and was Berks Catholic’s third-leading rusher with 392 yards on 61 attempts.
Recognition and individual statistics are great but that’s not Garcia’s focus.
“I’m really thankful to be recognized, but I look at it as more of a team thing,” he said.
Such a mindset doesn’t come out of the blue. Garcia has been part of a team his entire life, along with older brother Luis and their mom, LeAnn Rojas.
Luis was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball and all-league defensive back for the Saints. Naturally, Devin looked up to him and began playing those sports, as well. Football became his first love and remains so.
Luis was the key to opening that door.
“Luis always told (him) that it doesn’t matter what you do, you can be great at whatever you do, you don’t have to be like me,” LeAnn said.
Luis inspired Devin’s passion for sports and LeAnn instilled in him the drive, work ethic and ability to juggle multiple sports.
LeAnn, a single mom, often worked 12- to 16-hour shifts and sometimes worked overnight in order to make it to their games. She believes her sons recognized her work ethic and have followed her lead.
“They’ve seen me work really hard,” she said. “They took something from that.”
“It’s a family thing,” Devin said. “If we put our mind to something and we want to accomplish it, we’re going to try our hardest to do it.”
That drive pushes Devin forward. He didn’t stop when he found success in football and basketball. He picked up a new sport: rugby.
LeAnn wondered how her son would add rugby to an already hectic schedule.
During the summer Devin has rugby practice every Thursday and 7-on-7 weekend tournaments. In season, which runs from February to the end of April, practice is twice a week and there are weekend games.
Devin has no problem fitting that in.
“I’m always wanting to do something,” he said. “It could be raining outside and I’m like: ‘Oh, I want to do this, I want to do that.’ I just have this motivation to keep going and I don’t want to stop.”
Devin first started practicing for rugby in January; his cousin, Ryan Roman Jr., gave him the nudge. Ryan had been playing rugby for a couple of years and always encouraged Devin to join him.
“I came out and I loved it,” Devin said.
He stayed up late watching videos on how to pass the ball. He completely blanketed himself in the game. That helped him find success in his new sport immediately.
In his first season with the Berks County Rugby Club the team made the state finals and received a coveted invitation to nationals in Indiana. It was the club’s first invite to the national tournament.
“(Devin) was absolutely vital,” said Berks coach Greg Stelluti. “Once he started (playing), he was a starter, there was no doubt about it.”
Stelluti, who founded the club in 2016, noticed Devin brought a lot of skills from football, both in his running ability and his penchant for contact.
While football and rugby share some similarities, tackling is an important distinction. In rugby, all tackles must be made at the waist or below.
“He worked on that and he just made sure he was doing it the proper way in order to avoid penalties and injuries,” Stelluti said.
Devin believes rugby tackling will help him when he lines up for the Saints at linebacker this season.
Even with three sports on his plate there isn’t too much overlap in the summer. Football is Monday through Thursday mornings; rugby practice is in the afternoon. For now, basketball has taken a back seat; he doesn’t plan to participate in summer league but expects to play next season.
Devin admits there are times when he feels overworked. Then he remembers what got him here: His passion for football, his sprouting interest in rugby, his fondness toward basketball, the need to stay active and, of course, his work ethic.
Waking up so early when there’s no school, he said, can be tough some mornings. Then he gets to the Saints’ weight room, feels the positive energy of his teammates, sees the sign “Saints Never Quit” and all the exhaustion disappears. He’s ready for another day of work, another day of getting stronger, faster, better.
