Most people who have heard of Jesuit Dallas recognize golfing legend Jordan Spieth. They may even remember the prestigious basketball and football programs, which continue to dominate year after year. But, if you were to ask these same people what students Nico Elizondo ’18, Peter Papanicolaou ’18 and, Joseph Pitman ’16 all have in common, chances are, you would draw a lot of blank stares.
These three students participate in sports outside of the 18 offered at Jesuit and exemplify the morals and ideals of the Jesuit community while competing in separate off-campus activities.
First, sophomore Peter Papanicolaou ’18, a Greek Orthodox Youth of America (GOYA for short) basketball star, noted that when participating in extracurricular sports, “The concept of Jesuit brotherhood really sticks with me, even when none of my other brothers are with me.” Training at Jesuit helped develop Peter’s attitude while on the court, as “Jesuit coaches encourage sportsmanship [and] so much more,” their teachings resonating within and “[forming] me to be my at my best, so when I step on the court, my core competitive values don’t change as a person.” Peter also recognized a sharp contrast between Jesuit athletes and other opponents, noting that “when someone goes down or gets hurt, I always see a Jesuit teammate rush over to help” but when competing in tournaments elsewhere, “you just don’t get that kind of support.” Peter, when not competing in GOYA, plays forward on the small Jesuit JV Blue basketball team, providing a spark of energy and defensive prowess to his team.
These Ignatian values extend outwards into the realm of international competition, as badminton phenomenon Joseph Pitman ’16 shared similar observations about foreign competitors, adding that opponents “don’t always respect the judges” and even “talk trash while in the middle of a match.”
“Being at Jesuit definitely changed me,” and Pitman admitted that oftentimes “I used to be that guy always talking back and being a bad teammate.” Joseph now focuses instead upon “[keeping] everyone happy” and even makes a special effort to avoid doing anything “too controversial” to compromise his personal performance. Pitman is one of Jesuit’s most talented badminton players of all time, even winning a gold medal in the Junior Pan-Am Championship. He ranks among the best young badminton players in the country, yet he still remains humble, admitting that “I’d probably not do to well in the more competitive Asian countries.”
Finally, sophomore tennis player Nico Elizondo ’18 plays every game focused upon his Jesuit education, as the school “comes in my mind every time I play in a tournament,” and “it really reminds me to work as hard as I can, every time I play.” Nico competes in a plethora of competitive tournaments apart from Jesuit. Whenever not playing on the JV team, he trains in the off-season to stay in shape and to hone his craft. He has confessed that while UIL opponents act “kinda nice,” the vast majority of foes in external tournament “aren’t very friendly” and “take being competitive too far,” especially if a match gets close.
These three Jesuit brothers share in the bond of competition, a bond undervalued both by some of their brothers and sports fans outside the walls of Jesuit. These students represent Jesuit by keeping the school’s primary ideals in the forefront of their minds as they compete, and their respective ways parallel to their fellow brothers in Jesuit sports. They do not share the same locker rooms as Jesuit athletes. They don’t practice on the same fields. They don’t share the same public attention and lofty expectations as the athletes do. But, with all they don’t share, they compete with the same tenacity, honor, and reverence as all of the athletes under the same name: Jesuit.
Check out our former profile of Joseph Pitman.
