Sultan athlete dedicated on, off field

By Christopher Andersson-á

Three-sport athlete Matt Baller is about to spend his last months as a Sultan High Turk and will be remembered most for his devotion to improvement.

"He's one of those kids that's just fun for the coach just because of his hard work and dedication,GÇ¥ said wrestling coach Garth MacDicken, who added he is going to miss coaching the senior.

The two-time varsity baseball captain, Baller, has also played for the football team and recently placed eighth in the Washington State Wrestling Finals.

Baller said wrestling has taught him dedication.

"It's pushed me harder mentally and physically, further than I thought I could ever go, but with that it's made me so much stronger,GÇ¥ he said. "I'm able to deal with situations I didn't think I could before and have the mental capacity to do certain things and push my mind to where I thought I could never reach.GÇ¥

MacDicken agreed that Baller always pushes himself. "Whenever we ask him to do anything, he does it and goes out and performs to the best of his ability,GÇ¥ he said.

It's something his teammates have noticed, as well. "He always strives for the most when he does something,GÇ¥ said football and wrestling teammate James Mackenzie.

Reaching for that best can be harder in a sport like baseball though, he said.

"It's a failing sport. It's a sport where you're only going to hit .300. Two out of three times you're going to strike out, and that can easily get to you and eat at you. And if you're able to respond to that adversity and step up and make changes, it shows in the long run,GÇ¥ he said.

Baller plays catcher and sometimes pitcher for the Sultan Turks. He jokes that he doesn't enjoy pitching, but last season, he was pushed into the role after the Turks' pitcher couldn't play.

"You don't always have the people you need,GÇ¥ he said, so he's learned how to be cooperative.

MacDicken said that Baller always brings a good attitude and is always willing to help out the other students on the team.

"I think he has very good leadership skills and always puts effort into what he's doing to improve,GÇ¥ said Dylan Oster, one of Baller's wrestling teammates.

Baller had to show that leadership on the football field in his early years at the school, as the team struggled to only "one or two winsGÇ¥ in his first season.

"It was hard to play on a team that was struggling, but it was a gut-check,GÇ¥ he said. "Our coach was like, "You guys got to be the ones that change it, and you're going to be able to influence this,' and we did and we saw improvement every year.GÇ¥

Baller said he was proud the team showed improvement and eventually played in a playoff game.

"You get these guys and you work with them so much throughout the offseason and summer, they become your family,GÇ¥ he said. "Not just on the football field but in the hallways, we all look out for each other.GÇ¥

Off the field, Baller is a student with a 3.9 GPA and has been recognized as the 2014 WIAA Academic State Champion for wrestling and a Rotary Student of the Month.

He credits being part of Sultan High School's Link Crew with developing his ability to lead.

"[Link Crew] are like the big brothers in the high school,GÇ¥ he said. "We go around and make sure kids aren't failing classes and give them the tools and resources necessary to guide them on the right path.GÇ¥

Through the club, he's helped develop more responsibility, he said, but it also helped develop himself.

"It taught me a lot of leadership. I joined my sophomore year, and back then, I was really quiet and reserved,GÇ¥ he said.

Baller has been accepted to Central Washington University, where he wants to study petroleum engineering.

"I've always been one of the kind of guys that likes fiddling with things, and I like being able to create something and showing it works better than something before,GÇ¥ Baller said.

He hopes to work overseas one day in the engineering field.

This summer, he plans to go to Indonesia to learn more about the field.

When not doing sports or any of his extracurricular activities, Baller also works as a professional DJ as part of his father's business and he works on his car. He describes cars as his main hobby.-á

"If I'm not playing sports and its summertime, I'm out washing my car and working on it. I live in that thing; it's my babyGÇ¥ he said.

Between sports, his job and education, there's not much time for much else though.

"It's full-time dedication with working and DJing, having hard classes like calculus, pre-calculus and chemistry. It's hard to juggle,GÇ¥ Baller said. "I don't really have free time but I've grown up in that and I've gotten used to it and I love it.GÇ¥

To nominate a student athlete to be featured, email editor@monroemonitor.com.-á