Throughout the campus of North Atlanta High School, not only are there students carrying book and school supplies, but many of them are also lugging their equipment and uniforms for their sport of preference. North Atlanta is comprised of hundreds of student athletes, and of them is senior Ale Marin.

Marin is known for his role as kicker on the varsity football team. Throughout the offseason and preseason, he has put in a large amount of effort and hard work into improving multiple aspects of his game in preparation for the season. “I have stretched a lot to increase flexibility and once I start taking practice kicks,” he said. “I constantly move further away from the uprights. Also, I have attended a couple of camps which I feel have really helped me prepare and improve.”

Kicking is far from a piece of cake. In addition to getting the ball to have the appropriate height, distance, and location, a kicker also must deal with a crowd full of people expecting three points to be put on the board. Marin said he does his best to ensure the pressure doesn’t get to him. “It’s tough having everyone staring at you but I think I do a good job of blocking it out,” he said.

Along with bettering talent, football can shape people’s lives. For Marin, football has had a large impact on his life and the way he acts and thinks. “Coach Gainer and my teammates have taught me a lot of important life lessons,” he said.

Football is not Marin’s only passion. In fact, he is a dual-sport athlete as he is on the varsity soccer team. Because of his soccer background, Marin has been able to apply those skills to football in kicking. “I like to play and watch soccer, which has helped me as a kicker since I get to use my feet and legs in a similar way,” he said.

Not only is Marin among the top athletes at North Atlanta, but he is also talented inside the classroom and is known among his IB peers for this academic excellence. His dedication to his assignments has allowed for him to achieve good grades in all of his classes. “I make sure to do all my homework and classwork, and to do well on tests and quizzes, so I would say I am a good student,” Marin said.

From the turf field to the classroom, Ale Marin does it all. He possesses the dedication to achieve his goals, whether it is completing a tough assignment or making a clutch field goal. Being a place-kicker is no walk in the park and neither is being a high school student. But in both cases, this dedicated seniors manages to kick it right through the uprights.