Jackie Webber and Jeff Larnard
Two of Amesbury High School’s senior athletes are Jackie Webber and Jeff Larnard. They each envision careers in medicine some day.
Jeff will be attending UMass (Amherst) in the fall. “I am going for a pre-med/biology major,” he told me in an interview at AHS. “The financial advantage of choosing a college in-state is pretty significant because I want to go on to medical school after college.”
An AP class at AHS opened Jeff’s eyes to the medical field. “Last year I took Advanced Placement Biology,” he recalled. “It was one of the hardest classes I’ve ever taken but I found myself being really, really interested in the subject material.”
Jackie is set to go to UConn this fall. “I definitely want to get into the field of health science in a hospital setting,” she explained, “and eventually be a nurse practitioner.” Jackie’s mother and grandmother were involved in nursing.
One of the biggest adjustments that both will face in college will concern athletics. After four years of competing at the varsity level at AHS, they will have to make the switch to less competitive activities.
Neither seemed too concerned about the apparent downgrade. “I need to concentrate on academics so that I will have the grades to get into the nursing program,” said Jackie. “There will be plenty of major sporting events to attend and once I’m settled in academically I’ll do some intramurals. I love using the gym so I expect to work out regularly.”
Jeff’s primary athletic activity at AHS was long distance running. “I expect to continue training at UMass,” he said. “I want to do road races and eventually work up to a marathon.”
Jackie has been a year round athlete (soccer/basketball/softball) since third grade. “My parents were both athletes,” she said, “but I was never forced into anything. There wasn’t much time off but I loved athletics and didn’t mind.”
Jackie said that AHS coach Chris Perry had been an inspiration. “He was offering encouragement in softball as far back as third grade,” she recalled. Jackie was recently named to the 2009 Cape Ann League All-League team at shortstop.
Both student/athletes are very organized. Jeff, second in his class academically, credits his mother. “She has her own calendar and planner that she uses,” he said. “She bought them for me as well and helped me set up a system.”
Jackie and Jeff noted the benefits of high school athletics.
“Sports have given me a place to learn dedication, teamwork, and leadership,” said Jackie. “They helped me develop a strong work ethic which has carried over into academics. The whole athletic experience has been amazing and I’ve loved every minute of it.”
Jeff reflected on the social value of sports. “It is a great way to meet people,” he said. “I have made many friends in sports. Other benefits are the connections to coaches and the feeling of fitness and well-being. Not to mention the fun.”
Jeff has coached youth soccer and would like to coach in the future. “I coached as part of community service but I would do it anyway,” he added. “I enjoy statistics and strategy. It’s an approach to sport that is more mental than physical.”
Jeff said that Dr. Shawn Talbott (1985 AHS graduate) is his role model. “He actually went to school for something similar to what I’m doing,” he said. “He studied nutrition. He’s written books on sports medicine and he’s run marathons and triathlons. I went to a workshop he put on and was impressed with his passion for what he’s doing and how happy he was. I’d like to be where he is in 15-20 years.”
Jackie and Jeff have learned valuable life lessons at Amesbury High School competing in sports and succeeding in the classroom. Those ingredients should enable them to do very well in college.
( This story appeared in The Town Common on June 3, 2009. )
McClelland Miscellanea 