Eric SorensonMany have been hit hard by the news that schools will not return to campus for the remainder of the academic year. It’s a tough and transformative time for all, but especially for the senior class, the class of 2020. Sports360AZ wants to hear from those seniors on how they’re adjusting, what they’re feeling and how this experience can make them stronger moving forward in a segment we call “2020 Vision.”
Parker Navarro has never been one to just sit still.
Few student-athletes in Arizona spend as much time perfecting their craft and pushing their body in the weight room quite like the outgoing Desert Vista quarterback.
So, as you can imagine Navarro, who will continue his academic and football career at the University of Central Florida later this summer, has kept himself quite busy during the COVID-19 pandemic juggling both his academics and his strict physical routines.
“Mentally, it’s been big,” Navarro said in a recent Skype interview with Sports360AZ.com. “Not having the normal structure, not having school. It takes a toll because you don’t want to feel like you’re lagging behind the rest. You want to stay on top of it, you want to stay ready. So mentally I’ve tried to create a routine – create habits that keep me going, keep me lifting. Just establishing that routine has been helping me a lot.”
Navarro certainly helped the Thunder a lot over the past two seasons after stepping into a starting role entering his junior year. The 6-foot, 190-pounder rolled up around 4600 total yards and accounted for 60 touchdowns for DV and long-time head coach Dan Hinds.
For all the personal and team accolades he accomplished on the gridiron under the Friday night lights, the three-sport athlete saw his final season of track wiped out due to the virus.
“It was definitely a bummer,” he explained. “I was looking forward to track, especially to develop my speed and endurance. I like competing. It’s fun for me…there’s nothing like competing in high school so I was looking forward to the meets. It stinks that it came to an end but I’m trying to continue that training at least so when my time comes at UCF I’ll be ready.”
Rest assured, Parker Navarro will definitely be ready.
After all, it’s the only way he knows.
