|
As a homerun is to baseball or a
touchdown is to football, so too, it
seems, is the Pollak family name to the
word athlete.
The similarity isn’t hard to follow.
Growing up a Pollak comes with great
expectations, both on the field and in
the classroom.
Kent
and Julie Pollak have passed
their athletic abilities on to their
children. Kent was a three-sport athlete
at the University of Oklahoma, Julie a
gymnastics standout. Their children show
no fewer talents.
The oldest of the siblings, Mike
Pollak, graduated in 2003 from
Corona del Sol High School, where he
made first-team All-Conference, All-City
and All-State teams for football.
“My experience at Corona was full of
memories,” Mike said. “I had the
opportunity to play with some great
athletes and played for some outstanding
coaches. I enjoyed wearing the orange
jersey every time I stepped on the
field.”
Now in his junior year at Arizona State
University, Mike is experiencing similar
successes there. Last year he was named
to the second-team All-Pac 10 at the
center position.
Unchanged at ASU from his stint at
Corona is Mike’s determination to
improve. He earned Hard Hat Player
honors for his efforts on behalf of the
team's off-season
strength-and-conditioning program in his
first three years, and Hard Hat Champion
recognition in 2006.
In the same year, Mike was elected by
his teammates to be a captain of the
team, a designation that still makes him
proud.
One thing it didn’t do, though, is slow
down his resolve.
“My main goal is to make the Rose Bowl
next year,” Mike said. “And a long-term
goal is to make it on an NFL roster.”
Along with being a dominant presence on
the football field, Mike exerts a strong
influence in the life of his brother,
Andrew Pollak.
As second oldest, Andrew looked to
follow in his brother’s footsteps while
playing football at Corona. After his
sophomore year, however, Andrew switched
sports and decided to focus instead on
baseball.
“I decided to pursue baseball because it
is my favorite thing to do,” Andrew
said. “It is what I want to do in
college.”
Last year, as a Corona junior, Andrew
earned All-City honors, and recently has
received signs of interest from various
colleges. Nonetheless, Andrew says he is
trying to maintain his perspective by
keeping an eye on the present and not
getting ahead of himself.
“My goal for the upcoming season is to
work hard every day at practice, and
everything should fall into place,”
Andrew said.
“Right now, I’m not worried about
colleges; I’m just getting ready for the
season, and hopefully I can choose a
college when the season is over.”
While he has seen the success of his
brother and hopes to build on it, Andrew
says he also recognizes the work it
takes to be a top-level athlete.
“(I learned from Mike) how to handle
yourself and the next level,” Andrew
said.
“When he had to start six games as a
freshman, it showed me how to turn your
game up when the pressure is on.”
And while Andrew keeps his mind on the
present, Mike says that if his brother
works hard, does the “little things”
right, and steps away from his comfort
zone, success at any level is within
reach.
The tradition of athletic excellence in
the Pollak family is clear and evident.
Even their youngest child, Jamie
Pollak, a sophomore at Corona, is
pursuing her passion for volleyball.
Such dedication from all three children
can be attributed to both an inner drive
to succeed and strong leadership from
their parents.
Said Andrew:
“They (my parents) have taught me the
importance of getting good grades in the
classroom—and
how that will translate into success on
the field.” |
