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Raponi Likes To Stay Busy

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By CLIFF GILL

Tribune correspondent

Published: June 15, 2008

TRINITY - Playing two varsity sports and maintaining a 4.3 grade-point average would keep most high school seniors busy, but that is just the beginning for Mitchell High's Jayne Raponi.

Last year, as a junior, the defensive midfielder was selected the JV soccer team's player of the year. Her coach, Ginger Lynn, selected Raponi for a myriad of reasons.

"Jayne is a natural leader, sweet, honest, sincere, trustworthy, energetic, responsible, respected, excited by challenges, helpful, team-minded and thoughtful, among many other things," Lynn said.

Raponi was quick to return the compliment.

"Coach Lynn was a great mentor, because she taught me not just to play better, but to have passion for the game. Although we want to win, Coach Lynn taught us that having integrity, demonstrating sportsmanship and trying your hardest are more important victories to celebrate," she said.

This year, Raponi was moved up to the varsity squad, which won the Class 6A district championship and continued on to the regional finals, eventually losing to Melbourne High.

"Jayne was a leader on the field, always positive, focused and committed to bringing out the best in herself and her teammates," varsity soccer coach Karl Kukec said.

"The night we lost regionals, Coach Kukec told us that he was as proud of us as he could be because we left our hearts on the field and that no coach could ask for more," Raponi said.

During the offseason, Raponi plays club soccer with the West Pasco Futbol Club. As captain, she helped lead the U-18 team to the Florida Final Four.

"I have played soccer since I was 8. It's a sport that requires the ability to see the game as a whole," she said. "You can't just react and think of the moment. You must be thinking about involving your teammates in the next step or the next two steps. It truly is a team sport."

Raponi was also a four-year member of the varsity track team, competing in the 800-meter, 1,600-meter and 3,200-meter events and was part of the 4x800 relay team.

"Running long distances is a mental sport. It is a competition within yourself, driving and willing yourself to go on," she said. "You have to take the individual responsibility to make yourself continue. You can't let yourself quit, because the person competing next to you is still going."

For competing in two sports and being an honor roll student, Raponi earned the Scholastic All-Conference Award the past two years.

"My parents instilled in me a work ethic that will continue for the rest of my life. They taught me that, if you give it everything you've got, good things will follow. I enjoy working for something and giving my best effort," she said.

Raponi's academic achievements are even more impressive than her athletic ones. She ranked in the top 10 out of 438 seniors. She took six Advanced Placement courses and 12 honors courses. She was president of the National Honor Society and vice president of the French Honor Society. In her junior year, she was president of the debate team and took fifth place at the state science fair in the botany division, documenting the effects of acid rain on plant growth and its impact on the economy.

The U.S. Navy awarded Raponi a Naval Science Medallion for her acid rain research. The U.S. Army awarded her a certificate for her work on dissolved oxygen content.

In addition to being the recipient of USA Soccer's Joan Judd Scholarship, the Trinity Business Association Scholarship, the Mustang Gold Scholarship and the National Honor Society Scholarship, the University of Florida-bound Raponi made history as the first Pasco County student to receive The Professional Athletes Foundation scholarship. The foundation provides a scholarship for high school student-athletes who live in a city that has a National Football League Retired Players Chapter. Students are nominated by their high school coach based on academic achievement, leadership skills and strong promises for future goals. Raponi received perfect scores from the judges.

Raponi has volunteered more than 350 hours for a number of charities. The first, Relay For Life, raises money for cancer research. Another, The Angelus House in Hudson, provides shelter for people with disabilities. Still another is Toys For Tots, which brings Christmas gifts to needy children. Raponi also volunteers at her church.

"I'm so blessed. God has put these inspirational people in my life to inspire me to learn how to overcome struggles and to appreciate being alive. It's important for everyone to find something you are passionate about. That passion will drive you on to greater heights and achievements."

Teachers, coaches: If you would like to nominate an outstanding student-athlete to be featured in an upcoming In The Community article, contact Cliff Gill at

reportercliffgill@yahoo.com

or (727) 860-4903.

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