The crowd roared with excitement as the Minutemen took the field. Elijah Sedor took a deep breath as he strapped up his helmet and prepared to play his heart out.
Balancing school and sports as a high school student is not always easy, but Elijah Sedor would not trade it for anything. Being a multisport athlete requires a lot of hard work and dedication.
Sedor is a junior at Revere High School (RHS) who takes on the challenges of being a student-athlete head-on. He plays defensive line for football and competes in shot put for the track and field team. When it comes to football Sedor truly loves the sport.
“Football is my favorite sport because you make friends throughout the years, it’s a brotherhood. You have these guys for life. Also, I like watching the NFL and college football,” he said.
Sedor’s love for the sport is only a small part of what inspires him. He is motivated by his desire to improve and be the best version of himself.
“Just trying to be the best. Like, you want your name to be out there and to be known in the suburban league, as one of the better players in there. That’s why I want to strive to be the best,” Sedor said.
Sedor is ambitious when it comes to sport, but he puts in the work to back it up. During the offseason he trains at T3 performance to make sure he stays sharp and can achieve his goals in season. T3 Performance offers training for a variety of sports including but not limited to football, baseball, etc. At T3 Sedor works on his defensive line skills, but they offer training for any position on the field.
“This year, I started going to T3. I needed another step to elevate my game. I believe this is the missing step that I’ll need to progress and have a really good senior season this year,” Sedor said.
Sedor works diligently to improve his skills and be prepared for the season. To Sedor, football is more than just a means of self-improvement. He has made important friendships through his time on the field.
“I would say I credit my success to being around the same group of guys I’ve been with for eight plus years. They always motivate me, help me do well. When I’m down, they’ll pick me up, and when they’re down, I’ll pick them up,” Sedor said.
Sedor’s friends are reliable and push him to be better. Physically, Sedor focuses on quick recovery to stay healthy for sports so he can perform at his best. On the contrary, he has found success in the classroom by being proactive with his schoolwork.
“I try to stay on top of my work. During the summer, I took summer classes, so I have less school to do this year, and I have more time to do my homework and stuff. I took an MCA (Minutemen Career Academy) class, so I’m only at school for six periods. I also took a study hall, so I have plenty of time to get all my work done,” Sedor said.
Even though Sedor works hard to complete all his work, life can still get busy. He makes sure he is caught up on assignments so he can focus on sports when he is in season.
“I just make sure I don’t get behind. If you procrastinate a lot, it’s going to bite you. When you’re in season for sports, it’s just going to be a lot of work, a lot of time. It’s overwhelming to have to catch up on all your work,” Sedor said.
Sedor is relentless in the classroom and does his best. He works hard in the classroom to build healthy habits for the future.
“It’s important to keep your grades up. If I want to play football in college, then I have to get good grades,” Sedor said.
Performing well in school is crucial for Sedor so he can get into a good college. Going into his senior year of football, Sedor has started making an effort to get recruited by a college.
“The first three years of high school I didn’t really want to play in college. I didn’t really try to get recruited. But after this season, seeing the Class of 2025 that I grew up with, now gone I realized my time is about to end for football. I’m gonna start trying to get recruited. I don’t think it’s my time to give up football yet,” Sedor said.
Outside of school and sports, Sedor likes to spend his free time relaxing in a few ways.
“I usually play video games when I’m alone. I also enjoy taking my dog out for walks every now and then. Sometimes I actually look up D-line pass rush moves, try to practice them myself. Try to get some extra work in just by myself. Most of my life is just football, to be honest with you,” he said.
Louie Catalano is a junior at RHS and has been friends with Sedor since middle school. Over the years Catalano has seen Sedor grow as a friend and person.
“Outside of school he’s a good person. He’s always respectful to others around him, and overall he’s just a great guy. He lightens the mood around him,” Catalano said.
Billy D’amico coaches Sedor in football and track at RHS and has known him for four years. He has seen Sedor develop as a player in both sports, he has seen how Sedor’s commitment has helped him grow and drives him to be better.
“I would say aside from his numbers in the weight room getting better and better each time, I would say his attendance and his dedication to his sport. And that is being said with football and track and field,” D’Amico said.
Sedor’s dedication to sports is only a small part of his success. He surrounds himself with others who support him and encourage him to do well.
“His good teammates and his positive influences from his parents to his friends’ parents to his coaches. Him being in a good atmosphere and environment to make him want to be better. And I think it also pays dividends from his current teammates but also his previous teammates,” D’Amico said.
Sedor is surrounded by great influences that push him to be his best. He also is a leader and a voice of reason among his teammates.
“I think Elijah can be quiet, but I think when Elijah starts talking, people do listen. And I think his teammates should take that into account. I think they do a good job of doing that when they hear him speak up. It’s good because it’s showing that he’s got to say something now whether it’s going good or bad,” D’Amico said.
Sedor has learned countless life lessons through his classes and the sports he plays. As he goes into his senior year he will continue to grow and thrive as an athlete and a student.
