Freshman Phenoms: Addison Schultz and Emma Crisp

Freshman athletes Addison Schultz and Emma Crisp first met each other in third grade; now they have made varsity soccer and track together, and both achieved great success. The two freshman phenoms, their parents, and their track and soccer coaches look at their great success and project what is ahead for the two standouts.

By: Fabian Anguiano

Addison Schultz, ‘29, would not be the soccer player she is today if it weren’t for her club, South Valley United, and Coach Courtney for building her into the player she is today.

Coming into such a prestigious soccer program came with a lot of nerves, “Coming in as a freshman, new friends, older girls, and fast intensity,” the level was high said Schultz.

The expectation walking into the soccer program for Schultz was high-level players, especially in the physical aspect; she also expected lots of new friendships and memories.

Playing with her good friend Emma Crisp, ’29, Schultz says, “She pushed me very hard to become the best player I can be. All the laughs and memories we shared this year will always be remembered, and I can’t wait for the next year.”

Some of Schultz’s favorite memories from her freshman season was, “Playing Among Us on bus rides, team lunches, and the beach trip. Even the coaches joined in; I always looked forward to playing Among Us with my team.”

What Schultz believes she did best was working hard at practice and trying to get better on and off the field; she also believes that she encouraged her teammates well.

Schultz believes that she can work on getting stronger as a player and to just keep on encouraging her teammates. 

Girls Varsity Soccer Coach, Mr. Jason Vieira’s first impression of Schultz was, “On the field, she has a lot of natural athletic ability. She’s a fast kid; her touch is really good on the ball. She’s always smiling,” said Mr. Vieira.

As a freshman, Mr. Vieira believes Schultz performed very good for her freshman year. The team was loaded with a good amount of upperclassmen, but Schultz still proved that she belonged.

One thing Schultz could have done better on is her, “Aggressiveness, she is just a younger kid, and usually they don’t have the same aggression that some of the other girls have. That’s something I’d like to see her improve on.”

Schultz opened up more as a person towards the end of the season, “The girls gave her the name Labubu, so it kind of stuck with her. To see her build friendships and build relationships was something special,” said Mr. Vieira

Mr. Vieira’s favorite moment from Schultz’s season was, “Against Bakersfield Christian, we were in a little showcase in Lindsay, and it was a great goal. Seeing her celebrate with her teammates and with Trinity, who was another freshman in varsity. Seeing her celebrate was really cool.”

Schultz will have big shoes to fill next season as she is in an attacking position, and the team will have to rebuild their attack as they are losing a lot of senior talent.

“She’s a great kid, fun to be around, and just a super positive influence on our team,” said Mr. Vieira.

On the track side of things, Schultz began track her seventh-grade year because her friends wanted her to do it. At first, Schultz did not want to do it in the first place.

Schultz believes the event that she performs best in is the mile, as she runs a 5:13, and it is what she wants to improve most in.

Schultz and Crisp kept each other motivated by, “Pushing each other to do our best during track workouts and never walking during long runs,” said Shultz.

Schultz had nerves walking into high school track as she would have to be racing against upperclassmen.

Schultz’s expectations walking into her freshman included, “meeting new friends, and meeting older people to elaborate on their advice,” said Schultz.

Schultz believes she has grown from the beginning of the track season to now thanks to, “Gabby and TJ for distance; they’ve helped me turn my 5:30 miles into a 5:13.” 

Schultz’s teammates have contributed to her growth by encouraging her.

Schultz’s mindset throughout the season was that the faster you run, the faster you’re done.

Schultz’s goal for the rest of the season is, “Finishing the season staying strong and not getting any slower. Just keep beating PR’s.”

Schultz’s goal for her sophomore season is to improve and bring in more teammates that she knows; she also wishes to go sub-five in the mile.

Girls Track distance Coach Gabby Sugg says that her impression of Schultz was that, “She’s very fun-loving, very kind. She likes to make everything fun, and she’s an extremely fun worker. I remember seeing her for the first time; I knew she was talented.” 

Sugg believes Schultz has grown from the beginning of the season to now by having more confidence in herself.

Sugg believes Schultz has grown as a person by, “Her work ethic, as a teammate too, she’s really blossomed through the season. I’ve seen her getting to know the other girls a lot and kind of becoming a leader already as a freshman,” said Sugg.

Suggs’ favorite moment from Schultz’s freshman year is when she was a part of the record-breaking 4×400 team. Schultz was visibly nervous, but she still showed up and was super courageous.

Suggs’ goal for Schultz for the rest of the season is for her to PR once again in the mile, and for her and the 4×400 squad to break their record once again. Sugg highly believes Schultz can achieve both of those goals.

For Schultz’s sophomore year, Sugg highly believes she can break the school’s mile record, “She’s more than equipped to do that. I think just a few more races and a little more hard work behind her, and she can absolutely do that.”

Sugg had more to say about Schultz, “She’s super fun to coach. She is just one of those athletes that you hope will show up and be on the team, and she’s a great leader as a freshman, and a really hard worker.”

Schultz’s parents, Jeremy and Cherie Schultz, share that though Schultz is still a freshman, she’s a fighter, “She has always been a fierce competitor. She was prepared mentally and physically by her coaches through the years. As parents, we were excited for her to have the opportunity to compete alongside girls who were older and more experienced,” said Mr. Schultz

The transition from middle school athletics to high school athletics brings in natural challenges. Higher levels of competition, higher expectations, balancing academics, athletics and life all come into play. Through it all, Mr. and Mrs. Schultz are confident in her work ethic and mindset.

Watching their daughter compete at a high level in both track and soccer in her freshman year has been, “Amazing, and we are incredibly proud of all she has accomplished. We feel very fortunate that she was able to contribute at the varsity level in both soccer and track. Watching her compete, grow, and find success in two different sports has been special to our family.” Said Mr. Schultz.

To the Schultz family, Redwood has always been considered the holy grail of high school athletics. So for Schultz to be a part of some of the most successful teams and programs Redwood has to offer is something Schultz will always remember. They are excited to see Schultz continue to strive to compete at the highest level she can.

The Schultz family believes she has grown from the beginning of her freshman year to now by maturing by being surrounded with older teammates.

They believe that it shows her that talent is not only what you need to succeed, but you also need to learn, grow, and work extremely hard. All that creates ambition to help your team in the best way possible.

The family’s favorite moment from Schultz’s freshman year for soccer was when she made the team, as the soccer team is known for its tradition of excellence. Seeing Schultz make a team of that caliber was really special.

On the track side of things, the Schultz’s are grateful that the soccer girls, they “encouraged her to go out because it wasn’t originally part of her plan. Being part of the 4×400 team that broke a 21-year-old school record was really amazing for her to experience. That made us happy because she stepped out of her comfort zone,” said the Mr. Schultz.

The Schultz’s are extremely proud of their daughter for the way she handles everything in her life, and she continues to do so with her character.

Faith is the center of her life; she is always giving her thanks to God. She always makes sure to put family first in everything that she does. She values friendships, is kind, and is always there for the ones she cares about. 

What Schultz does best is, “She is a fierce competitor who approaches challenges with the right attitude and is willing to work hard for success. Beyond the sport, we’re most proud of the young woman she is becoming. We love her with everything we are as parents,” said the Mr. Schultz.

Like all young athletes, as Schultz grows and matures, she will begin to sharpen her artillery and purify her skills. Her family wants Schultz to enjoy the moments she is having throughout her high school career, as high school can be some of the most memorable times in your life.

The family wants her to continue entering every day with a mindset set on improvement. If Schultz preserves that mentality, she will accomplish great things.

“Beyond the accomplishments, records, wins, or statistics. We’re simply proud of the young lady she has become. She is kind, loving, and an incredible friend, sister, daughter, and person. Watching her compete at the level she does makes our entire family proud, but who she is away from sports makes us even prouder.”

Mr. Schultz

When Emma Crisp first found out that she had made the soccer team, it felt good to hear that all of her hard work was paid off.

Nerves are always guaranteed at any sort of tryout; Crisp slowly felt more confident throughout the tryouts.

Crisp believes that getting to play with Schultz was good, as she was another freshman on the team; they kept eachother company.

Crisp’s favorite moment from her freshman season in soccer was in the first game when she scored a goal.

What Crisp believes she did best was, “playing through balls and working through the midfield,” said Crisp.

Crisp believes that she can work on her control on the ball and communicating with the team.

Crisp’s goal for next year is to help the team win a Valley Championship.

Schultz and Crisp both pushed each other throughout the season. To Schultz, it was neat to have somebody for both the soccer and track season.

Crisp and Schultz motivate each other heavily even outside of sports, Crisp said, “We do everything together, and I think just the presence of each other helps us keep going.”

Coach Vieira’s first impression of Crisp was, “She’s a very smart player. She played in the middle for us, and you really saw early that she understood the game well and was a great passer of the ball. It showed her game IQ,” said Mr. Vieira. 

Mr. Vieira believes Crisp performed great her freshman year. She scored a free kick in the first game, and she proceeded to grow from that.

What Crisp could improve on is similar to Schultz: being a little bit more aggressive.

Mr. Vieira believes that Crisp has grown as a person by, “Playing more of a leading role and being more vocal with the girls and developing those friendships.”

Vieira’s favorite moment from Crisp’s freshman year was the first goal she scored in the first game of the year. They started off dominating the game, and towards the end, Emma hopped on the field and scored a free kick. 

For Crisp next year, she will get, “a lot more minutes as a sophomore. Just seeing the field and being more aggressive in the middle and having more of a presence and not just relying on her touch but also her physicality is gonna be really important for her,” said Vieira.

Crisp got into track in seventh grade as her friends were doing it, so she figured she’d try it out. Crisp believes her best events are the 4×400 relay and the 800 meter relay.

Going into freshman year, Crisp was, “A little bit scared on how to compete against older girls, but I think I’m doing fine,” said Crisp.

Crisp’s expectation for herself going into her freshman year was that she was going to be a mediocre runner; she didn’t suspect that she was going to break any records.

Crisp believes she can improve by, “Getting mentally stronger and just pushing to the end of the season. Just keep on striving to improve.”

Crisp’s coaches have always been there for her and the team, from meets to helping them with their injuries.

Crisp’s goal for her freshman year is to, “Get better times and set up some good relay teams for my future years as well,” said Crisp.

Coach Sugg’s first impression of Crisp was, “At first she seemed a little shy, but she’s definitely blossomed. I found out that she’s super funny, very sweet, really kind, and also just kind of a leader in the way that she carries herself.”

Sugg believes that Crisp has gotten faster since the beginning of the season, going from a 1:03 in the 400 meter to a 1:01. She has also opened up more as a person.

What Sugg believes Crisp did best throughout the season was, “Shown up consistently. They do club soccer, they’re super dedicated to many things, and seeing her continually show up for track and really trust in her and her coaches, and putting the hard work in,” said Sugg.

While on the team, Crisp brought encouragement and positivity making a significant impact.

Sugg’s favorite moment from Crisp’s freshman season was when she was part of the team that broke the 4×400 meter relay. She has always put herself out to compete.

Sugg’s goal for Crisp’s sophomore year is, “I think we can continue to get her to drop consistently. I really think the 800 is going to be a really good race for her; she just needs to continue putting time.”

Sugg had more to say, “It’s been really fun to see her blossom as a person and also an athlete, having athletes like her that just show up and have fun, but also work harder.”

Crisp’s mother, Rochelle Crisp says when her daughter moved over to Redwood, they knew the competition, “would be higher, and even so, she exceeded the expectations and managed to make varsity soccer and track. I definitely think it was much more competitive, but she also rose to the occasion,” said Mrs. Crisp.

To watch her daughter compete at such a high level as a freshman was amazing, but it was expected. Mrs. Crisp had watched Crisp work very hard and set very high goals for herself on what she wanted to pursue as an athlete.

Mrs. Crisp greatly believes that Crisp competing alongside elite athletes such as Graycie Serpa, ’26, has pushed her to see what her potential is.

Mrs. Crisp helps support her daughter in and out of athletics by feeding her, “well rounded foods, helping pack lunches, having good meals ready for her to eat at dinner in between. We will always be her number one supporters on the sidelines, cheering her on at home as well.”

Mrs. Crisp’s favorite moment from Crisp’s freshman year is when she was part of the record-breaking 4×400 squad, “As an incredible athlete, she’s had so many moments to celebrate in her lifetime, but there was something different in the way that she celebrated breaking the school record. There was just so much more pride,” said Mrs. Crisp.

Mrs. Crisp wishes for her daughter to grow by continuing to challenge herself and to continue to set PR’s, with a humble demeanor.

Crisp’s father, Tim Crisp, says the transition from middle school athletics to high school athletics was, “awesome, she’s worked a lot to get where she’s at. Not a lot of players make varsity soccer at Redwood, and then to go right to track. She had to prove herself a little bit because they didn’t really know her, and then she was able,” said Mr. Crisp.

Track was originally just supposed to be a side quest for Crisp; it turned into something more than that, “Instead of just, I want to stay in shape for soccer, it’s become I want to succeed at this, I want to run at a high level, I want to be the one that goes to those big track meets. So that has been fun to watch her turn that corner.”

With Crisp walking out of middle school as athlete of the year, it was going to be interesting to see how she would perform at the high school level. She would show up with the mentality that she belongs, and she paved her way to success.

Crisp is willing to do what other athletes are not, “We don’t have to wake her up in the morning; she gets herself up. She adds extra meals for herself. She understands that she’s burning a high amount of calories. She’s doing a lot of wear and tear on her body, learning how to take care of her body,” said Mrs. Crisp.

Crisp is in weight training at Redwood; Mr. Crisp helps her out with techniques she should follow, and she sets personal goals for herself. It’s not only about what Crisp does to perfect her soccer touch or her explosiveness, but it’s also about taking care of her body.

Mr. Crisp supports his daughter on the field by, always rooting for her, “After a few years ago, after the game, we decided since I didn’t play soccer, so I’m learning as if she has just played since she was young. We just try to point out one thing that she did great and one thing she could improve on,” said Mr. Crisp.

Mr. Crisp’s favorite moment from Crisp’s freshman year was in the first soccer game, “That first free kick, and she’s made a lot of goals off a lot of free kicks for the last seven years. I was just shocked that she got into the game.”

Another moment that stood out to Mr. Crisp a lot was when she and the team broke the 4×400 record at the Mt. SAC Relays. Crisp would get picked up by her father from Redwood at 2:00 a.m that night; she would wake up at 6 a.m to travel to Palo Alto for club soccer; she would proceed to score the first goal for her team.

Mr. Crisp had more to say, “I’m just really proud of her. I know I’m biased, but all those times that we would go out and I would work with her, soccer field, days off, all that kind of stuff. It just feels like it’s all starting to pay off.”

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