By Jasmyn Genchev

We all know that staying active is very important for having a happy and healthy life. Plenty of kids at school participate in sports not only because of this, but also because sports give them time with friends and allow competition outside the classroom. But of course, there are plenty of students who do not feel the same way about sports. Either they just don’t like to be on a team, or maybe they just never tried it. We are all different when it comes to sports, but we are all the same when it comes to staying active. And of course, Mr. Lambros, assistant Athletic director, agrees wholeheartedly.Everyone knows Mr. Lambros. He’s always so full of energy and light, even when you

don’t feel the same way. However, most don’t know that Mr. Lambros’s goal for TPA is to give everyone a chance to stay active, so they can pursue happier and healthier lives. This year’s new paideia schedule paved the perfect opportunity for this plan to play out. After lunch for both junior high and high school, the field is now crowded with activities playing left and right, mainly because most students there have a passion to play sports- big ball, softball, football and soccer – but also because Mr. Lambros is there to support them.“ Now that we have paideia, I was thinking to support some intramural activities or just provide opportunity for kids to stay active and play,” says Mr. Lambros. Activities like ultimate frisbee, which Mr. Lambros had introduced one day during lifting. After a couple

of students read about a pro ultimate frisbee league they began to think, “ Hey we oughtto get a team together.” Eventually a club formed that Mr. Lambros was happy to sponsor. Just this past January, the team played on a small league, one of the first in the state, and had a great time. Now they are hoping to build the club, possibly get more girls involved, and plan to have another season next year. As for the action-packed and popular gaga pit, Mr. Lambros has a story of his own. While in Catalina, the 9th graders discovered a gaga pit, and it became a major hit.

Finally they got together and figured they ought to get one for Tempe Prep. Mr. Lambros thought about it and soon enough began his investigation. Surprisingly, he found gaga pit structures to be expensive to build from a kit, some as high as $4,000. Then he figured,“What if you do it yourself?” and immediately started thinking about people who might be able to help. Between Mrs. Hunt’s ability to get a lumber donation from Lowes, Mr. Lambros’s friend and manager at Home Depot agreeing to offer a donation, and Mr. Lambros’s offer of some wood at his house, there turned out to be just enough.Even Mr. Lambros’ neighbor, who owns his own construction company, helped his

build the panels in his driveway, while another friend used his trailer to bring them to school. Even the paint was donated. “It was really neat that through this community of people we were able to get what we needed and it literally cost us less than $200,” Mr. Lambros says. Now the gaga pit is being used to its full potential, offering exciting showdowns to both those participating and watching. “ It’s a great bonding game,” says 6th grader John Bergin, one of the many gaga ball champions.“ We should make it a school sport, plus it is really fun. Overall, the game is lit.”