Fine arts and sports are typically separate pursuits for a high school student, but for junior Parker Hammer, they coincide to form his identity.
Hammer is not only a middle on South’s Varsity Boys’ Volleyball team, but also plays guitar, bass, drums, and piano. And there’s more- Hammer is involved in South’s fashion magazine, Stitched. By being involved in many activities that are vastly different from each other, Hammer has learned to prioritize what is most important to him.
“Volleyball takes priority right now because it’s the school season,” Hammer said. “I do all my other fine arts whenever I can squeeze [them] in. They’re a hobby, [so they don’t] take priority over the things that [I have] a dedicated commitment to.”
Although Hammer maintains his dedication to volleyball during the spring season, playing his instruments, especially guitar, is also something very important to him. Hammer wanted to learn to play guitar because he has always been a huge fan of rock music, taking inspiration from bands like Journey and Led Zeppelin, he explained. His wish was fulfilled when his uncle gifted him a guitar his sophomore year, but Hammer did not begin playing the guitar right away.
“[The guitar] collected dust for eight months and then in the middle of the summer on one random day, I decided to pick it up and I never put it down,” Hammer said.
Before his interest in instruments took off, Hammer was already playing volleyball. Though he was cut the first time he tried out for the Field Middle School volleyball team in seventh grade, he made it just one year later. Hammer continued with the sport after
being urged to join a local volleyball club. He is still improving his volleyball skills by keeping up with a strong work ethic, Ann Kotsadam, Boys’ Varsity Volleyball Head Coach, said.
“[Hammer] really loves volleyball, so he’s always excited to be in the gym,” Kotsadam said. “He’s always asking what he can do to improve. He works really hard, and we’ve seen a lot of growth in the past couple of years.”
Managing time and staying passionate for disparate creative outlets is easier when you have a strong support system, Hammer added. Hammer credits his dad with being his biggest influence and supporter throughout his life.
“My dad goes to every single one of my volleyball games.” Hammer said. “He always watches me and tells me how good of a job I did even if I didn’t play that well. He’s always rallying behind me.”
Aside from guitar and volleyball, Hammer is also involved in fine arts projects at South, Amie Elliott, Fine Arts Teacher, explained. After teaching Hammer in her summer school photography class, Elliott encouraged him to join Stitched.
“Because [the summer school class] is a pretty intense 12 days, we get to know each other really well,” Elliott said. “I thought [Hammer] had a very positive attitude and he connected well to people within the room. He appreciates getting constructive criticism, so I asked him to be a part of Stitched because I [thought] he would do well.”
While being so involved can become stressful and overwhelming, the positive experiences outnumber the struggles for Hammer. Connecting with new people with similar interests, whether sports or arts, has shaped his experience at South.
“When I play instruments, I [get] know a bunch of [people] who are big into performing music for other people, and [I can] hear all of their stories,” Hammer said. “And with the different sports, [I] get to [travel] to all these different places.”
However, being busy means giving up some things when needed, which is a sacrifice Hammer has made to remain committed to his passions.
“When you’re on such a tight schedule, you can’t always find motivation to go learn your solo or riff, so you [have to] pick what you want to learn and a time frame for when you want to learn it,” Hammer said.
