Senior Kyle Kangas started his athletic career by playing baseball. He didn’t transition into volleyball until middle school when Coach Grey, at Woodlands, encouraged him to join the team. Intimidated by learning something new and afraid of making a fool of himself, Kyle didn’t actually try out for the team until the 8th grade, when he built up the courage, and he has been playing ever since.
“I made the team and we actually went undefeated the entire season. I loved learning to play the game and the feeling while playing in a game, and that’s where it all started.”
-Kyle Kangas
While in baseball, Kyle loved being on 1st and 3rd bases as well as in center. He felt those positions got the most action and therefore they were the most fun to be in. When Kyle moved onto volleyball he found that playing outside and being in the front on the right side were his favorite places to be. Being 6 foot 1, it is easy to block the ball and hit from these positions.
Kyle’s resilience and character is shown by his desire to play and to never give up. When he was 12 years old, Kyle got hit in the eye by the pitcher’s ball. Unfortunately, he was unable to play the next two games but came back with a bang hitting a total of 12 RBI’s, allowing his team to win more games and tie the scores.
Kyle has always been inspired by the quote:
“There’s only one thing I know about life. I know that some things happen by chance. And some things happen because we simply make them happen.”
Being a senior at this time of the year is full of anticipation and anxiety over being prepared for adult life and having a plan after high school. Fortunately Kyle has a solid plan. Keeping in mind his family and the cost of college, Kyle plans to start his college career at Palm Beach State College by earning his AA then transferring to either UCF or FAU to start his career in CSI Forensics, unleashing his inner Barry Allen (the main character in the TV series The Flash). Kyle would love the opportunity to be able to play on the UCF or FAU’s boys volleyball team, however he knows it will take a lot of hard work and dedication.
Kyle’s advice for incoming volleyball players is:
“First off, whether you like the people you play with or not on the team, they are your teammates and you have to rely on them just like they’ll rely on you. The second thing is to just open up and listen to any advice you’re ever given, regardless of who it’s from, it’ll make an impact on your athletic journey, maybe not now but rather in years to come.”
Kyle attempting to block the other team's hit.
