Family support key to achieving goals

Emily Paulson is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Valley Vista High School for AZPreps365.com

Family support often means a lot to athletes, especially those playing multiple sports at one time. Alyse Hryb is an athlete who carries and cherishes her family’s support in everything she does.

Alyse, a junior at Valley Vista, is competing on the girls golf and swim and dive teams. She also has a job and is a member of the Unified Sports team and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club at school.

Alyse is not the only Hryb family member involved in many extracurricular activities at Valley Vista. Alyse has two sisters, senior Kora Hryb and younger sister Bella Hryb , who are on the swim and dive team and participate in Unified Sports. The sisters’ bond helps to keep them grounded in everything they do.

“Having two people to support me is great because if Kora’s not in the mood, I can just go to the younger one,” Alyse said. “With Bella, we’ve always had a strong relationship, and me and Kora kind of built that the older we started getting. But they both carry so much wisdom, and I really appreciate it.”

According to their mom, Amanda Hryb, each of the sisters has a unique personality that meshes perfectly at home, school and extracurricular activities. Swim and dive is the only sport where the sisters compete all together, making it extra special and extremely competitive.

“I’ve seen siblings get real tense with each other and not like each other if the other one was better,” Amanda said. “I don’t feel that with these three. I think all three of them support each other in every possible way.”

Support and mentorship go hand-in-hand for the Hryb sisters, as all three look up to each other in different ways, including life advice to everyday questions. Older sister Kora is amazed by Alyse’s time-management skills.

“Elyse is her own person, and she’s doing so good,” Kora said. “If anything, I look up to her sometimes because I don’t know how she does it all.”

Younger sister Bella felt the same way, speaking about how dedicated Alyse is in everything she does.

“She’s super consistent and she’s super determined and everything,” Bella said. “She’s like the powerhouse and a great role model for me.”

Tackling many different activities in one season can be tough, especially for someone aspiring to play college athletics. Alyse has recently discovered a spark of desire to try to earn a golf scholarship to help pay for her college degree.

“Golf just kind of came out of nowhere. I don’t even know why I joined, but I did,” Alyse said. “I would like to possibly get a private coach or lessons so I can, my senior year, I might have those bigger scholarship opportunities because they’re not hard to find. They’re everywhere.”

Alyse has always been open to the idea of college, whether it was going into the military to help pay for it or possible scholarship opportunities. Golf has become an outlet for her and the perfect opportunity to continue doing a sport she loves.

“Golf came up as the biggest possibility for a scholarship,” Alyse said. “I’m willing to go to any college that will take me. I’m not picky as long as it can provide me with the degree I need. I really like golf, and it’s something I would want to continue after high school.”

Valley Vista junior Alyse Hryb hits a tee shot at Deer Valley Golf Course. (Photo courtesy of Amanda Hryb)

In addition to pursuing golf so passionately, Alyse and her sisters play a big role in Unified Sports in their community. At Valley Vista, Unified Sports is offered during school hours as a PE class, making it accessible to every athlete. Each athlete is paired with a partner like Alyse, making it a fun way to build on teamwork.

“I like to see the growth from the athletes, especially because some of these new people will come in, and they’ll start really low,” Alyse said. “All it takes is communication, and they can do great.”

Unified PE teacher Rebecca Milobar expressed how much Alyse has matured with her paired partner athlete over the past two years.

“Last year to this year, it’s been miles of confidence in herself,” Milobar said. “What she did with Gavin this year, her partner in badminton, was phenomenal. The confidence she gave him and to watch him grow was unreal and it wouldn’t have been that way if it wasn’t for her positive reinforcement and her encouraging him and teaching him.”

Alyse’s impact goes beyond her mentorship with athletes in Unified, but with her sisters, too. Her mom said Alyse keeps the family in check, ensuring everyone has a voice and an extreme work ethic.

“She’s the caretaker of the family,” Amanda said. “If anybody has a problem, we go to Alyse, and she just keeps everything in perspective and she’s good about being honest but kind as well. She works the hardest out of all of us combined, and she never complains.”

Tackling multiple responsibilities at once is challenging, but the support of family makes it all worth it.

“We need each other in those tough moments and that’s why I’m so appreciative because when we’re down or we’re struggling, we notice each other because we can tell,” Alyse said. “We built that bond between all of us to where we don’t feel like we’re burdens to each other, but we can lean on each other for stuff.”