Berkeley High School junior Sinjin Amianda-Cook didn’t play competitive football until his freshman year of high school. Now, he leads the varsity squad as starting quarterback.
Though he grew up a football fan, watching games on TV with his dad, Amianda-Cook focused on baseball throughout elementary and middle school. “The transition into football was tough,” he said, “It definitely took time to figure out.” Still, Amianda-Cook worked his way to varsity, and subsequently won the competitive battle for starting quarterback.
Amianda-Cook attributes a lot of his development to hard work and disciplined mental focus. “You have to know what all 21 other players on the field are going to do, and when,” he said, reflecting on the cognitive labor necessary for every successful quarterback. “The hardest part about playing quarterback doesn’t even happen on the field. It happens in the film room,” he added. With the offense in his hands, Amianda-Cook is expected to know the opposing defense better than anyone. So, he puts in more time than most, meticulously studying every detail about both himself and the opponent, learning where to improve and who to exploit.
So far, BHS is off to a 2-1 start, and Amianda-Cook believes their lead will continue. “I think we’re capable of winning every game,” he said. As a player who was never competitive before high school, Amianda-Cook is proving that hours of dedication can make up for lost time.