By Derrick Smith

Role models play a big role in the lives of high school student-athletes. They are the people that they look up to and model who they become in the future. Kristian Komardley says that out of all the people that he looks up to, he has one person that has had the most influence on him.

“My dad is definitely the biggest role model in my life,” he said. “He has had a big influence on my life. He never has a day off and I have never heard him complain. He loves to watch me play so i always give it my all so I can make him proud.”

Kristian is a junior at Apache High School, where he plays guard for the Warriors basketball team. He says he has always loved the game of basketball. He has been around the game since he could walk, but he started playing organized basketball around the age of seven. 

Throughout his years playing basketball, Komardley has made a lot of memories and grown a lot of friendships. He says that there is one moment from last season that would he would put at the top of his list. 

“We were playing Amber-Pocasset in the basketball playoffs last year,” he said. “I shot a three to tie up the game. That gave us a lot of momentum to win the game and send our school to the Area round of the playoffs. Apache had not advanced to that round of the playoffs in quite some time. It was a really great feeling for me.”

Kristian has done a lot in order to become the player and athlete that he is today. He says that it is just as much mental preparation as it is physical.

“I have put in many hours of shooting at the gym,” he said. “One thing that is also important is understanding the game and knowing how to play the game and just loving and enjoying basketball.”