Roseville High School sophomores Will Risse and Danny Garcia attended a Marine camp in San Diego over the summer with hopes of preparing themselves for the JV football season.

According to Risse, their ten day stay at San Diego was brutal but was also a beneficial experience..

“We would wake up at like four in the morning everyday and we would go eat and either run there or we would drill,” Risse said. “After that, we would go through obstacle courses and do some kind of physical activity. It was different every day, they kind of changed what you would do with your body.”

The camp focused not only on physical conditioning, but mental training as well.

“They started mentoring you instead of pushing you and trying to break you down and then build you back up,” Garcia said. “It taught me how to be more assure of myself and not to be afraid in front of people, more open, kind of take shot out of your comfort zone and change it up a bit.”

Both Risse and Garcia have intentions of joining the Marines. Garcia’s mother has noticed a difference in his attitude since his return from the camp.
“[He takes] personal pride and citizenship,” Vanessa Garcia, Garcia’s mother said. “I have observed an increase on how he honors and respects those who have served our country.”

The skills practiced at the camp have paid off evidently, as Garcia and Risse’s performance on RHS’ JV football team have improved. According to Garcia, the experience made him faster, stronger, and more aware of his surroundings.

“It gives you an entire different mindset when you go across obstacles,” Risse said. “It’s more like you think you can do anything after that camp.”
The change was evident to JV football coach, Tim McDowell, as well.

According to McDowell, their commitment and effort level has intensified.

“They felt like it was a wonderful experience, they talked very highly of it,” McDowell said. “It seemed to me like it was a really good thing to both of them, they appeared to enjoy it even though it was really hardcore. I think they got a lot out of the experience.”

JV running back Alex Evans also recognized Garcia’s change in character.“Danny came back smarter and a lot more mature,” Evans said.
According to Risse, their experience proved to play a big role in reshaping how they view themselves and the world around them.

“It really taught me that if I come across something difficult in my life, there’s always a way to get through it,” Risse said. “There’s a way to get around it if I push through it.”