CHARACTER COUNTS

Raymond S. Kellis sophomore Chase Weaver balances leadership roles in sports, church

Jan 2, 2017, 6:39 PM | Updated: Jan 23, 2017, 3:47 pm

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Chase Weaver feels like he’s grown up over the past few years.

Whether the Raymond S. Kellis High School sophomore is in the classroom, on the field or at his church, he’s started to realize that leadership comes naturally to him. His strong faith isn’t new, nor is his willingness to help others.

But that leadership and his maturity, he admits, has changed of late.

“As I’ve grown and matured, I’ve realized that leader word,” he said. “I’m kind of the outspoken one, more energetic.”

At church, Weaver was asked to give a sermon about his life after first speaking to his youth group about how God has impacted his life the last couple of years. The 14-minute speech was given to two services after Weaver meticulously prepared with his youth group leader.

“He gave me a lesson plan. I spent a week going over it,” Weaver said. “I guess the word got out to the main pastor, his name’s Gary. And he came up to me, ‘You gonna come up here to do it now?’ I was like, ‘Sure,’ and he’s like, ‘alright, I’ll get you a date.’ I was like, ‘Oh, he’s serious.'”

The captain of the junior varsity baseball team, where he plays catcher and pitcher, Weaver also wrestles and is one of two sophomores on the varsity football team, where he’s a linebacker.

Weaver volunteers on a regular basis with his youth group at the St. Mary’s Food Bank. With the help of his younger sister, he has put on blanket drives that collected around 100 blankets that he and his family handed out at a homeless shelter.

Weaver has also helped raise money for breast cancer awareness through a GoFundMe page and is a member of DECA and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

What has spurred him to grow and embrace his leadership abilities that come so naturally?

Over the last few years, Weaver, who lives with his mother and step-father, has been able to visit with his father, who has been in prison much of his son’s life.

“My step-dad is kind of like my real dad. My biological dad has been in jail most of my life,” Weaver said. “So that leadership role … I’m an important person in people’s lives, I kind of put it toward him, too. Instead of him being a leader for me, I need to be a leader for him.

“When I got into high school, I started to kind of grow up,” he added.

Growing up in life has helped Weaver realize the importance of succeeding in the classroom, where he holds a 3.5 GPA. In the field and his church, he’s embraced more responsibilities as well.

So what’s the goal after high school?

Weaver wants to study to become a lawyer, but he also wants to minor in theology and become a youth pastor.

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