by By Dan Ninham
In the middle of this past summer in Carnegie, OK, people from all directions came to the Kiowa Gourd Dance. On the last day, there were honor ceremonies including a few for young men going to college and participating in athletics.
Arian Garcia, 18, is Kiowa from OK and lives in Gretna, NE. His Indian name is Pah-ahTso-pah, Buffalo Thunder. He was one of the young men being recognized by his people.
He graduated from Gretna HS and is on his way to Bemidji State University to play NCAA DII football.
Arian talked about his family: “My father is Puerto Rican and a Marine Corps veteran. My mother is Kiowa and a Navy veteran. I am blessed to be born and raised into two very rich cultures and with morals and discipline. I am also thankful to have an understanding of our traditions. My mother is a Kiowa Princess and has ensured that I follow our Kiowa traditions properly.”
“We are very proud of Arian’s work ethic and all the hard work he has put into both his academic and athletic success,” said dad Gabriel Garcia on behalf of him and Arian’s mom Sharon Garcia. “As a direct result of the time and effort put into his high school dual credit classes, he is beginning his college academic career as a sophomore. He also applied this to athletics, where he earned letters in track for four years and three years in football and academics.”
“His work ethic fuels his drive for success in all things. We are confident he will grow into a successful young man,” added dad and mom.
Arian’s athletic accomplishments included:
- All Metro
- Nebraska Shrine Bowl
- Class A4 District Champ in the shot put
“Honor and respect are some of the most important values that have been instilled in me,” said Arian. “Everything I do reflects on me, my family, friends and my school.”
“I strive to be the best in academics, sports and life. If I can be an all-around good human through honor and respect, I believe that I can do anything,” added Arian.
Arian’s goals including having a successful college academic and athletic career. He said, “I will get there by perseverance, competitiveness, and commitment.”
Arian’s high school computer science teacher, Kim Inghraham-Beck is one of his mentors. He said, “She is kind, involved, makes class fun and doesn’t teach like it’s a job. She also strongly encourages athletes to overcome the perception that you can’t be smart and a Thorne at the same time.”
“Arian will do well in college because has a great work ethic and knows what he needs to do to be successful,” said Mike Kayl, head football coach at Gretna HS. “Whether it’s school or competition, in sports Arian always gives his best and is committed to making the most of his opportunities.”
“Arian played for us as a sophomore. He was never intimidated or back down from the older guys. He started the rest of his high school career,” added Coach Mike.
“He’s a big strong road grader, highly competitive,” said Damon Benning, head football coach, Omaha Jr. Skyhawks. “He’s been like that since he was 10 years old. A better athlete than his frame would indicate.”
“Arian’s a good technician who came from an Omaha school that utilized the quick passing game. He came from one of the best screening teams in his area which means as an offensive lineman he understood blocking out in space. Has the ability to hit the light switch, really quality individual off the field, but pretty nasty on. Comes from a really strong family so he understands what it means to be others-centered,” added Coach Damon.
“I coached Arian in track as a freshman and sophomore and during his sophomore football season,” said Chad Schmeckpeper, former head varsity track coach, Gretna HS. “Arian has always responded to coaching very well. He had a great summer after his freshman track season.”
“Arian was challenged by his football coaches in the weight room and he responded with a great attitude and determination to improve his explosiveness. He already had pretty good feet, but with the added strength and explosiveness from the weight room, he was now a serious contender to get varsity reps on Friday nights,” added Coach Chad.
“By the middle of his sophomore football season, Arian had earned a starting spot on the offensive line for the Gretna Dragons,” said Coach Chad. “He earned this opportunity by accepting the input from coaches and improving his technique.”
“This improvement carried over to the track season in the spring. Arian worked hard on the techniques he was taught and spent time analyzing his throws on film. He was able to improve his shot put over 5-1/2 feet (42′ to 47.5′) and his discus nearly 20 feet (116′ to 135′) from his freshman to sophomore season,” added Coach Chad.
“Arian puts a lot of trust into his coaches and responds to the challenges that they make for him. As a coach and teammate, this makes Arian very easy to trust in high pressure situations. I believe this is the characteristic that will make Arian successful as he continues playing football at the next level.”
“During the last game of my junior football season, I grabbed the running back while I was getting blocked,” recalled Arian. “He started falling backwards as the linemen were pushing me forward. Not letting go, I partially dislocated my shoulder, which caused my labrum to tear.”
“I missed wrestling season and was potentially going to miss track season. It was very mentally challenging as I was looking forward to other sports, also, I was upset about the possibility of losing strength and flexibility. To overcome this and to ensure I was ready for my senior year, I had to focus on the future and what I wanted to accomplish.”
“Unfortunately, and fortunately because of the pandemic, I did not have a junior track season. I was able to take that extra time to heal and begin building back strength, flexibility and range of motion. This allowed me to have a successful senior year football and track season,” added Arian.
Photo Credit: Antoine Oseka, Gretna Guide and News
