By Brittany Bowyer
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SCOTTSDALE — Whether she’s throwing a javelin, battling for a rebound or taking snaps at quarterback, Desert Mountain junior Caroline Workman has built a reputation as the kind of athlete who gives maximum effort, leaving it all out there every single time. Entering this season, expectations are high for Caroline across the board as she’s become an integral part of all three teams she plays on for the Wolves. Already having stepped up as a leader, she’s earned the respect of her teammates and coaches through her consistency, positivity and relentless work ethic.

For Caroline, competing is something that’s in her blood. It’s something she’s grown up doing far before she started playing organized sports, as she’d compete in her home with her siblings.

EARLY LIFE
Caroline was born in Portland, Oregon as the third child out of four, with two older sisters and a younger brother. She comes from a line of athletes, as her grandfather played football for Stanford, and her father was a pitcher at Pepperdine.

“I think I’m really competitive because of my sisters and my family, because growing up I would always be the younger one, and I’d always be losing,” Caroline said. “They taught me that it’s not easy to win, so I know I have to work for that."

Growing up in Portland, Caroline did a number of different sports. She did a little bit of gymnastics, some dance, flag football for a year, basketball, and soccer. She also started out playing softball before deciding she liked baseball better, where she excelled on the diamond despite being the only girl out there.

“I’ll never forget her first game she went up to pitch and I remember, because she was the only girl on the field on either team, and the other coach I could see him just like rolling his eyes,” Caroline's mother Kelsey said. “She gets up there, whoom, strike. She schooled the boys.”

When Caroline was going into fourth grade, her family decided to move to Barcelona, Spain. There, basketball and soccer are the big sports, so naturally that’s what she played the most.

The Workman family spent two years abroad before moving back to the United States, which is when they decided to settle in Scottsdale. They moved back just in time for Caroline to start middle school, where she continued to thrive athletically. Caroline said she believes living in Barcelona for two years helped to make her a better, more well-rounded individual.

“Moving around a lot has been really helpful when it comes to learning how to make new friends,” Caroline said. “Living there is just different. It shows you different parts of the world and how different people live, and it just shows you different things and keeps you more open-minded, and I think that’s really important.

Kelsey Workman

Kelsey Workman

Kelsey Workman

Kelsey Workman

STARTING AT DESERT MOUNTAIN
Participating in three sports, Caroline wasted no time getting to work as an athlete at Desert Mountain. She immediately got involved on campus with flag football, picking up where she left off as a child when she used to play.

She went out for basketball in the winter, where she made the varsity team as just a freshman. Her coach, Kyle Avvakumovits, said she immediately stepped into a leadership role on the team.

“My basketball program was in a real rebuild mode, so even as a freshman, she was one of the most talented players,” Avvakumovits said. “It was so easy for her to gain the respect of her teammates right away. Even the seniors and juniors really respected Caroline just by her demeanor and obviously her athletic talent.”

Avvakumovits said she wasn’t so much of a vocal leader, but rather someone who led by example. He said with time, she’s found her voice and now she’s one that helps out her teammates on days they’re struggling.

“I would say one thing she does really well, maybe that she’s even got better at, is really uplifting everyone and being positive,” Avvakumovits said. “I’ve got some other teammates who can sometimes get a little frustrated when things are going bad, maybe some of my younger athletes, and Caroline has been a little bit more vocal on just the positive.”

He also spoke of Caroline’s character off the court, stating she’s a great teammate and someone people like to be around.

“She’s one of those players who gets along with everyone,” Avvakumovits said. “The one player nobody seems to like and they’re not in the circle, Caroline seems to be that bridge where she’s friends with everyone kinda, no matter the situation. So that’s kind of, I think, an interesting note. She’s very likable.”

Avvakumovits said on game days, Caroline will often be the girl in the locker room doing everyone’s hair prior to tipoff. For Caroline, it’s a tradition she carries over from her and her sister Natalie when she’s home from college and can go to her games.

“Natalie, my oldest sister, is a really big supporter,” Caroline said. “She always does my hair and comes to all my games and it’s just great seeing her there. Having her in the crowd really inspires me to work harder.”

“She’s carried that tradition on,” Kelsey said. “Natalie is home for all of January, usually, because she has this J-term thing. So she comes home for winter break and stays, so she’s here for a lot of basketball games. So she’s like, ‘Caroline, what are we gonna do today?’ And they have a whole plan. They look on YouTube, she does all these braids and stuff. Now Caroline has become the hair braider for everyone else.”

Caroline said being able to do everyone’s hair has helped strengthen her relationships with her teammates. She said she’s happy she’s able to do someone’s hair like her older sisters did with hers, since she doesn’t have a younger sister.

“It feels really good, because obviously my older sisters have helped me a lot, and I have a younger brother, I don’t have a younger sister, so especially with the younger girls like the freshmen and stuff, really getting to know them and helping them out with whatever they need is just really a cool thing for me,” Caroline said.

In the spring, Caroline is part of the throwing team, where she participates in shot put, discuss and javelin. Her throwing coach, Tim Edwards, echoed Avvakumovits, saying she’s helped to bridge the gap on their team, too.

“She gets along with everybody,” Edwards said. “We have a girl that is special to my heart, and I think to hers, too ... She’s like our special person, our lovable person on the team, and Caroline’s taken her under her wing to show her the technique and stuff like that.”

According to Edwards, you don’t expect much out of Caroline when you look at her because of her size, but she’ll shock you with how explosive she is. He said he was so impressed by her when he saw videos of her throwing her freshman year, he had to come back from his vacation early to check out what she brings to the table in person.

“We were on this cruise and I said, ‘I’ve gotta get back home early,’ because we were spending the last couple of days in Rio,” Edwards said. “I said, ‘We’re flying home early. I gotta work with her and see what she’s all about.’ And I mean, her throws her freshman year were just fantastic.”

PREPARING FOR HER JUNIOR SEASON
Now going into her junior year, Caroline has had time to continue developing as both a player and a person. Expectations are high for her in all three sports not only because she’s a leader, but because of what she’s already been able to accomplish.

For flag football this year, Caroline will be an integral part of the team. Last year, they moved her to quarterback in the middle of the season, where she thrived. She also plays defense, where she is a strong contributor to the team.

Despite excelling on the field as both a quarterback and a defensive back, she was only recognized for her defensive efforts on the field. This year, Head Coach Julius Drelick’s goal is to change that.

“She was not recognized with first or second-team all-region at the quarterback position,” Drelick said. “She was at the defensive back position, but she’s not only one of the best quarterbacks in the region but I think ultimately in all of 5A. So it’s my goal for her to get recognized that way.”

Drelick noted she has a unique skill set allowing her to both run the ball or pass the ball, making her hard to stop.

“She was, I believe, second among quarterbacks in rushing yards, and in the top ten in passing yards,” Drelick said. “She has the ability to lead the conference in both once she plays a full slate of games, which she will this year.”

In basketball, Caroline is expected to help lead the Wolves back to the playoffs. Coach Avvakumovits said he anticipates she will be more physically dominant on the court this year.

“She’s been dominating particularly on the defensive side her freshman and sophomore year,” Avvakumovits said. “It’d be nice to see her dominating even more on the offensive side ... She’s getting older, and so she’s gonna be more physically dominant. She was a little bit behind some of the older players when she was a freshman on varsity.”

For throwing, Coach Edwards says his goal for her is to get on the podium for shot put, discus and javelin at the State Championships. He said she’s pretty well-balanced in all three events, and has the potential to do well.

“I would like to see her get on the podium for each of those three events,” Edwards said. “Right now, after her sophomore year last year, probably her strongest event is the javelin and discuss, but the shot’s right there too.”

Edwards would also like for Caroline to try the heptathlon.

“I’d like her to improve and get better of course in the throws, but I think if she wanted to, her real future would probably be in the heptathlon, if she wants to even stay in track and field,” Edwards said. “I don’t even know if after high school she wants to do track and field. She’s so athletic she has so many options.”

BEING A LEADER
Caroline has also grown into a leader on more than just the basketball team, but on the flag football and throwing teams, too. Her coaches describe her as one who leads by example, and others fall in line and follow.

“She just is a natural-born leader who really stepped in right away from day one, and she continues to really lead by example,” Avvakumovits said. “She’s not necessarily the vocal, yell at ya ‘hey, I need max effort from everyone.’ She really just leads by example and lifts everyone up.”

Part of her leadership skills come from her mentality she brings with her to practice every day.

“She’s very even-keeled,” Drelick said. “I can always count on Caroline that she’ll show up on time ready to go.”

“She gives 100-percent all the time,” Edwards added. “She never complains, which kind of concerns me because sometimes she’ll have some elbow problems from javelin and she doesn’t say anything. So, I’ve got to watch her in that because she’ll work too hard sometimes.”

All three of her coaches also noted how coachable she was, which paired with her talent and mindset, is a rare find.

“A lot of people with a lot of talent, they don’t put as much effort and she does both,” Edwards said. “She works hard, she’s coachable and she’s got the talent. Those three combinations make up a great athlete.”

“Her work ethic is fantastic,” Avvakumovits said. “We’ll do optional stuff in the weight room and she’s going 100-percent every single time. She only plays at one speed, whether it’s practice, weight room, I haven’t had her in my classroom, but I’m sure it’s just one speed. Just max effort every time. It’s fun to watch on the basketball court or at practice.”

Drelick echoed Avvakumovits.

“You saw some of the drills today,” Drelick said. “You probably saw Caroline just barreling through them and that’s it, that’s just her. She loves to compete in I think anything that she does. Someone like that is just a gift for a coach.”

TAKING CARE OF HER BODY
Being so active, it’s important for Caroline to take care of her body and make sure she’s getting adequate rest. Rest is one of the most important phases of recovery, and Caroline knows it is crucial she gets enough sleep. It’s part of why budgeting her time is so critical to her success both as a student and as an athlete.

“During the school week, I try to get my homework done so I can get to bed at a reasonable time,” Caroline said. “Especially because some days I have practice later, so I try to get it done between school and practice or even doing it at school during class when they give us time.”

“Weekends, definitely, she sleeps in,” Kelsey said. “She loves her sleep.”

Caroline also has the entire month of July to relax and recover, which she says she tries to maximize as it’s her only month off during the entire year.

“Usually in July we go back to Portland and visit family, because we lived there for nine years and my mom’s from there and they’ve lived there most of their lives,” Caroline said. “But mostly we just visit family and I try to hang out with my friends because during the rest of the year I don’t have that much time. It’s too hot to go outside so we just chill inside. I also bed rot a little sometimes.”

Both her parents and her coaches believe being a three-sport athlete has kept her from getting overuse injuries.

“I think it is good for the body also because you’re not constantly doing the same thing 12 months out of the year,” Kelsey said. “She’s using different things for throwing and basketball and football, so I think just having the three sports really helps with the overuse issue.”

BALANCING STUDENT AND ATHLETE
One of the most challenging aspects of being a student-athlete is juggling the student part of things.

“She’s a student athlete,” Kelsey said. “I tell my kids that. You’re not an athlete-student. You’re a student-athlete, because what are you going to fall back on? What are the chances? One percent of kids play DI in college, and then what are the chances that they’re gonna go on and play pro? So you have to have something else.”

“I think sometimes it can be difficult, but with the help of my teachers and coaches it’s a lot easier because they’re all really understanding,” Caroline said.

She said she has to closely manage her time to make sure she’s staying on top of things.

Caroline is a superstar in the classroom, where she earns high grades and great remarks from her teachers. Not only does she challenge herself athletically, but academically, too. She takes a heavy course load consisting of Honors Chemistry, AP Trig pre-calc, Italian 3 Honors, AP US History, AP Language Arts and Business 102.

Although Avvakumovits isn’t her teacher, he said he speaks regularly with those who are and said they always have great things to say.

“I teach math, so I’ve talked with several of her math teachers before and she’s a superstar in the classroom,” Avvakumovits said. “She’s particularly the student who picks up all the concepts very quickly but also has patience with her classmates. She’s constantly helping her classmates. I wish I could have her in my class but she takes all the honors and AP classes and I teach the regular classes, otherwise I would have worked her into my classroom.”

“I don’t know what her exact GPA is or anything, I just know she’s way up there,” Edwards said. “I don’t know where she finds the time to do all this.”

Brittany Bowyer is a Report for America corps member, covering sports for Independent Newsmedia in Arizona. Report for America places talented journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues and regions.