January 12, 2020 – By NJP
Senior Middle Johan Civil has been waiting for the opportunity to bring the Immaculate Pride to a new level of success and this year may just be that golden opportunity. Immaculate Conception was 16-7 last season and will be much improved for the new campaign in 2020. There are 150 high school volleyball programs in New Jersey and only two of them will not lose a single player to graduation. The Pride is one of those schools.
As a Junior, Johan had 167 kills and 48 blocks as well as 21 aces for Immaculate. With all of his teammates returning, Immaculate has an opportunity to make some serious noise this season in Essex County. Here is the NJP pre-season report for Immaculate: https://njpowerranking.com/immaculate-2020-psr/
We love Johan’s attitude toward his teammates, academics, and his personal development. He opened our eyes to some inspirational and motivational videos to add to our website. His positive outlook was contagious for us and hopefully to all our readers as well.
Here is our interview…
Johan… Tell us about yourself?
I attend Immaculate Conception in Montclair NJ. I live in Orange NJ. I am graduating in May 2020 and live with my mother. I only have one sibling, my sister.
How long have you played volleyball?
I have played volleyball since freshman year, 4 years altogether.
What inspired you to take up volleyball initially?
I wanted the brotherhood and something that I’ve never tried before. I would not have thought I would have been playing volleyball if it wasn’t for my former Coach (PJ Schaefer). He inspired me to play, and taught me everything that I know now.
Who is your support group?
My number one supporter would be my Uncle. Although he hasn’t been able to make it to some of my games, he still motivates me to play. He shows me that little things as just playing a sport can pave the way to becoming a better person in this world. Other people that also support me are my mother, sister, aunt, and cousins because whenever I feel like quitting I think about them and what I can do to make an impact.
How will your high school team do in the upcoming season? Do you have a lot of returning players? What will be the key to success?
I believe that we will do very good this season, we have all been working off-season for one mission in the long run, which is to win a championship. Yes, there are a lot of us who are returning, which gives us more motivation to work together and build a stronger bond. The key to this year’s success is to focus, and not let calls affect the game that we play. Whenever someone is down we pick them up and keep working.
What is your favorite inspirational video that you like to watch before the games?
My favorites would have to be Eric Thomas and Inky Johnson because I can relate to them both, and they are very straight forward.
NJP considers you as one of the top players in the state. Do you plan on playing in College? (If so, which ones are you looking at?)
Yes, I plan on continuing to play in college. My top choices right now would be Kean University, Arcadia University, and Saint Francis University.
How do you manage your time when playing a varsity sport?
I was always told ¨If you want to play a sport in school you have to know that your education must come first. If you are not doing good in school then you don’t deserve to play. Priorities come first.” When you know what you have to do, and you create a plan and focus, then everything will fall in line.
What are your other hobbies?
I love to use my camera and creating photography portfolios. I also like drawing and making music.
What do you do during the off-season to stay in shape and prepare for next year?
During the off-season I meditate, exercise daily, and attend as many open gyms that I can. More importantly, I spend time with the team, and the people that I love, to create a bigger and better bond.
What is your favorite part of the NJP website?
The motivational videos and the love and appreciation showed towards the athletes.