![NEW CHALLENGE, NEW TEAM MEMBERS: Every season, VEX creates a new game that robotics team members are faced with and have to build a robot to compete in. This year’s game forces students to create a robot that is able to stack rings onto mobile goals in order to score points. The change in games each season is something that robotics teacher Audrea Moyers appreciates.
“One of the things that I like about VEX is that they have a new problem to solve every year,” she said. ¨Even though the equipment’s the same, they have to analyze the game, and they have to come up with solutions that are unique that year. They are using their knowledge from prior years, but they have to kind of redesign a problem.”
As returning teams were faced a new game, some new teams and members had to adapt to a uncommon playing field and game.
“Three of our four teams were competing for the first time this year, and they had very different experiences match to match, so I think they learned a lot,¨ she said. ¨It’s hard just watching a video online to know how it’s actually going to be in person, so they all learned a lot about what gameplay is like, how to work with an alliance partner [and] how to adapt during the day to changes.”](https://bestofsno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/IMG_9283-1-1200x800.jpg)
Cool as ice. Sprinting down the middle of the field. Slithering his way past a double team, 1-on-1 with the goal keeper.
This is the play every soccer player dreams of. A chance to win it for your team, and a chance to be the hero.
For senior forward J McGill, his passion, energy and commitment is why he finds himself in the precarious position to win the game.
Passion, all the hours, and the overall determination to be better and win at whatever situation that he is in is what McGill displays.
“If you want to be the best at what you do, you have to do more than other people are willing to put in,” McGill said. “Coming in during breaks, maintaining my stamina and speed, and doing drills are all things that help me stay in shape and get better.”
This profound enthusiasm for being the best and allowing himself to develop made his starter position on A team in eighth grade, a starter on JV1 in ninth grade and a three-year varsity starter.
“Having him as a starter was the easiest decision for me,” Coppell coach Stephen Morris said. “His work ethic, skill determination and overall ability to stay focused and being that leader that his teammates look up to make him that.”
That work ethic and commitment to soccer has always been there even at the young age of 4 when he played for his first club team.
“We’re very outdoorsy people and he was always running and jumping over fire hydrants, and even if we went for a walk in the neighborhood, it was all parkour, over gutters and things like that,” mother Stacy McGill said. “When he and his sister wanted to play soccer, we thought it was a great idea and they had a lot of energy to spend.”
As for his name, Mrs. McGill originally named him with the middle name of Stallings, however, she didn’t believe that it would be a conversation starter 14 years later.
“There are several family members that just have that letter J either as their first or middle name,” Mrs. McGill said. “So were actually his middle name is Stallings, which he’s named for Gene Stallings, who was this amazing, wonderful leader, a coach for University of Alabama that played at A&M.”
While soccer is already a large part of J’s life, other aspects such as Coppell Theatre Company, the Dual Language Immersion (DLI) program, Red Jackets and his dream of becoming a chemical engineer have been right up there as part of his commitment to time management and being a better person.
Beginning in third grade in Wilson Elementary School, J became passionate about theater. Telling his music teacher to change the main character’s name from Patty to Patrick and asking to try out made all the dominos fall for a talented actor.
“Theater has been so much fun,” J said. “Being able to network with new people, making new friends, and being blessed with another family.”
Being able to maintain his grades on top of all of that, J has garnered offers from multiple universities, which is feeding into his vision to continue soccer in college and pursue his dream as a chemical engineer.
“Using his skills in the DLI, envisioning him going to Argentina to use his bilingual skills and help out the community is something that would be perfect for him,” Mrs. McGill said. “Being a leader and helping out another community is what I would envision for him regarding his future.”
With goals in mind and dreams in action, J McGill is that one force using all of his extracurriculars to improve as a person.
“He is the one of the best individuals I have been around,” Morris said. “Not only having a million things to do, but maintaining his grades and being a captain of the school and my team, J has been a true inspiration not only to me but to his peers and underclassmen.”
This story was originally published on Coppell Student Media on February 5, 2025.
