WOODBURY — Pictures serve as a time capsule, a freeze-frame of a moment you can go back to whenever you choose.
For Nonnewaug senior Skylar Chung, the shutter of a camera lens has been a reoccurrence throughout her life, from prepubescent years to right now in her 13th year of playing sports. What used to be just a hobby for her mom turned into a budding relationship between the Chung family and sports.
“I love taking photos of Skylar,” says Noreen Chung, Skylar’s mom and resident photographer for Nonnewaug sports. “When she is playing sports, I get to see how competitive she is, but I also get to see how much fun she is having through my photos. For years I shared my sports photos with my [parents] only, but the older she got, the more interested [Skylar] became in seeing the photos, too. I have been able to get to know her friends better through photography as well. It’s been so much fun. Supporting Skylar on the sidelines is my No. 1 priority, but I usually have my camera with me, and I love to come home after a game and go through the photos. I love seeing her play the sports she loves.”
The memories she has made serve as reminders of why she has put so much time into doing what she loves most.
“Being able to play sports with my best friends made me love sports so much more,” says Skylar. “The bonds you create from being on a team are some that you won’t get anywhere else. I have become great friends with so many people that I would never have even met if it wasn’t for sports. Being able to play a sport I love with the people I love just makes it so much more fun.”
Growing up in a family of sports players, Skylar’s devotion to the game has been facilitated in her house since she was just 4 years old.
“I have done sports my entire life, starting with soccer when I was 4 or 5,” said Skylar. “I’ve always just been surrounded by sports. If I wasn’t at my own games or practices, I was at my brothers. Growing up with brothers and all-boy cousins, I spent a lot of my time outside playing Wiffle ball in the backyard, which are some of my favorite memories as a kid. Sports have always been a huge part of my life, shaping me into who I am today. They’ve taught me so many lessons and given me my best friends.”
Family can be someone’s main support system, and Skylar has always had a household of supporters. Especially when it comes to her mom, spending time together is an opportunity gained through her athletics.
“As a mother, you want the best for your children,” said Noreen. “Skylar was quiet when she was younger, but through sports I saw a huge change in her. I got to see her confidence flourish and see the competitive side of her as well, and I’m so proud of her. Whether she is on the soccer field or playing in a tennis match, she is focused. Having sports allowed me more time with Skylar that I might not have had otherwise, from weekend trips to soccer tournaments to dinners after games. This is one-on-one time I got to spend with Skylar. It’s not always easy to find time to spend together, but sports has given us more time together that we may not have had if she didn’t play sports. For that, I am forever grateful.”
It’s the people that make the sport, and nobody knows this more than the teammates of Skylar Chung. A role model on and off the field, Chung’s friends emphasize her importance in every game.
“Playing sports with Skylar has become a routine part of my life,” says senior Maylan Hardisty, close friend and teammate of Chung. “We have been playing together since before we can even remember. Team chemistry is very important in every team sport, and coming up together from middle school and even in recreational sports before, I mean, we can basically read each other’s minds on the field.”
With the senior season having fully taken off already, the relationships made through sports have served as a pivotal part of growing up for the friends of Chung.
“Going into our senior season, I knew this would be our last season getting to play together,” says Hardisty. “It definitely has made me appreciate it more. There is no other connection like the ones that you get from sports, and I am grateful to have spent so much time on and off the field with her.”
Athletics transform the person’s character and teach valuable lessons that will be carried throughout life. For Skylar, sports have been a pivotal point in her growth as a person.
“I noticed [Skylar] coming out of her shell when she started playing sports,” says Noreen. “Playing sports enabled Skylar to create friendships she may not have formed otherwise. Many of her closest friends are the ones she formed on the soccer field, and sports helped to mold the person she is today. She grew more confident on and off the field. Once she started high school, she decided to try out for the tennis team. She played very little tennis, but it did not deter her from trying something new. She is organized and has excellent leadership skills, and she gets that from sports. When I look back at how shy she was in kindergarten, I’m in awe of her today and how much she has grown as a person, and a lot of that has to do with the impact sports has had on her life.”
As Skylar continues to excel through the rest of high school, her last high school sports seasons are looming over her senior year. Enjoying her moments of high school, however, is on top of her priority list.
“Senior year has been very bittersweet for me,” said Skylar. “Just knowing that it’s my last time doing so many things is hard. But it also makes me want to make the most out of everything and appreciate the time I left in high school with all my friends.”
As the final shutter of Noreen Chung’s camera commences when Skylar walks across the graduation stage, the memories will stay locked in the lens, ready to be looked back upon whenever she needs. As Skylar Chung continues her educational pursuits, her mom will always be there to cheer her on behind the camera.
