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Monday, November 3, 2008
Multi-Tasking
Fort Worth, TX
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When Mark Fitz’s parents come to one of his football games, they don’t get up during halftime…because he’s playing then, too.
The band takes the field for the halftime show. Its members are dressed in their traditional and formal band uniforms, except for Mark Fitz. He stands out. He’s in uniform – his football uniform.
Fitz, a junior defensive lineman for the Fort Worth Eastern Hills High School football team, doesn’t spend halftime in the locker room with his coaches and teammates. Instead, he plays the trumpet with the band.
An accomplished musician already, Fitz didn’t like the idea of having to choose between music and football, so he opted for both.
“Usually, it’s very rare, but at Eastern Hills it is a common occurrence,” said Kathy Bernal, band director at EHHS. “Unfortunately, we have a small group of kids to pull from and everyone wants them. But it is so cool to look at the band and see the football players out there in their pads just marching away. Grass stains and all!”
It doesn’t afford Fitz much opportunity to rest between halves.
“You get off the field and you’re kind of tired and you want to get some air,” Fitz said. “But instead I have to turn around and march on the field with the band. It’s kind of difficult.”
Fitz has been doing both activities since his freshman year.
“I really enjoy music,” Fitz said. “It’s one of the major parts of my life. And I also enjoy football.”
Liking both so much puts a strain on his time.
“It’s pretty difficult dealing with the time management,” he admitted. “I’m at football practice while band practice is going on. As soon as football practice is over I go to band.”
Bernal sees the strain it can cause on someone in Fitz’s position.
“His day starts at 7:15 a.m. with band and ends around 6 p.m. with football,” she said. “On Tuesday’s his day starts at 7:15 a.m. with band, he then has football from 3:35 p.m. until 6 p.m. and then reports to band until 8 p.m.”
But that’s not all. Fitz is also a music teacher at Kennerly Music Center. In fact, in a bizarre twist, Fitz is sometimes Bernal’s teacher when she takes lessons at Kennerly. He also plays in the school’s jazz band and performs at his church, where his father is the pastor.
Bernal believes that multiple interests, such as those Fitz has, can only benefit a student.
“We always encourage students to participate in as many activities as they can in high school,” she said. “More school activities has always related to more college scholarships.” •
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