This article won second place in the 2022 Michigan Interscholastic Press Association spring awards ceremony.
The last name “Charity” is not unfamiliar to the Northview community.
Parents Dion and Hannah have been raising their three kids in the district for the last 12 years. As their eldest son is getting ready to graduate this spring, there is a new Charity walking the halls and she’s paving the way in her athletic career.
Freshman Jada Charity lives up to her family’s athletic legacy by not only being a multi-sport athlete (volleyball, basketball and track) but also balancing beach and club volleyball on top of that.
“I balance by using time management, and getting things done at a certain time [in order to have time for it all],” Charity said.
For most multi-sport athletes, there is often one sport they tend to excel in or focus most on, and for Charity, it’s volleyball. It all started in third grade with her mom’s encouragement.
“I honestly really liked it from the start so I kept going on with it,” Charity said.
Now six years later, Charity is wrapping up her first season as a high school volleyball player, and it was a rewarding one. She became one of two freshmen captains on the JV team and also had the opportunity to play in her first varsity game on October 9.
“My first varsity game was a lot of fun. The environment is a lot different; it’s more fast paced and intense,” Charity said. “I found out I was getting pulled up to varsity after the pep rally and I was very excited, there were a lot of emotions.”
Charity’s teammates have noticed her skills, especially for being immersed into a different competitive level for only a couple months after transitioning from middle school to high school volleyball.
“She always has a very clear understanding of what is happening on our side [of the court] and most importantly, she can analyze the other side and use it to our advantage,” sophomore teammate Makenzie Vergouwe said.
Success comes with hard work and JV volleyball coach Mallory Nowicki has seen just that in her. Nowicki believes that Charity’s work ethic helped her get to where she is.
“[She] works very hard in practice and workouts which helps her become a stronger athlete,” Nowicki said. “She knows her body very well, and is able to capitalize on her strengths in order for her to be successful.”
Her reputation as a talented athlete doesn’t end there. This past summer, Charity played club volleyball, ending her season with a 5th place finish at Nationals in Florida.
“The experience [of] playing teams from lots of different places was definitely a lot of fun,” Charity said.
Summer was also a time where she dominated the beach volleyball courts, winning first and second place in every tournament she played, even when it wasn’t the most ideal weather.
volleyball tournament over the summer. Photo provided by Jada Charity.
“I remember one tournament where it was so hot outside my feet were burning from the sand, but everyone had the same issue so it was fair game,” Charity said.
Not only is Charity a gifted athlete, she’s also been described as someone people are drawn to because of her personality and how she approaches situations when it comes to being a leader and a teammate.
“She makes all the early mornings and long days better because of her energy and encouragement,” Vergouwe said. “She has a great personality and is always lifting people up and making their day better.”
But she doesn’t do it all alone. Coming from a family of former and current athletes, Charity has an endless amount of support. Her parents are some of her biggest cheerleaders and are always there to help her when she needs it.
“They know how it is,” Charity said. “They know the environment, how sports can influence you and how hard it is, and [they’ve] helped me a lot with that.”
As this season comes to a close and other opportunities are coming her way, Charity has a bright future ahead of her.
“I am very proud of the player and person she has become and I am excited to watch everything unfold [for her] in the next three years,” Nowicki said. “I know if she continues to work hard and learn, she will achieve her goals.”
