Andrew Eisner is one of those rare high school athletes you may meet—an elusive and endearing combination of passion, intelligence, and eloquence: all of which are characteristics of a powerful leader. But Eisner, a sophomore, is not the type of leader who dominates the scoreboards (although he is successful there as well). Rather, Eisner leads through example and passionate speech, something that makes him a valuable player on Pioneer Valley High School’s junior varsity team.
Marcus Guzman, Pioneer’s JV basketball coach, has been coaching basketball for 12 years. He’s worked with Eisner for a year, and said that Eisner is the one player he has had (in all his years) who personifies altruism.
“His selflessness and willingness to put the team and teammates before his personal gain has endeared him to his teammates,” Guzman said.
Eisner, a studious and well-spoken teenager, has been playing basketball since he was 6 years old.
“I’ve grown up playing the game and enjoy it because it involves camaraderie with the team; I am very passionate when I play,” Eisner said.
As a leader, Eisner said his goal is to get his team pumped up and instill confidence in his teammates before they step onto the court.
“I try to emphasize the necessity of heart and desire to play,” Eisner said. “You can be taught tactics but have to want to do it in order to succeed.”
Eisner said that his teammates respond respectfully to his leadership, and he has noticed that if there are games where he is not as vocal, his team doesn’t seem to carry the same tenacity.
“I enjoy being a leader and influencing people; I like having a positive impact and raising people up higher so we can accomplish our goals together,” Eisner said.
Guzman added that Eisner’s greatest attributes as a player are his fearlessness on defense, his continuous hustle, and heart to become a more skilled player.
“Although the things that Eisner contributes to this team are not always measurable on the scoreboard, his leadership produces indirect results,” Guzman said. “His love for the game, players, and teammates help put results on the scoreboard.”
Eisner attributes his leadership abilities to his father, who is a big source of inspiration.
“My dad is a teacher, and I have had an opportunity to observe him in the classroom,” Eisner said. “He has control over his class and consistently displays characteristics of a leader. I’ve picked up on those.”
Eisner said his leadership has been influenced by a handful of other coaches and those whom he associates with; he takes pieces from each of those relationships to form his own brand of leadership.
“As a player, I’m passionate and consider myself selfless,” Eisner said. “I would rather facilitate a good play than score myself.”
Off the court, Eisner works hard to maintain his competitive nature in his academics. He said he seeks to maintain a consistent enthusiasm and strives to be the best he can be in both athletics and academics.
“It’s important to me because I find it to be an effective resource to keep me reaching towards my goals in life,” Eisner said.
This article appears in Feb 5-12, 2015.