Amid the tempest of bowlers who filled Rancho Bowl on a recent Saturday there stood one young man who was very much the eye of the storm. Matthew “Matti” Luna patiently waited to bowl his next frame. When the time came, he stepped up, chose his ball, and sent it sailing with no wasted motion. When the crash of pins ended and the frame was over, he faded back into a calm kid watching and waiting.
Matti began his sports career at Orcutt Junior High, where he was introduced to golf. It was the first organized sport he was involved in, and it’s remained his favorite.
“I like to play it—and the people,” Matti said.
His coaches agree that sports have been good for him. He’s shed some of that adolescent shyness and has been able to just be himself on the field or by the lanes. While he does remain reserved most of the time, he flares to life when a teammate claps him on the back or shares a joke.
Matti is now a sophomore at Righetti High School. Aside from golf, he bowls, he competes in track and field, he plays basketball, and, thanks to his stepsister, he’s just started picking up softball.
“That kid’s got some wheels on him,” assistant coach Brad Middleton said.
No doubt he’ll make an excellent outfielder. His coaches are getting Matti prepared for the upcoming Fall Regional Games taking place at Hagerman Field in October.
This summer, Matti and his basketball team took home the gold at the summer chapter games in Long Beach. Matti shrugged off the win, a little shy under the praise of his coaches. He should be proud. Being a multiple-sport athlete is hard enough on any student, but for Matti there’s an added stress. He suffers from seizures. What’s worse is that the seizures can be triggered by heat. During practice, he has the luxury of being able to take it easy, but when it’s time to compete, Matti has to balance the drive to win with the need to take care of himself.
But Matti soldiers through. He loves the games. And he’s willing to try anything.
“We need to get him into floor hockey,” Middleton said.
“I could try that,” Matti responded.
While his favorite class is PE, this 15-year-old is no Breakfast Club Andrew Clark. He has time in his life for things other than sports. When not at practice or in competition, he enjoys some classic videogames: Mario Brothers and The Legend of Zelda.
This article appears in Sep 1-8, 2011.