When it comes to junior Finn Kennedy, who plays varsity football and swims for the junior varsity team, his coach doesn’t mince words.
“Finn is, without a doubt, a lunchbox kind of guy, blue collar, comes to work every day, and then gives it everything he can,” said Varsity Football Coach Max Sakellaris.
You want Kennedy on your side because of “his work ethic,” Sakellaris said. “His ability to, again, like, be there every day, be on time. Do exactly what you ask.”
On a team full of personalities, Finn stands out by not trying to. He doesn’t need to be the loudest voice in the locker room or the one celebrating the hardest after a win. “Finn is very quiet, but I think he is able to work with others well because he’s always given his all, always given 100%,” Sakellaris added. “And people respect that.”
For Kennedy’s father, Thomas Kennedy, an AP Physics teacher and golf coach at OPRF, effort has always mattered more than attention.
“During his two seasons of swimming and football, he’s much more focused because he needs to get things accomplished in a certain time frame,” Thomas Kennedy said.
Balancing two sports isn’t common at this school. His dad knows it is not easy, but he explains that “when Finn puts his mind to something, he’s usually pretty loyal and consistent with it. I think he’s become a better leader and stronger, both physically and mentally for it.”
Finn Kennedy said, “I started first with swimming in like second grade. I was way more comfortable with that at the time.”
His dad knew that, but wanted him to join something else as well.
“Sometimes you just need, like, a shove.”
That shove came from his older brother, Emmett Kennedy, who graduated last year, someone who had already played the game at OPRF and set a standard.
“He is extremely motivated to exceed him,” his dad said, “and he is willing to put in the work to accomplish some goals.”
But his parents’ priorities were never about beating records. “Our main goal was to make sure he’s in activities that allow him to meet people, make friends and have fun,” Thomas Kennedy said.
But Finn Kennedy can see more benefits than just the fun of sports and managing school. “Both of them help with…hard-working determination…and, like, discipline: getting stuff done.”
Kennedy did not have it easy with football right away.
“Freshman year, getting pushed around by other freshmen… I was just really small and not that strong. It kind of just felt demoralizing.”
But he did not see this as a setback but more of a reason to get better. The best way to overcome these hardships is “not getting too down on yourself when you fail. Just getting back up.”
The work ethic needed to be a committed football player is hard. “You need, like, the mentality of going in and doing it,” said Finn, “even though you might not want to.”
With this hard work, he became more confident. “Sophomore year I started to just believe in myself, having the right mentality,” he said.
His confidence came from his hard work in both sports. “Swimming helps for conditioning, getting in the right shape and staying in shape and not just sitting there doing nothing for like eight months,” he said.
In football freshman year he became a lineman. His father said, “Players don’t necessarily choose to be linemen; linemen are chosen for them.”
It’s a position without glory. Linemen don’t score touchdowns. They create them. They protect. They push. They absorb.
“The hardest days make you see the most improvement,” said Finn Kennedy.
There was a time he wasn’t sure he even liked it. “I probably hated it at the start, but eventually I grew to love both sports.”
That mindset carries beyond the field.
“If you can and you really need it, get a study hall… set reminders and set a timer so you stay on track.”
