Athlete of the Issue: Dozier finds inspiration from family name

With three other brothers who play baseball and other sports, junior Kyle Dozier has grown up surrounded by competition—playing everything from backyard Wiffleball to varsity baseball at Saratoga High.

“My brothers and I would play sports all the time at home or at Congress Springs Park,” Dozier said. “They always kept throwing the baseball or football around or shooting a basketball and it’s helped me improve a lot throughout the years.”

Over the years, the Dozier brothers have participated in sports ranging from wrestling and basketball to football and baseball. The Dozier brothers first entered the school with oldest brother Trent, who graduated in 2008, and will leave with his youngest brother Quinn, who is currently in sixth grade.

Dozier has been a significant contributor to the varsity basketball and baseball teams since his freshman year. This fall season is his first on the varsity football as a receiver and quarterback.
“Being a freshman on varsity was fun but a very different experience,” Dozier said. “By playing out of my age, I got to meet a bunch of different upperclassmen and challenge myself.”

Dozier led the basketball team as a freshman with 27 steals and averaged 6.4 points per game. On the baseball diamond, he hit .306 and earned an All-League Honorable Mention Award while playing alongside his brother Bryce, who graduated in 2010.

Dozier did not stop dominating during his sophomore year either, as the JV football quarterback he won the De Anza League Offensive MVP Award and as the baseball team’s starting center fielder he received an All-League Second Team Award.

Dozier is faced with the common dilemma that accompanies playing three sports: a lack of time for other activities, including homework.

“Sometimes I just have to power through,” Dozier said. “But practices generally don’t run that late, so I usually have enough time.”

Even though the burden of homework and playing three sports a year is a daunting task for any high school junior, Dozier believes that all the work that he puts in is worth it.

“Sure, it may be a lot of work,” Dozier said. “But in the end, it’s all about having fun.”