From being a student by day to athlete by night, star basketball and football player Hebreux Jeantine takes center stage. While on his high school journey he navigates the world one step at a time through sports.
From the start, Jeantine knew that he wanted to do something interesting in highschool. His sports journey began when he was a freshman. A friend from elementary school was playing football for Henry Snyder High School and invited him to come to tryouts. He excelled in tryouts and quickly started to play football making him one of the best players.
“I only started playing because my friend Abraham was playing and he suggested I play,” said Jeantine. “He thought I would be good at it and when I picked up football I immediately knew this is what I wanted to do with my high school career.”
Due to his work ethic, practice, and determination, Jeantine is known throughout all of Jersey City. While football is where he excels, he also plays basketball for UACHS during the winter sports season. As of recently, he was ranked number 10 in all of Hudson County for having the most rebounds in the current season.
Being a highschool athlete is never easy. Conditioning for treacherous hours and having to come home late every day can put a toll on the average person, but not Jeantine. He sees every practice as a way to get better as a person.
“I always see practice as a way to prove to myself that I got it,” said Jeantine. “Playing and losing keeps me humble as a person to let me know that I am human at the end of the day.”
Jeantine, who is of Haitian descent does not have the best support system at home. However, he does not allow this minor inconvenience to get him down. He does not feel that absence because he sees the best in himself and his teammates because at the end of the day, they are his family and support system.
“My parents are not as supportive of me playing sports, they just tell me not to get hurt,” said Jeantine. “However, my teammates make me believe that I can be something in this world whether it is getting D1 offers or getting scholarships; more than someone that would be on the streets doing drugs and that means a lot to me.”
As the season progresses, all he can do is continue to be determined, stay humble, and focused. With the end of the basketball season now nearing, and the start of football coming, Jeantine and his teams will continue to play hard and hopefully achieve their goals.
