Wichita Northwest athlete Calvin Bell spoke with VYPE in a recent interview discussing his life.
VYPE: What are your personal goals for the year?
Some of my personal goals that I’ve had written down since the beginning of this year was to take state with the team, reach 3,000 subscribers on my YouTube channel by the end of the year, and be able to speak Vietnamese fluently by the end of the year.
VYPE: What is the most fun you have had in the last year?
The most fun I’ve had this year would definitely have to be going to North Carolina to go fish with my cousins. It was an awesome experience. We caught tons of fish over those few days.
VYPE: Who is your favorite teacher from any grade, and why?
My favorite teacher would have to be my video production teacher, Mr. Munro because he’s always inspiring ideas for my own channel. And he lets the students create the content that they want to create. He truly wants his students to succeed in whatever they want to do in life.
VYPE: What is your favorite athletic memory?
My favorite athletic memory for sure would be winning our first postseason game last year against Southeast. We went down a goal late in the first half and it was a major gut punch. And we already lost a city league title that was right in our hands the game before. But coach Clifton gave a good pep talk during halftime and we came out hungry. We were just peppering their goal and dominating the ball in their half. We just couldn’t score until there was 10 minutes left and Carlos pressed the keeper, and put the ball in the back of the net. We were pumped. So we just kept going, determined to finish the game before it went to penalties. Then with 10 seconds left in regulation, we got a corner. And Kristian rushed over to take it. He sent it in and the ball was bobbling around for a few second before it landed on Marty’s feet. And with the keeper in the goal, along with a few other Southeast players, he smacked it in with literally a second left in the game. It was insane; like something out of a movie. The crowd rushed onto the field and celebrated with us. I will forever miss that team. It makes me want to cry thinking about how good we were and how our season ended but that was for sure my favorite athletic memory. I remember I had a good game, and my grandma came too which made it that much better.
VYPE: What teammate has left the biggest impression on you and why?
There’s been so many teammates that have left a big impression on me, I can’t list just one or even any because I don’t want to leave any out. The seniors from last year were definitely some guys I looked up too though; from the fearlessness to the competitiveness and leadership. Our whole team was full of dogs. I’ve also played with a ton of talented players on my club teams that have taught me a ton.
VYPE: What is your favorite part of being on this team?
My favorite part of being on this team is just hanging out with them. During school, those are the guys I hang out with. The northwest soccer program with the coaches and players are really like a big family.
VYPE: You can pick any place for a summer vacation. Where do you go, and who do you take with you?
An ideal vacation for me would be going to Vietnam where my mom and her family is from, and just seeing what it’s like. I’d love to chill in Vietnam for a couple weeks.
VYPE: If we gave you $500 and you had to spend it in the next 24 hours, what would you spend it on?
If I got $500 and had to spend it in the next 24 hours, I’d go straight to Best Buy and buy a vlogging camera for my YouTube channel. That’d pretty much use up all the money.
VYPE: Are you involved in academic excellence activities such as the National Honor Society, Student Council, or other academic clubs?
An academic excellence activity I’m involved in is the ECA, which stands for the Early College Academy. This program allows me to earn free college credit while I’m still in high school.
