by TOMMY LI
SECTION EDITOR
Being a student-athlete at Chadwick is no easy task. Balancing academics and athletics can make for long days and long nights. Some students, however, choose to take it up a notch and embrace two sports at once. Enter junior Nathan Castro, baseball player and promising hip-hop dancer.
While the Chadwick baseball team faced fierce competition this season, Castro was a shining light. As a shortstop and pitcher, Castro had a .396 batting average, including 21 hits, 6 doubles, a home run, 4 runs batted in, and 13 stolen bases. He compiled an excellent earned-run average of 3.13 on the mound, striking out 52 batters. Baseball has resonated with Castro for a long time. “My parents put me in roughly 10 sports from [ages] 3 to 5, and baseball kind of just stuck with me,” he said.
A big reason baseball has always appealed to Castro is because of the opportunities to fail, which he believes gives him a chance to grow. “I think it [my favorite part of baseball] is kind of counterintuitive, with the amount of failure,” Castro said. “It makes you work harder. Professional baseball players spend so long perfecting their swing, perfecting how they field a ground ball, perfecting their form, but they still fail so many times. I think that’s appealing to me because you have to work hard for what you get.”
Like many others, Castro’s lowest point came during the pandemic. “I was super-burnt-out, I mean, I just played every day, and I got numb to playing baseball. That was a really low point in my career. I was just playing by myself, and I was kind of bad,” he explains.
In the eyes of Chadwick baseball Coach Zak Krislok, a high point in Castro’s career so far came during a game at the end of his sophomore season. “On Senior Day last year, he hit a home run against Rio Hondo Prep after we had just given up a home run to lose the lead, and then the next inning he hit a home run to put us ahead.”
On the field, Castro’s demeanor and leadership are greatly appreciated. “He’s a very fine person,” adds Krislok. “He’s very caring toward his teammates, and very respectful to his coaches. He always puts the team first, even though he’s a great individual player. He’s more concerned about the team’s accomplishments.”
Castro’s twin passion is hip-hop dance, and his talent in that field is undeniable. Hip-hop dance is a vibrant and dynamic style that combines elements of street dance with choreographed routines. It involves a variety of moves, including locking, popping, and freestyle. The dance emphasizes rhythm, athleticism, creativity, and personal expression.
Castro discovered dance during his period of burnout from baseball, transitioning his passion and revitalizing his athleticism. With no experience other than the workshop he attended a few days prior, Castro secured a spot on the team at Kindreds, a dance company in Carson. Castro’s style of dance is inspired by icons such as Shigeto Nakano, Devin Pornel, and Kirsten Dodgen.
During the 2023-24 dance season, Castro has won three tournaments, was voted the most passionate among his cohort last season, and finished runner-up for the title of “Mr. Streetdance” at MDDT Streetdance USA. “Dance has put me in communities and experiences I would never have done before,” he said. “There are so many different types of people you meet since anyone can dance. Anytime I go to a high school competition or [to watch] a collegiate competition, I always meet someone different.”
Added Castro: “I want to pursue dance in college, not academically but as a club. The biggest goal, I’d say, is being a backup dancer for a big musical artist on a big stage.”
The Mainsheet 