At Woodbridge High, many families have left long-standing legacies in the school’s athletic programs. In particular, the Brown and Oku family helped to shape the lacrosse and tennis teams into what they are today.
Senior and co-captain of the lacrosse team Ai Oku appreciates how her parents helped her find her true passions within Woodbridge High athletics. Her mom, Yuka Oku, has played a significant role in supporting Ai in her athletic endeavors. Graduating in 1996, Yuka Oku was also a student of Woodbridge High, playing on girls’ varsity tennis.
“[My parents have] encouraged me to try new things and that is also kind of why I did lacrosse. They also encouraged me to try tennis, and I did. Even though I tried it and didn’t like it, I still grew from it,” Oku said.
Senior Charlie Brown was also inspired to start playing lacrosse because of older members of his family. Both of his older brothers, who are now alumni, played lacrosse at Woodbridge High.
“My older brother actually inspired me to play my freshman year. And I was only planning on playing one year to play with both my older brothers, but then sophomore year, my friends [also] motivated me to keep playing,” Brown said.
As a two-sport athlete in lacrosse and basketball, Brown perseveres through the difficulties of not only balancing two different schedules but also battling with being compared to his older brothers. Nevertheless, he strives to create his own legacy even with accomplished siblings in the same sport. He also conveys how this experience has taught him to be a role model for his little brother, sophomore Phillip Brown, who also joined lacrosse in his freshman year.
“My teammates sometimes tell me how I’m not as good as my brothers, so it just motivates me to practice harder,” Brown said.
Despite these challenges, Brown encourages himself to use them to fuel his growth mindset and further persevere in his lacrosse journey.
Similarly, the Oku family’s journey through high school athletics is a story of perseverance and triumph in itself. For Yuka Oku, tennis was a passage for her daughter to excel and build community but also a lesson that a school community can be built in any sport, whether on the court or the turf.
“I wished for [Ai] to have the same incredible experience that I had, but what I learned from that is that it wasn’t going to be the same for [her], not only because the program is different but because [she is] not the same as me. I’m glad that [she] found the [sport and people] that [she] connected with,” Yuka Oku said.
Likewise, Yuka Oku also found herself immersed in the inviting community of Woodbridge High’s tennis team when she was a part of it. Though it has been a while since high school, she continues to reminisce on team bondings at the Woodbridge Center, away-game bus rides and even slumber parties. One of her most cherished memories of her time on varsity tennis was leading the team to win the Sea League Championship in 1995.
“It was awesome, and you can still see the banner in the gym. I always played competitive tennis, even after high school, but playing here was really a team experience. We were all so close, so it was really wonderful,” she said. Yuka Oku’s friendships with her former teammates continued well beyond their days on the tennis courts, something that she hopes will be the same for her daughter as she finishes her final lacrosse season.
Brown also comments on how his team camaraderie and his friends’ motivation are what encouraged him to keep playing lacrosse. Even after his brothers graduated high school and left the lacrosse program, he felt he still belonged to this team.
“I feel like I still have my teammates since my freshman year, and they helped me build up as a character. I like having them as my team,” Brown said.
With appreciation, Ai Oku described her transition from playing on the tennis team to the lacrosse team as a similar experience. She felt as if she had finally found family within the athletics program who she could rely on and support.
“I really like the team dynamic because I feel like we are all so much closer. It’s not solely on you to do everything. You have help, and you have support, which I didn’t feel in tennis because I felt like it was all on me,” Ai Oku said.
With Brown and Ai Oku’s last season in motion, they share similar goals to live out every moment on and off the lacrosse field.
“I hope I can be proud of all four years, do the best I can, and have fun. More than anything- more than winning, I hope I gain good memories for the last season because it’s been a long journey,” Ai Oku said.
Just as they have their parents and older siblings made known to them, the two also have an immense amount of gratitude for their growth as student-athletes and as people over the years. Whether a student plays lacrosse, tennis or any other sport, the experiences from high school athletics extend far beyond the four years they are here.
Even as an adult, Yuka Oku looks back on her high school tennis career, continuing to share special memories, supporting Ai Oku’s passion and encouraging her to make the most of her last season at Woodbridge High.
“I’m very happy with what Woodbridge has provided her in the last four years…As a mother, I am proud of her,” Yuka said.
As a testament to the Brown and Oku families’ dedication to the lacrosse and tennis programs, they approach their last season with hopes to continue furthering their family and personal legacies.
