At the center of the court, knees slightly bent, Liam Bakar (12) focuses his eyes upon the opposing team. The whistle blows, and the ball soars over the net. A tightly organized network of bodies move and leap with coordination and control. At the center of attention is the ball. Pass. Set. Slam. The ball touches the floor on the other side. Score.

Volleyball has been a central part of Liam’s identity since the beginning of his freshman year. He believes it has been key to helping him build skills not just in the game but in his social and academic life as well. 

“Everything relies heavily on your mental game,” Liam said. “I think if you have confidence and resilience, then you can succeed in any way.”

For Liam, keeping a positive mindset is his modus operandi. His outgoing and cheerful nature has secured him victories in all aspects of his life, from academics to sports. 

“School and volleyball are really the same thing … they’re parallel. When you’re down in volleyball, you have to keep on going, just like in your studies. I think now I’m doing an excellent job of balancing my three aspects of life: activities, social life and sleep,” he said.

Staying positive and resilient has allowed Liam to manage his academics and relationships while playing a varsity sport. Henry Wiese (12), Liam’s close companion and teammate, agrees that his fiery enthusiasm and sociability brings him closer to his team.

“Liam brings a lot of energy and competitiveness onto the volleyball team, and it spreads to other people. He’s better than he knows at interacting with other people and building rapport,” Henry said.

In volleyball, Liam sees himself as someone whose ability to lighten the mood brings energy and passion. Even when his team is down several points, he recognizes the importance of keeping a strong mindset. 

“When you’re falling behind and you make a joke, everyone smiles. I’ll bring the team together for a huddle. Sometimes you just need to reset – that’s how we stay in our ‘zone,’” Liam said.

Tiffany Zhao (12), one of Liam’s close friends, believes that the way Liam is invested in his relationships with others truly distinguishes him from his peers. 

“On my senior night, he went all out for me and my friends and made us all posters even though college applications were due … and he made sure to stay for the entire game,” Tiffany said.

Outside of school, Liam volunteers at Streetcode Academy, where he teaches computer programming to underprivileged children.

When Liam isn’t spending time playing volleyball, building relationships or teaching other students, he enjoys traveling.

“I’ll travel to big cities and if I have friends there I just try to put myself in their shoes. I try to socialize and explore the city from their point of view – I actually stay away from popular tourist spots,” Liam said.

In particular, traveling brings Liam closer to his relatives.

 “I actually visit Montreal quite a bit because my family lives there. The cool thing about Montreal for me is that I get to see other people who are super social, like me. I think it’s the Syrian culture. We always have these loud conversations over dinner about literally anything, and the neighbors have told us to be quieter a few times,” he said.

In the big picture, Liam wants to be remembered as someone who always lifts others up. He hopes his legacy to his community is not based on his achievements but rather on his ability to connect with others. 

“I’d like to be remembered as the type of person who makes other people laugh … and not just the person who was part of the team that won CCS in 2019,” Liam said.

Former assistant coach Alex Jones has enjoyed observing Liam’s gift for bringing levity and humor to any situation and watching him blossom over the years.

“Liam’s strength is that he is goofy and funny. [He] grew up and matured during our time together, and my advice to him is to continue enjoying his time,” he said.