Message:
Ida grad eager to incorporate athletic success into real life
IDA: To be a star player on a small-town high school football team that is on a winning streak is a thrill few can understand.
Tim Berta is one of the few. He was an All-Region wide receiver and defensive back for the Ida Blue Streaks this fall, and almost everywhere he went people gave him encouragement. "It seemed like every time I went into the Independent Dairy or the Blue Streak store someone would say ‘go get 'em' or ‘keep at 'em,' " he recalled. "It was pretty cool." That type of adulation might inflate the ego of some athletes. Although he enjoyed the recognition, Tim's feet remained firmly on the ground. And his life goals remain unchanged: He wants to be either a psychologist or an anesthesiologist. The success Tim showed on the field also found its way into the classroom. The 2003 IHS graduate was eighth overall in his class and will enroll at Bluffton College in Ohio this fall to continue his education. Sure professional sports would be great if the opportunity arises. But Tim is not counting on it. So the son of Robert and Karen Berta has a career plan in either therapy or medicine. "I've always been interested in how the mind works and how people think," he said in his home before he rushed off to practice for Friday's All-Star game. "I've always wanted to do something in the medical field, to help people." He already has begun. In high school, Tim was a DARE role model and a member of Hazards of Tobacco (HOT). He often taught younger students about the dangers of tobacco and drugs. "The kids were fun to work with," he said. "They listened." Tim's interests in school were many. He belonged to Youth in Government, student council and National Honor Society and participated in the Science Olympiad. He even coached his younger sister in intramural basketball. But the competition of sports is what really fires him up. As a youngster, Tim not only wanted to participate in sports, he wanted to succeed. "Ever since I was a little kid my goal was to make All-Region," he said. "I love playing sports." He reached his goal and more. He was named All-Region in football and baseball, his two favorites. He also was named the 2002-03 Jess Fanning Most Valuable Male Athlete at Ida, an honor he is proud of. Tim also was a starting forward for the Blue Streaks' basketball team. But something happened to Tim between his junior and senior years, something that he just might carry with him the rest of his life. In 2001-02, the football team went 2-7 and Tim took it hard. But instead of moping, he decided to do something about it. That summer before his senior year, Tim worked at it. He hit the weight room and he attended camps. He made it a priority to improve his skills. And he hoped that desire to succeed would rub off on his teammates. Then his senior season arrived, and the team won its first three games. "We started out 3-0 and were on top of the world," he said. "It was outstanding." Although the team just missed the playoffs and finished 5-4, it was a huge improvement. And in the process he proved to himself that anything can be achieved with the right work ethic. "If you believe in something, you have to get off your butt and work at it," he said. "Hard work will help you in anything like sports or work or school. Those lessons can be interchangeable." The desire to succeed will follow him to Bluffton where he plans to play football for the Division III Beavers and continue practicing that work ethic in the classroom. Although athletics was exciting and brought him notoriety, Tim has learned something very important from sports. "If you put the work into it, " he said, "it will pay off."
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