HARTLAND, Wis. — Max Rebella participates in alpine skiing and pole vaulting for Arrowhead High School. He said the adrenaline-inducing sports have something in common.
“They’re quick. You don’t have time to think and that’s where repetition and practice come in,” said Rebella.
And Rebella puts in the reps. His track coach expects it to pay off with a top-three finish in the pole vault at state this year.
“Without any exaggeration, when he was four years old, five years old coming to our camp, we would talk as coaches, and we couldn’t wait until he got to high school. We see what he does, and we’re not surprised,” said Chris Harriot, Arrowhead head track coach.
The word grit has been used a few times to describe Rebella, who owns the school’s indoor vault record.
“His willingness to embrace the grind, what it takes to be excellent, whether it’s in track or whether it’s at skiing, or whether it’s at academics,” said Todd Reineking, Arrowhead head ski coach and guidance counselor. “He’s willing to commit to the work that goes into it behind the scenes. Most people see this shiny, smart, fast, athletic kid, but they don’t realize the years that went into that preparation.”
Rebella also played football in high school but decided against going out in the sport as a senior.
“That was a hard decision on my part, but it has helped me make time to pursue excellence in my other two sports,” said Rebella.
He’s also a straight-A student. One of his teachers was impressed by Rebella’s ability to stay on task during an open-study period.
“I’ve seen him sit there and concentrate while chaos was going on around him because he’s just so responsible and wants to make sure he gets all his work done,” said Beth Desrosiers, Arrowhead social studies teacher.
Rebella is co-president of a group that records and preserves stories from veterans called SAVE - Survivor and Veterans Stories. He said one veteran’s story stood out to him.
“He was an Iwo Jima World War II veteran. Just hearing his stories, how he started, like all of us, as a high school student and accomplished some great things,” said Rebella.
Rebella said he hopes to accomplish great things. He’s undecided on which school he’ll attend next year, but plans to continue pole vaulting in college while studying mechanical engineering.
“He’s not afraid to fall, not just in skiing or track or anything else. He’s not afraid to challenge himself, knowing that he’s going to break that ceiling,” explained Reineking.
There’s no doubt Rebella’s grit and determination to succeed could take him a long way.