Theodore Mleczkowski is a team player. Co-captain of Bayside High School’s boys’ handball team, the sophomore doesn’t rely on flash or individual stats to gain attention. He and his teammates share responsibility equally and anyone of them has the capacity to step up and take control.
“Whether you’re the captain or not, you have to put in the work,” said the Maspeth resident. “That goes without saying.”
That is why he found it exceedingly odd to square off against his teammate, Daniel Pazanin, in the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) Boys Singles Individual Championship. Both stars of the court made short work of their opponents leading up to the finals – but when the time came, Mleczkowski took over.
In the finals, his electricity was put on display. With a nasty low serve and power kills, he had Pazanin unable to stop the attack. Even with the high emotions on the court, the teammates high-fived each other every chance they got. And in the end, they embraced at center court as Mleczkowski defeated Pazanin, 21-9.
That act of sportsmanship displayed by both competitors is something that Mleczkowski feels is of the utmost importance on the handball court. But that doesn’t mean he likes losing. He recalled a match when an opponent of his erased a large deficit – Mleczkowski used it as motivation to win the match.
“Losing makes me angry, but it’s motivation and anger for a reason,” he said. “It helps me to perform and play a lot better.”
Taking a look at his exceptional stats, one comes to the conclusion that Mleczkowski has a lot of motivation. During his first year in high school on the school’s handball team, he managed to earn a starter’s position. As the only freshmen starter, Theodore competed in PSAL matches and tournaments as 2nd singles in 2010. At the end of the successful season, his coach rewarded Theodore with the MVP award.
His success continued this past season, as the Bayside Commodores posted an 11-1 record and lost in the city championship to Midwood High School. Coming in second is not something that Mleczkowski enjoys, but he knows that it is just the way things work out sometimes. And examining the way things work has always held an interest for him.
“I want to study engineering. I love to learn about the way things work and what goes into building and why things work the way they do,” he said. “Why and how materials work together is something that has always interested me.”
Mleczkowski wants to figure out what makes complicated machinery tick – to do that, he knows that it’s important to step back and take stock. That is why he has his sights set on potentially leaving home for college.
“It’s probably beneficial because if you go away you’ll learn more street smarts,” he said. “You have to depend on yourself in the adult world and it’s good to practice that in college. It’s all about self reliance.”
But kids can start practicing self reliance well before they shove off to college, according to Mleczkowski. He believes simply getting outdoors and surrounding oneself with different people can do wonders both mentally and physically.
“Staying inside and not enjoying the outdoors can isolate you – both physically and mentally,” he said. “When you go outside, you meet new people and experience different things. Physical activity keeps your body in shape and your mind in shape as well.”
