Hayden Bayudan ’26 is a marketing major and point guard for Whitworth’s basketball team. Hayden shares about being a Pirate student-athlete and keeping his priorities in perspective!
“A highlight of my experience on the team would have to be during this past season. We traveled back to my home in Ewa Beach, Hawaii, and played two games down there. I scored my first points of the season, and it was also the first time my family had seen me play live since my two-foot surgery.
“Being a part of a team has allowed me to grow as a person and understand that there will be times when I must put my pride and ego aside for the greater good of our team. My overall reward for being a part of Whitworth Athletics is having a greater understanding of who I am as a person and that my relationship with God will always be where I find my identity rather than if I make a shot or not.
“A few people who have played a pivotal role in my experience here at Whitworth is Pastor Forrest [Buckner], Professor Martha Gady, and my therapists Sophie and Alessandra. Forrest has taught me through the course of my spiritual journey that my identity should be determined in Christ and not whether I am starting or not. … Professor Gady impacted me by pushing me in the classroom as well as always wanting the best for me and my future. … Sophie has helped me grow and face my fear of having performance anxiety. She has been a huge influence on why I have discovered a new love for the game of basketball.
“During the season, my last class would end at 1:45 p.m. From there, I would head to the fieldhouse as I would have a 30-minute workout with one of our coaches. This led to our practice that would usually go from 3-5. After practice, I would go to the gym and get a lift leading me into dinner. From then on, my nightly routine required me to take care of any academic work and self-care. I am balancing the commitment of first being a son of God, student, basketball player, boyfriend, and a great person to others overall.”
Worth a Look 