The most popular sports students play at NVD include volleyball, basketball, soccer, and others. Student athletes are commonly seen throughout the school hallways, especially those wearing the NVD logo with their sport’s name attached. However, not all student-athletes are seen in action during NVD practices or games. Many are outside in their own private environments, away from NVD sports, unaffiliated with the high school teams. Three eleventh-grade students at NVD participate in relatively uncommon sports.

Lucas Nikolov, a rower for Nereid Boat Club, who decided to pursue competitive rowing, explains what he is involved in as an eleventh grader at NVD. Rowers for the Nereid Boat Club are usually spotted rowing in rivers, mainly the Passaic River.

“We race boats down bodies of water against other teams,” Nikolov said.

What inspired him to join this physically demanding, full-body workout sport that utilizes legs, core, and arms? Perhaps a fellow student who may have exposed him to this history-rich sport featured in the Olympics. 

“A former rower who was an NVD senior while I was a freshman, Luca Goetzke, introduced me to the sport, and I switched from cross country to rowing full-time,” said Nikolov.

Nikolov has committed to this sport as much as a D1 athlete in college. As he has managed to accomplish many feats in his three years of training and competing. 

“Placed 10th at Nationals, 18th at the Head of the Charles Regatta (largest international regatta in the world, shown above), rated one of the top American performances in our event (men’s youth coxed four, m4+) by rowingbythenumbers [Instagram],” said Nikolov.  

He not only has multiple merits under his belt, but he also plans to include competitive rowing in his future, aiming to see himself advancing further. Making competitive rowing a consistent part of his life, especially in college.

“I plan on being recruited and playing the sport in college, as I would love to be able to row for one of the top teams/universities in the country and to win IRAs, the most competitive college race,” said Nikolov.

Transferring from water to land, Jaela Adams and Remi Andreatos explain their mainland sports. Both eleventh graders are on land together, but are on very different spectrums of athletics. One represents an artistic form of self-expression on a dance floor, and another being high-speed twists and turns on the pavement.

Adams is involved in a rather more unconventional form of dance. Including a mix of dance, gymnastics, and juggling while being in a highly competitive environment of art and show of talent. 

“The sport I participate in is called baton twirling. This sport is a combination of dance, such as jazz and ballet, and using the baton to do tricks,” said Adams. 

Seeing herself participating in the future, similarly to Nikolov, full of hope, accomplishments, and commitment. 

“I plan on continuing after high school because baton twirling is a sport I really enjoy doing in my free time. The end goal for me in this sport is to win a scholarship and to continue in college,” said Adams.

Andreatos, last to be introduced, but first on the track, achieved pole positions at NJMP and maintaining top 10 during the entirety of QCMP in 2025. 

So what does Andreatos participate in on the race track?

“I participate mainly in kart racing at the moment. Racing against drivers around the world,” said Andreatos. 

With racing and karting, one’s future changes more unconventionally: upgrades from a kart to race cars and from karting to Formula 4 (F4), Formula Ford, sports cars, rally, or sim racing. Andreatos already has his own plan in mind. 

“I plan to exit kart racing and participate in open-wheel cars currently and hopefully continue after high school. My end goal is to be a national champion/world champion,” said Andreatos. 

With sports like these being less popular, more uncommon, and even harder to get involved in comes certain stigmas and assumptions. Both Nikolov and Andreatos have their own opinions on what they wish could change. 

 “I wish I could make it more easily accessible and wallet-friendly,” said Andreatos. 

Andreatos shares his wish for change in the system of motorsports, addressing the prices and opportunities. Nikolov hopes to alter the opinion of the common person who don’t watch rowing.

“People think that it’s all arms and you’re pushing in a bench press motion like in a rowboat, when in reality you are pulling with your body and pushing with your legs the same way you do on a rowing machine,” said Nikolov.