Brayden Appel

Aiden Bermudez, sophomore tight end, runs down the field during a junior varsity football game against Lake Mary on August 28.

Sophomore Aiden Bermudez is hard to miss at Oviedo High School. Between football, wrestling and band, the No. 23 varsity football tight end and No. 3 junior varsity football tight end has filled his schedule with activities that demand both physical toughness and focus.

Bermudez splits his time between the football field and the band room, where he plays tenor saxophone in the school’s concert band. Unlike his classmates who participate in marching band, he sticks strictly to the concert stage, a choice that allows him to continue with music while competing in athletics year-round.

“You know, it’s not really about the people, I just really like playing music,” Bermudez said.

He has been involved in music since middle school, spending three years on tenor saxophone and two years in orchestra playing upright bass. Although he skipped band last year to focus on football, he said coming back was easier than expected.

“I thought it would get weird, like, mixed up with football,” Bermudez said. “But this year I just tried it, and it’s really not so bad.”

Football, however, has been at the center of his life for much longer. Bermudez played five years of Pop Warner before high school and said his father’s influence brought him to Oviedo.

“Originally, I was zoned for East River, but my dad didn’t want me playing for their team,” Bermudez said. “I used to play Pop Warner, I did for five years, and that’s why he put me in Oviedo, because it was a better program and stuff.”

Now, Bermudez juggles responsibilities on both JV and varsity, often preparing for two games in a single week.

“I think it’s definitely harder, you know, even sometimes on game day for JV, I’m also practicing for varsity,” he said.

When football ends, Bermudez’s calendar doesn’t slow down. He wrestles during the winter season and participates in 7-on-7 football in the spring. Despite only a year of wrestling experience, he quickly found success.

“I’ve only done wrestling for a year and in JV I went 13-1 from my matches,” he said. “I did get moved up to varsity for one tournament and went 2-1.”

Bermudez said each sport has shaped him in different ways.

“Football mostly shaped me into the person I am, which is very humble, a leader, team player, and very competitive and just made me love sports in general,” he said. “Wrestling has taught me to have more self-confidence, mental toughness and discipline because it is an individual sport. All of these [are] qualities that sports have done for me.”

While sports and band can be a difficult mix, Bermudez said he has learned how to manage his time and responsibilities.

“I would tell [other students] to focus on certain things at one time and believe in yourself that you can manage everything and hold yourself responsible,” Bermudez said. “And also if struggling, it’s never bad to ask for help.”

His commitment hasn’t gone unnoticed by his friends and teammates.

Javier Winston, a sophomore on both the JV and varsity football teams, said Bermudez is a reliable player when the team needs him most.

“Whenever we’re need[ing] points, he’s usually the guy that, you know, he’ll get the points,” Winston said. “He’s a good guy and a good player too.”

Jacob Boyd, a sophomore linebacker on the JV team, said he has known Bermudez since their Pop Warner days.

“He’s a kind-hearted person,” Boyd said.

Boyd said he has seen firsthand how much work Bermudez puts into balancing his sports and music.

“He works hard because I know he wrestles too,” Boyd said. “If he’s balancing band, football and wrestling, that’s… a lot.”

For Bermudez the heavy schedule hasn’t stopped him from pursuing the things he loves. Whether on the football field, wrestling mat or concert stage, he continues to push himself in different arenas while finding balance as a student athlete and as a musician.