Season Interrupted: Volleyball star Dain Johnson looks to the future

Throughout the spring, The Times will interview high school seniors whose athletic careers were cut short by the coronavirus outbreak.

Name: Dain Johnson

School: Manhattan Beach Mira Costa

Sport: Volleyball

Key stats: 6-foot-7 middle blocker was key player for No. 1 ranked team in Southern Section Division 1.

Fall plans: Will attend UC Santa Barbara

High School Sports

Season Interrupted: Snapshots of high school seasons cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic

A look at the high school sport standouts whose seasons were cut short by the coronavirus outbreak.

April 11, 2020

On the cancellation of the season:
“It was and still is a big bummer. There’s frustration knowing you were that close to getting to the places you wanted to be as a team but having it drop out from under your feet was painful and still stings. At this point I’m trying to use it as fuel going into the future.�

On beach volleyball courts being closed:
“I saw some videos of the department of beach and harbor guys cutting down the nets. That’s just salt in the wound.�

On life without sports:
“It’s a pain. It really sucks. It’s kind of frustrating because it’s great having that routine. The closest thing I can get is watching that Michael Jordan documentary. It’s trying to find motivation every day.�

How he stays in shape:
“I’ve been getting workouts from UC Santa Barbara. I’ve been doing workouts with my dad. I’ve been playing a lot of ping-pong and getting my butt kicked by my dad. That’s been good teaching me how to lose.�

On the new things discovered with free time:
“I’ve played bass guitar since middle school and as volleyball has taken up more of my time, I’ve taken a break. With all this free time, I’ve found time for bass guitar.�

How the sports stoppage has changed him:
“It’s taught me to appreciate what I had. It showed anything you have and anything you’ve worked for can go away, so you have to appreciate what you have when you have it.�

Where he sees himself in 10 years:
“I’m looking to major in political science. I really would like to work for the State Department or foreign service. During this break, it’s given me time to compile places to go on the bucket list.�

And what is his travel bucket list?
“I’m really interested in anthropology and ancient history. If I could go anywhere, I’d go to Greece or Roman sites.�

Video interviews of each athlete can be found at latimes.com/sports/highschool.