The Nevada Sagebrush

Nevada junior Jeff Overbo became addicted to meth when he was 16 years old. After dropping out of high school and entering the wilderness program in Utah, Overbo turned to footbag and boxing to help him overcome his addiction. Photo by Tony Contini/Nevada Sagebrush

Life is full of hobbies and passions. For Junior Jeff Overbo, his passions helped change his life. Overbo, now 21 years old, became addicted to methamphetamine when he was 16. Since overcoming his addiction, Overbo found new life in footbag (also known as hacky sack) and boxing. What originally started as something to try, has become the very thing that keeps him from going back.

“I view footbag and boxing as the two main things that keep me away from doing meth again,” said Overbo, who fights for Nevada’s boxing team and has competed at national footbag tournaments.

But, just five years ago, Overbo’s life looked drastically different. After becoming addicted, Overbo dropped out of high school and saw his relationships with friends and family become endangered. College seemed out of reach. He cashed in his college savings to sell and use meth — he was a shell of his former self.

“Every time I saw my parents, they had tears in their eyes,” said Overbo, now a psychology major at the University of Nevada, Reno. “I was too blinded to notice what I was doing to them, to everyone and even myself. Within just six months of doing meth, I lost 55 pounds and was hardly recognizable. I was stealing anything I could get my hands on, even from my parents.”

The last straw came when Overbo was caught bringing drugs into an inpatient rehab center. Overbo’s parents sent Jeff to the Wilderness Program that summer in Utah where he spent 75 days. The program drops people off in the wild and works to help them overcome addictions.

Overbo and the others in the program learned how to build fires and help each other through some of the toughest times they would ever face. For Overbo’s parents Mike and Janis, it was one of the most difficult things they’ve ever been through as a family.

“Being away form him coupled with the thought that he felt like we did something bad to him, that was by far the hardest thing I have ever done,” Mike Overbo said. “We wondered if it would work; wondered if he would hate his parents for doing and putting him through that; wondering if he was OK; wondering if he was scared.”

The program was essential in helping him overcome his addiction — however it continues to be a battle for him to this day.

“I think the hardest part in overcoming meth was realizing that everything I believed in, especially my ‘friends’ during it was not exactly true,” Jeff Overbo said. “To this day, I still have flashbacks, although less and less frequently, that are still tough. I just push them out and continue on knowing that isn’t the life for me.”

Upon his completion of the program, Overbo looked for something to keep him active and to give him something to keep his mind off of drugs.

That activity was footbag.

IT’S NOT HACKY SACK

Overbo always liked playing footbag in high school.

Photo by Tony Contini

But, like most students, it was standing in a circle kicking a bean bag to one another. Overbo’s friend and footbag player Evan Gatesman showed him videos of tournaments when he was in high school and his perception changed.

This was not simply kicking the bag to each other. There were tricks, hundreds of screaming fans and championship trophies on the line.

The videos came as a shock to Overbo, who said the sport has a perception of being a “stoner sport.”  Overbo said it’s common for new players to be overwhelmed, especially when they first see videos of what competitions can really be like.

“Evan’s a great teacher,” Overbo said. “Whenever I go to Las Vegas, I play with him non-stop.”

Overbo immediately became hooked to the sport and looked to pursue it. He began playing in Las Vegas, joining a club with friends.

The first day he practiced with the club, then went home and practiced for four hours. There was just one hurdle — Overbo wasn’t expecting the physical toll.

“The next day was a school day and I could barely move,” Overbo said. “I almost had to lift my legs up.”

Still, he was hooked and there was no going back. Overbo entered his first World Championships in Orlando, Fla., at the age of 17 and didn’t make it out of the first round.

“I did terrible,” Overbo said. “I was so nervous I could barely make three contacts in a row. All of the fans and the other players made it very hard to concentrate.”

In footbag competitions, athletes are judged for things such as the number of toe stalls. In Big 3 events, judges will call out a combination of three tricks and players have three attempts to complete it.

Overbo said he is probably one of the top-10 players in the U.S., but still dreams bigger. He is aiming for top-10 in the world.

He’ll get another shot to take a step toward that goal when he competes next month at a tournament in Illinois.

FINDING A SECOND SPORT

After making big strides in footbag, Overbo looked for a new challenge. He found Nevada’s boxing club.

Overbo tried boxing when he was younger but lacked the funds to continue.

Once he got to Nevada, joining was a no-brainer as he began to thrive on the physical training and the rush of winning a fight.

“What keeps the fire going is winning my fights, the crowd at the Eldorado during the season is amazing,” Overbo said. “Everyone wants to shake your hand after you win a fight. It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”

He missed regionals last season because he had only two fights under his belt. This season, he has his eyes set on a national championship .

Though boxing and footbag may not seem like the two most common sports to go together, the fact that Overbo has taken it so seriously hasn’t come as a surprise.

Overbo practices four to six hours a day, six days a week and adds in a run after.

“Jeff is the sort of individual that once he tries something and enjoys it, he puts 110 percent in it,” his father said.

The boxing club is hoping that Overbo can help replace former team member Ryan Kotey, who was a two-time national champion during his career with the Wolf Pack.

Overbo said Kotey helped him last season, sparring and giving him tips on how to become a better fighter.

With a 3-0 record this season, it appears to be paying off.

“He’s the heart of the team right now,” Kotey said. “He’s working the hardest.”

Overbo is hoping his fights are a good omen. Kotey thinks a national championship is  within reach.

“Working with him, he takes all the training above and beyond everyone else,” Kotey said. “He’s in great shape and will come at you for the entire fight.”

Overbo’s next fight is scheduled for Feb. 4.

Lukas Eggen can be reached at leggen@nevadasagebrush.com.

Related Posts:

• Column: Two Nevada boxers win national titles, go unnoticed
• Boxing robots rock and sock ‘em in ‘Real Steel’
• Swinging away: Gennaro prepares to take next step in boxing
• Sports briefs
• Photo gallery: Week in photos from Feb. 24 – March 3