Ella Wolter-Sanchez is an ASU Cronkite School of Journalism student assigned to cover Arcadia High School for AZPreps365.com.

Whether you are an Arcadia sports fan, student, or staff member, Phoenix Jose’s impact is felt by the entire community. 

Jose uses a wheelchair due to his cerebral palsy, but doesn’t let that get in the way of his love for sports. He has consistently given back to Arcadia sports in every way he can, whether it is taking stats, or just showing up on hard days. 

“He has had the heart and soul and determination of an athlete since he was born,” said Jose's mother, Robyn Broyles. “I think it’s the reason he has been able to overcome all of the surgeries and complications he has had.” 

All throughout his academic career, Jose has had mentors who involved him in sports in any way they could – an effort that shined once he reached Arcadia High School. 

At Arcadia, Jose’s love of sports fostered into a statistician role with the football and basketball teams. Jose would be on the sidelines at all of the games he could, using MaxPreps to record his stats in collaboration with Arcadia coaches. 

Even after graduation from Arcadia, Jose continued to give back to the school and changed his statistician role into a more player-development focused role. 

Jose boosted player development through social media, volunteer work, and career enhancement tactics – all concepts he planned on his own. To give players an outlet to display their work for college scouts, Jose started a website, phoenixjose.com. There, players can display their stats, film and whatever they wanted to show to college scouts. 

To boost player morale, Jose started “Monday Mindset” challenges on social media, encouraging players and coaches to reflect each week with different prompts. 

“Those challenges and things were for the players, but also so that team chemistry could be boosted,” Jose said. 

That chemistry shined in his volunteer project he had the Arcadia football team participate in, where more than 40 players came together to give back at Feed My Starving Children – and to support Phoenix.

Arcadia football team with Jose at Feed My Starving Children. (Photo courtesy of Phoenix Jose)

“I think Arcadia knows I will always show up, I will always be there, I’m kind of the morale guy, I kept things together,” Jose said. “I feel like everyone loves me.” 

Above all, Jose’s most important role in player development was being a consistent face on the sideline for all of the games he could attend, despite constant surgeries and the unknown. 

“He was at all of our games, he would come in before the game, he would come in at halftime, all of the kids know Phoenix,” said Arcadia football head coach B.J Pasquel.  “He is a motivating factor in our program. He’s had to overcome a lot in his life and I think our kids appreciate that.” 

While Phoenix’s commitment to sports and Arcadia High School is a major driving factor to his projects, it wouldn’t have been made possible without the support from coaches over the years.  

“I think it would have been hard if there were coaches that didn’t welcome him, but all of the coaches at Arcadia had a great heart,” Broyles said. 

Now, Phoenix is pursuing his goals to a higher level, and attending Arizona State University in the fall of 2026 with plans to major in sports psychology and business. 

“When you think about college athletes and all that they have to go through – maybe they are having trouble, maybe they are missing their families, all of these things,” said Broyles. “Phoenix understands troubles, and would be the perfect person for athletes to talk to.”