Sports Sprout, Issue #4

Issue #3 May 2015 Page 1

Sports Sprout

H.S. Sports Magazine

ISSUE 4

June 2015

Sports Sprout H.S. Sports Interviews’ Magazine

“Outstanding always stands out.

Sports Sprout helps to recognize your

outstanding achievements, so that

everyone can see it from far off.”

www.sportssprout.com

Page 2 May 2015 Issue #3

Sports Sprout


The West

Arizona

Colorado

Idaho

Montana

Nevada

New Mexico

Utah

Wyoming

Alaska

California

Hawaii

Oregon

Washington

The Midwest

Illinois

Indiana

Michigan

Ohio

Wisconsin

Iowa

Kansas

Minnesota

Missouri

Nebraska

North Dakota

South Dakota

The South

Delaware

Florida

Georgia

Maryland

North Carolina

South Carolina

Virginia

Washington D.C.

West Virginia

Alabama

Kentucky

Mississippi

Tennessee

Arkansas

Louisiana

Oklahoma

Texas

The Northeast

Connecticut

Maine

Massachusetts

New Hampshire

Rhode Island

Vermont

New Jersey

New York

Pennsylvania

We interview prominent and accomplished H.S. athletes playing in the most participated sports

in the nation from four different geographical regions identified by the U.S. Census Bureau Re-

gions and Divisions, including the West, the Midwest, the South and the Northeast. A pool of

selected H.S. athletes representing each sport and each geographical region go through an inter-

viewing process to be published in the future “Sports Sprout” sports magazine’s editions. Please,

refer to the U.S. map above identifying the States that make each region.


Sports Sprout


MONTHLY LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Dear reader,

I hope your summer has gotten off to a

great start. We are excited to bring you

our latest issue of

Sports Sprout and

want you to be

able to keep your

competitive edge

over the offseason.

This issue if filled

with interviews that will inspire you to

keep working on your craft and become

greater athletes.

Our staff would like to give a big thanks

to all the coaches and athletic directors

who have been a tremendous help in

our search for the best athletes in the

nation. I would also like to congratulate

all of the athletes we have interviewed

and will be publishing over the summer

for their success on the field.

As the summer continues to heat up,

we hope that everyone gets some much

needed rest and relaxation while coming

closer to accomplishing their goals for

the upcoming seasons.

We hope you enjoy yet another issue of

Sports Sprout and please be sure to like

us on Facebook and follow us on Twit-

ter.

Thanks,

Spencer Eicher

Sports Sprout is the owner of all the magazine’s interviews, graphics and photos. The

magazine’s contents may be used for personal use only, provided that no modifications

are made and it is not published in any media. Any use other than set forth above, without

prior written permission of Sports Sprout, is strictly prohibited.


Sports Sprout


Marisa Gonzalez

Nominated Athlete

Kaylee Jerman

Northeast

Amanda Beaton

Midwest

Maria Esch

South

Audrey Blake

West

6 12 16 20

Carmella Jones

Nominated Athlete

Delaney Arbor

Northeast

Jericha Hawkins

Midwest

Ogechi Anyagaligbo

South

Milana Kazmer

West

28 32 36 40 44

Henry Martin

Nominated Athlete

Ed Miller

Midwest

Marvin Hayes

South

Payton Pritchard

West

58 62 68

Jamie Kutey

Nominated Athlete

Danielle Brinckman

Northeast

Courtney Hodge

Midwest

Macey Tranter

South

Georgia Kingman

West

72 76 80 84 88

Volleyball

Girl’s B

asketb

all

Boy’s

Basketb

all

Girl’s S

occer

Guilien Smith

Northeast

TABLE OF CONTENTS

24

48 52


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Boy’s

Soccer

Girl’s

Tra

ck / X

C

Boy’s

Tra

ck / X

C

Footb

all

Thomas Bartlett

Nominated Athlete

Alex Price

Northeast

Christopher Brennan

Midwest

Louie Aponte

South

Homero Morales

West

92 96 100 104 108

Cayla Nikodemus

Nominated Athlete

Crosby Spiess

Northeast

Nia Powdrell

West

112 116 124 130

Austin Laut

Nominated Athlete

Austin Corley

Midwest

Aidan Kirwan

West

134 138 148 152

Jeff Terrell

Nominated Athlete

Darius Goodwin

Northeast

Samuel Jordan

South

Travis Lockhart

West

158 166 170 176

Sandra Brown

Midwest

Makyla Stanley

South

Nick Cionci

Northeast

Domonique Lewis

South

Carter Linton

Midwest

120

144

162


Sports Sprout


Kaylee Jerman

Granby Memorial HS

Granby, CT

Coach Dave Sprowson


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Editor: How did you first get interested

in playing volleyball?

Kaylee: Before volleyball soccer had

been my sport. I had played since I was in

kindergarten and thought that was what I was

going to play in high school, but when we got

to our volleyball unit in gym class I changed

my mind.

Editor: What would be your ultimate

achievement in volleyball? Why?

Kaylee: If you’re referring to personal

accolades then I would have to say that

receiving the tournament MVP after our

state finals game was my ultimate

achievement; however I am most proud

of my team. Our starting line up consist-

ed of 7 seniors who had worked tirelessly

in the offseason to come back better than

ever. Our ability to pick each other up

when we were upset, to leave any differ-

ences we had on and off the court is my

ultimate achievement. Coaches from oth-

er sports would send their teams to

watch us so that they could see what it

was like to play as a team. We were al-

ways on the same wavelength and every

girl on the team was playing for the girl

standing next to her. Individual achieve-

ments can be rewarded regardless of

whom you play for, but the camaraderie

and selflessness of the Granby volleyball

team is unparalleled.

Editor: What are your favorite kind of

drills that help increase your reaching

range? How much do you think these

drills have improved your overall

game?

Kaylee: Being 5”5 and a half, increas-

ing my reach and my vertical was always

something that was at the forefront of my

mind. Lucky for me my coach is an expert

at plyo drills. A huge part of volleyball is

your ability to jump, so almost every

practice we were doing some sort of

jumping conditioning. Favorite is an odd

word to describe these drills because no-

body ever liked them, but who ever really

likes conditioning? This year our coach

was able to

get jumping

boxes, which

he would line

up against the

wall in de-

scending

height and

have us jump

on all of

them. One of

the hardest

drills was sort

of like moun-

tain climbers,

you had one

foot on the

ground and

one on the top of the box and you had to

use that to thrust yourself up and switch

legs. It’s extremely difficult and takes a

lot of balance, but I’ve found that and

jump squats are the most beneficial to my

vertical.

Editor: Describe your best game ever.

How did it feel? What factors might

have contributed to it?

Kaylee Jerman—Northeast

Sports Sprout



Kaylee: My best game ever was

against our rivals Avon. It was our confer-

ence final. We only lost six sets this year

and 3 of those were to Avon. We came

into that game so fired up, and showed in

our stats. 13 aces, 52 kills, 87 digs, all in

only 4 games. Our serve receive was ag-

gressive an accurate, and my middles

were running plays perfectly to draw at-

tention away from our lethal outsides and

right side. Avon has a 6”4 right side, and

we were serving it so that their setter

was unable to get the ball to her. No ball

was hitting the ground without a body

along with it. At the end of the game we

were conference champions, the first time

anybody besides the powerhouse Coven-

try had won the NCCC championship in

volleyball. This became our stepping-

stone into the state tournament, giving us

the confidence to make the dominant run

that we did.

Editor: If you select 1-2 things that you

believe differentiates you from other

high school volleyball players, what

would they be? Why?

Kaylee: Ever since I started playing

volleyball all I wanted was to know more

about the game. I’m one of the most

knowledgeable players when it comes to

this game. I know how to run three differ-

ent defenses, can set every play on the

net, and am able to read the defense of

teams that we play. It was always my job

to scout other teams. I would go online,

look for video, and figure out to the type

of defense they run. Most defenses run

rotational, which means the hole is in the

middle, the one spot, and the five spot

(depending on how much they rotate). I

also know what type of offense goes up

best against each defense, and am able to

make these adjustments in the game. But

this doesn’t mean that I know everything.

I believe the thing that sets me apart the

most is my coachability. I’m aware that

there is much that I don’t know, and I try

to soak up everything new coaches tell

me. I aspire to be a coach one day, and if

I want to be a good one I have to listen

and be coached by different styles.

Editor: What helps you to

focus when preparing

for a game? How are

you able to stay in

your zone while play-

ing?

Kaylee: For me, being

prepared for a game

means you know who

you’re playing. I would

go on Maxpreps and

look at the stats of the

players to determine

whether they were a middle oriented

team or an outside team. I could also

determine whether they ran a 5-1 or a

6-2, giving away their rotation because

that means the setter would set from

the front row. Even if I couldn’t find

any video on the team it just helped

to see their stats and imagine what

type of team they are. Once I’m on

the court it’s easy to stay in the zone.

As a setter there is so much that you

have to think about that you can’t af-

ford to zone out. I have to evaluate

the other team’s defense, look at my

match ups, decide on what plays to

run, read the blockers and set the ball

to where it needs to go. Once I step

Volleyball—Granby Memorial, CT

Sports Sprout



on that court it’s all about making my

teammates look good and giving them

the best possible set.

Editor: What are one or two things you

currently do in your training that are

keys to your success? Why?

Kaylee: Off-season volleyball has

been a huge part of my success on

the court. The opportunity to be

coached by a new coach with differ-

ent preferences and ideas keeps my

mind always thinking of possibilities. I

also play two other sports, swimming

and softball. Some people want to

make one sport the focus of all of

their time and energy, but I prefer to

have the experience of multiple teams

and new sports. During swim season I

would go straight from a two hour

swim practice to my 2 hour volleyball

practice and then home to do home-

work. It was extremely hectic and I

barely had any downtime, but I know

that having to process all of that infor-

mation so fast and having to stay alert

helped me to stay calm and be able

to look at all of my options when I’m

on the court.

Editor: How do you prepare for an up-

coming tournament? Do you have a

special routine that you follow?

Kaylee: For tournaments there really

isn’t any routine. Most of the time I

don’t know who we’re playing before-

hand so I have to scout at the tourna-

ment, which is less than ideal but not

awful. With my travel team this year

we actually did have a tradition. To

make sure that we were loose and

ready to just play volleyball and not

stress out on the court we would play

the game heads up. It’s basically cha-

rades and we would all just end up

shouting at the person who had the

phone and then laughing when they

couldn’t get the right answer. It was a

great way to get us into a good mood

before a big game.

Editor: What kind of advice can you give

to younger athletes in your sport?

Why?

Kaylee: I’d tell them that a point is a

point, no matter if you hit it straight

down on the ten-foot line, or you tip

it over the block. I know a lot of girls

feel like they have to be this huge

presence at the net that drills balls

down and never gets blocked, but

sometimes the smartest thing to do is

just tip it to the left, or hit it into the

blockers hands to tool them. I would

advise against putting yourself in one

position and one position only. It’s

beneficial to learn every position; it

helps you to appreciate those players

even more. And above all else, it’s

not about you. In volleyball you need

your teammates more than ever, be-

cause you can’t pass, set, and hit the

ball. It’s pivotal to build up the confi-

dence of the team, because in the

long run that’s all that matters.

Editor: Do you recall a difficult situation

or an obstacle you overcame? What

was it, and how did you do it?

Kaylee Jerman—Northeast

Sports Sprout



Kaylee: Throughout the years I’ve had

many injuries that I’ve played through

or that have taken me out of games,

but none like this year. Two days be-

fore our semifinal game I was putting

the lid back on a candle and the glass

shattered, slicing my finger open. My

mom wasn’t home at the time so I

asked my sister to wrap it up and I

drove myself to the urgent care cen-

ter. As I sat in the waiting room all I

was thinking about was the game.

When I got called in the doctor

looked at it and said, “You’ve got two

options, we can either use surgical

glue which will just sting a little bit, or

we can put stitches in, which would

be more painful but it’s sturdier.” I

explained to him my situation and that

I had a semi-final game in two days,

and he said the only thing that would

keep it together would be the stitch-

es. Right after I left I called my coach

and told him what happened. I started

off with, “Hey Sprows…I have good

news and bad news,” and explained

the whole thing. At practice the next

day I tried setting and that was fine,

but passing was painful because of the

way that I hold my hands. I

joked about it saying, “Well

maybe this will force me to

have perfect technique,” and in

the end it did help. I played

both the semifinal and the final

game with four stitches on the

inside of my left pointer finger,

and I have the scar to prove it.

Editor: How do you think volleyball and

competition prepares you and your

teammates for life? Why?

Kaylee: Volleyball is the perfect team

sport, because you can’t just have one

player that can do everything. Every-

one has to take part in the game or

you’re bound to fail. This forces you

to work with people and personalities

that you might not want to, and that is

something that you have to do in the

real world. Competition in general

prepares you for life. In life there are

going to be people that are better

than you at some things, and you ei-

ther are going to lie down and accept

that or you’re going to push yourself

to get better. Without that competi-

tive drive people just stay stagnant in

life, happy to let others walk over

them to go on to bigger and brighter

things. The will to win, the will to be

the best is what is built on the volley-

ball court, along with the ability to

work together as a team towards a

greater good.

Volleyball—Granby Memorial, CT


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Insert Two Page Picture Here

NAME


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Text

about

player

Amanda Beaton

Lafayette HS

Wildwood, MO

Coach Zach Young

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Amanda: My older sister played, and I

instantly fell in love with the game

after watching her and her team play.

Editor: What would your ultimate

achievement be in volleyball? Why?

Amanda: Carry on the love of the

game through the collegiate level and

to keep learning as an athlete. I want

to keep playing after high school so I

can improve my skills.

Editor: Have you taken any risks while

playing in a tournament? What was it,

and was it worth taking?

Amanda: Playing a different position

was a risk that I had to take. Even

though I wasn’t that comfortable play-

ing that position, I pushed myself to

do the best I could. In order to be

successful sometimes, you have to

take risks and be uncomfortable.

Editor: Who is your favorite athlete and

what is it that you admire most about

that person? Why?

Amanda: T.J. Oshie, he is an inspiring

athlete on and off the rink. He fits the

role of being the team Captain for the

St. Louis Blues. He has such a great

passion for the sport and supports

many others that do too.




would they be, and why?

Amanda: I believe I am always a posi-

tive and encouraging player. There is

no need to be harsh and intense to

support another teammate. I always

push myself in complicated situations

and never take the easy way out.

Editor: Do you

have a rou-

tine that you

go by while

playing the

game, or do

you simply

go by in-

stincts, hop-

ing for the

best?

Amanda:

Having a

game plan is

important.

Knowing who and what you’re up

against and what you need to do in

order to be successful.




Amanda: It’s a feeling of accomplish-

ment and pride. You realize that all

the work you put into it definitely

pays off. It motivates you to work

Amanda Beaton—Midwest

Sports Sprout



harder and accomplish more goals.

Editor: What was the best advice you

were ever given? Why?

Amanda: Never take any game

for granted, because you never

know when it could be your

last. Always play like it could

be your last, 110% every point,

every game.

Editor: Do you recall a difficult

situation or an obstacle you

overcame? What was it, and

how did you do it?

Amanda: During the season, a

couple of players were injured

and we had to tweak our line

up. Some players had to play

different positions that they

haven’t played before. We

overcame it by helping each

other out. Communication was

key. Without communicating, it

would’ve been difficult.

Editor: Do you enjoy positive ri-

valries with your opponents?

Give one example why?

Amanda: Yes, it’s a fun envi-

ronment, especially when there is a

good crowd watching, its gives me

more motivation to play harder. The

more intense a game is, the more fun

it is because it’s good competition.

Volleyball—Lafayette, MO


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NAME Maria Esch

Jamestown HS

Williamsburg, VA

Thomas Stephenson


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Text

about

player

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Maria: Well, I was about eight when

my older sisters began their involvement in

the local rec league teams. It was at this

point when I, wanting to be just like my big

sisters and all of their cool middle school

friends, decided to pick up volleyball. The

rest is history.



Maria: I would say that my ultimate

achievement would probably be my se-

lection as one of the top 59 freshman in

the country last year by Prep volleyball

dot com. That moment really worked as

validation for me and inspired my college

volleyball aspirations.




Maria: Well, I guess it depends on

what you define as a risk. To me, a risk

can be anything to taking the swing when

the other team has game point or follow-

ing your gut and serving tough when

games get close. In that sense, yes, I have

taken risks before, and sometimes they

work out, but other times they don’t. Vol-

leyball is a game of mistakes, but some-

times a risk is worth it in the end.



that person? Why?

Maria: Well, for some reason, even

though I’ve never even tried to play soc-

cer, I’ve always admired Mia Hamm ever

since I was little. I think I appreciated not

just her skill, but also her competitive na-

ture and friendly demeanor. I think that

she was an athlete that I could learn to

not just admire her skills on the field but

in interviews as well.

Editor: If you select 1-

2 things that you

believe differenti-

ates you from other

high school volley-

ball players, what

would they be, and

why?

Maria: I think I may

be different from other high school play-

ers because I try to play strategically ra-

ther than just trying to swing my hardest

on every ball. While I do enjoy a big kill, I

try my best to play smart, even if that

means tipping a ball to win the point.




Maria Esch—South

Sports Sprout



Maria: Currently, I’m trying to go back

to basics. For example, I’ll spend

hours just serving in order to perfect

every detail I can so that I can serve

both technically well, as well as tough

when I go back to the service line in a

game.

Editor: You probably felt great after your

best game. What is this feeling like

and what can you compare it to?

Maria: It’s such a rush when you feel

proud of the way you played. Even

after a tough loss, if I think I played

my best, it doesn’t bother me. If I

know that my team and I have played

our best I feel proud of us, regardless

of the result.



Maria: I think the best advice I was ever

given was to go with my first instinct.

My seventh grade French teacher ac-

tually told me that, but I feel I can ap-

ply it anywhere, especially volleyball.

My current coach always reminds me

that I know what I need to fix. I just

need to go with my first instinct and

make a change, so that if I shank a

ball, I learn from it and follow my in-

stincts and make a change.




Maria: A difficult situation that I know

every volleyball player has faced is

the dreaded post-timeout serve on

game point. In these types of situa-

tions I find it easiest to just take a

deep breath and block out everything

else. With

enough con-

centration and

focus, you can

overcome basi-

cally any play-

related obsta-

cle.

Editor: Do you

enjoy positive

rivalries with your opponents? Give

one example why?

Maria: I love positive rivalries! I know very

well that because I come from a small

town, all of the players here are

friendly. My competitive spirit comes

out especially strong when playing our

rivals Lafayette and Warhill because

so many of my very close friends from

my club team play for those schools.

It adds an extra special element to

the game when you play against your

friends, an element that all of my

friends and I really love to experience.

Volleyball—Jamestown, VA


Sports Sprout



NAME Audrey Blake

Enterprise Academy

Tahoe, NV

Coach Jerry Huffman


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Text

about

player

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Audrey: I think I first got interested

when I started played volleyball for my gram-

mar school team in 3rd grade. My mom had

suggested that I try out and I made the no-

cut team. We had 15 girls who had no experi-

ence playing volleyball whatsoever, including

me. Although we lost every single game dur-

ing our Division V season, I fell in love with

the sport and loved playing it ever since.



Audrey: I think my ultimate achieve-

ment in volleyball would be to inspire my

teammates. Some of them, in club and

school, are sometimes forced to play vol-

leyball or only keep playing because they

have done so for so long and have lost

their passion to play. I want to be their

inspiration and motivation to find the pas-

sion that I have playing.




Audrey: This past season, I distinctly

remember this tournament where I com-

pletely changed how I played. I’m pretty

short as an outside hitter (5’6), but I was

able to use my strength and speed to

beat blocks when I was younger. Now as

I played against taller girls that matched

me in those two qualities, I kept getting

blocked and found it hard to score points

like I usually did. My coach, Margi Beima,

kept telling me that the only way I could

win against those taller girls was to use

their hands and tool off their blocks. It

was really hard for me to transition from

using my power to using my head. How-

ever, during a tournament in the beginning

of the season, I finally got the hang of it. I

remember experi-

encing this sort of

epiphany and getting

the feeling that I was

almost unstoppable.

Editor: Who is your

favorite athlete

and what is it

that you admire

most about that

person? Why?

Audrey: My favorite athlete would

have to be my coach, Margi Beima. Alt-

hough she does not play as intensely as

she had before, I can still see her passion

through her coaching. She demonstrates

everything a player should be, mentally

and spiritually.




would they be, and why?

Audrey Blake—West

Sports Sprout



Audrey: I definitely think my ball con-

trol and my ability to visualize the court

overall. I can pinpoint weaknesses on the

other team and expose them when I get

the chance. Although I love hitting the

ball at the 10ft line as much as the next

5’6 outside hitter, my favorite part of hit-

ting would be shooting it in the middle of

the court or using the right side’s hands.

Editor: Do you have a routine that you

go by while playing the game, or do

you simply go by instincts, hoping for

the best?

Audrey: I don’t have a distinct routine,

but I think a ritual of mine would have

to be getting in the right mindset. By

this, I mean overestimate the other

team and preparing mentally for the

game to come.




Audrey: I believe in working hard in eve-

rything you do definitely contributes

to success. Even the small things such

as hustling to get water or trying to go

for that impossible shank that you

know you can never really get demon-

strates what kind of player you are.


best game. What is this feeling like

and what can you compare it to?

Audrey: After playing my best game, I

definitely felt proud and surprised at

my abilities and efforts. I did not really

understand how effective and good I

could be; but after trying my best, I

saw the fruits of my labor. Everyone

kept congratulating

me and praising me. It

felt like I had won the

presidency or some-

thing, but it was a

great feeling.

Editor: What was the

best advice you were

ever given? Why?

Audrey: Several years ago, I was told to

put my academics before everything

else, because that is what opens

doors for your future. Although I did-

n’t really think of it as anything, I

strived for the best grades and did the

best I could in school. Now that I’m

going to graduate next year, I realized

that achieving good grades opened up

a plethora of colleges where I could

play competitive volleyball and still

have a great institution prepare me for

my future.

Volleyball—Enterprise Academy, NV


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NAME Marisa Gonzalez

Saint Helen Catholic School

Chicago, IL

Coach Harry Klein


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Text

about

player

Saint Helen Catholic School

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playing volleyball?

Marisa: I tried out for the team in mid-

dle school and immediately fell in love with

the sport. It seems like there’s so much more

action than any other sports.

Editor: Can you recall a game or tourna-

ment that you felt you gave it all you

had and even more? What were the

outcomes of your efforts?

Marisa: Yes, we played our rivals on

their senior night. We had never beaten

them before and our team managed to

rally and win the whole thing 2-1 in their

house. It was the best feeling I’ve ever

had after a game.

Editor: Have you ever experienced that

you were at your personal limit while

playing in the game or working out?

How does it feel, and why was it so

hard to press on?

Marisa: Our practices are intense and

our coaches work us hard to make sure

we’re in great shape. Sometimes I feel

like I can’t push myself anymore, but my

coaches know they can always get that

little extra out of me that will make me a

better player in the long run.



that person? Why?

Marisa: Misty May-Treanor is my fa-

vorite. She’s worked so hard to be where

she’s at and was able to go out on top

with three consecutive gold medals at the

Olympics.


or an ob-

stacle

you over-

came?

What

was it,

and how

did you

do it?

Marisa: I

was put on

the JV team

at the start

of my junior

season. I was

upset, but understood afterwards that the

coaches wanted to help me develop my

leadership skills by making me a captain

on JV before I moved back to Varsity in

the middle of the season.

Editor: Who were the people that have

given you support and encouragement

during this difficult situation? How

much do you think it helped you?

Marisa Gonzalez—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout







Marisa: My coaches told me that they

knew what they were doing, but

sometimes that still didn’t seem like

enough, but my parent’s kept telling

me everything happens for a reason.

Editor: What inspires you to play volley-

ball as hard as you do?

Marisa: I refuse to let my team down. I

can handle the pressure, but I don’t

want to let them down.

Editor: How are you able to balance

playing volleyball with your school

work?

Marisa: I think being organized, having a

daily checklist, really helps me get

everything I need to done.



Marisa: You can’t control how things hap-

pen, only how you react to them.

Editor: What is the best compliment you

have ever received? Why?

Marisa: Being voted on as a team captain

after the seniors were done was prob-

ably the best compliment I could have

received.

Volleyball—Saint Helen, IL


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Delaney Arbor

Norwin HS

North Huntingdon, PA

Coach Brian Brozeski

Sports Sprout



Editor: What got you interested in play-

ing basketball?

Delaney: My favorite toy as a little kid

was a plastic Fisher Price hoop. My parents

tell me before I could walk I would pull my-

self up on the rim and put the ball in the

hoop. Eventually, I got a real hoop in my

driveway and I had so much fun playing that

my parents signed me up for YMCA basket-

ball when I was six.

Editor: What is your biggest accomplish-

ment as a basketball player so far?

Why?

Delaney: Winning the Western Penn-

sylvania Interscholastic Athletic League

(WPIAL) Championship my senior year.

This was my biggest accomplishment be-

cause it was something that my team-

mates and I have been working towards

for a long time, and to finally be able to

achieve it was amazing.

Editor: What has been one of the best

teams you ever played against? Why?

Delaney: Cumberland Valley because

they were extremely skilled at every posi-

tion and they played together as a team

to execute plays on offense as well as a

shut-down defense.


what do you admire most about that

person? Why?

Delaney: My favorite athlete is Skylar

Diggins because she is an unbelievable

basketball player who continues to work

hard to improve. She also gives back a lot

by running camps and coaching kids who

look up to her.

Editor: Have you

ever disagreed

with a referee

during a game?

How did you

handle yourself?

Delaney: I was

taught at a young

age to act respect-

fully towards refer-

ees even when I

disagree with a call,

so I just forget about it and move on to

the next play.

Editor: When are you the most focused:

while you are playing in a game, or

during the workouts and practice?

Why?

Delaney: I think I am the most focused

during a game because when I am

playing I don’t think about anything

else, and I can’t see or hear anything

but what is happening on the court.

Delaney Arbor—Northeast

Sports Sprout






Delaney: I do strength training which

helps me with a lot of things such as

rebounding and driving but I also think

it helps me avoid injuries. I also get a

lot of shots up because repetition

helps me stay consistent with my

shooting.

Editor: What inspires you to play as hard

as you do? Why?

Delaney: My love for the game drives me

when I am on the court. I really only

know one way and that is to play

hard. Also, I have seen a lot of play-

ers have season or even career ending

injuries, so I want to play hard every

opportunity I get because you never

know when it could be your last time

on the court.



Delaney: “Hard work beats talent when

talent doesn’t work hard,” because I

am a person who didn’t have a lot of

natural talent so, to be successful I

needed to work even harder to im-

prove. I think a good work ethic is

one of the most important character-

istics for an athlete.




Delaney: This past season, most people

underestimated my team. We also

lost both games against our section

rival and finished second in the sec-

tion. In the WPIAL playoffs, we were

picked to lose every game except the

first round including the championship

game. It was the same in the state

playoffs. We used this as motivation

and over-

came this to

win our

school’s first

WPIAL

Champion-

ship and ad-

vance to the

Pennsylvania

state semifi-

nals.

Editor: If you

had to pick

another high

school athlete that you consider to be

the best, who would it be? Why?

Delaney: I think my teammate Alayna

Gribble is the best high school athlete

I know because she is one of the

most dynamic players I have ever

played with or against. She has the

ability to take over a game with her

scoring and can play well at every po-

sition on the court. She is also ex-

tremely hard working and is always

trying to get better and make the peo-

ple around her better as well.

Basketball—Norwin, PA


Sports Sprout



NAME Jericha Hawkins

Wesleyan Academy

Chicago, IL

Coach Scott Tittle


Sports Sprout



Sports Sprout




ing the basketball?

Jericha: I have always been a big fan of

sports and at a young age I was very active. I

became interested in basketball when I was

about 7 years old. It was during my first

grade recess class that I played basketball

for the first time and loved it. I became more

and more interested when I actually joined a

boys team and I thought that was pretty cool

so I stuck with it. I have been playing basket-

ball ever since.



Why?

Jericha: My biggest accomplishment

was making school history and playing for

the state championship my senior year.

This accomplishment allows me to look

back at myself and reflect on how far I

have grown as a high school basketball

player and student. It is also a reminder

of how hard my team and I have worked

to have gotten there in the first place.



Jericha: One of the best teams I have

ever played against was Incarnate Word.

They have many players who are very tal-

ented and when we played them they

gave our team a challenge.



person? Why?

Jericha: My favorite athlete is Diana

Taurasi. What I admire most about her is

her work ethic and her love for basket-

ball. I love her style of play and the way

she carries herself on the floor. She is

someone who never gives up and strives

to be a better player

every day. When I

watch her, I notice

how confident she

shoots and it moti-

vates me to want to

go out and work on

my game.

Editor: When are

you the most

focused: while

you are playing in a game, or during

the workouts and practice? Why?

Jericha: I am most focused when I am

playing in a game. I try to focus only

on what’s inside of that rectangle and

block out everything else. I am most

focused during the game because I

know that I play my best when I have

my mind on one thing and that is

playing smart basketball while on the

floor.

Jericha Hawkins—Midwest

Sports Sprout






Jericha: In training, I strive to never get

outworked. I play my hardest during

each drill and challenge my other

teammates. I try to work as hard as I

can in practice, so that in a game, a

move or drill will become natural to

me.


as you do? Why?

Jericha: My family and my love for basket-

ball are what inspires me to play as

hard as I do. My family has always

supported me and has spent so much

time and effort to make sure that I get

to play as much basketball as possi-

ble. My passion for basketball inspires

me to want to improve whenever I

step out on the floor.



Jericha: The best advice I was ever given

was “know that what you put in, is

what you’re going to get”. This is the

best advice I was ever given because

not only does it pertain to basketball,

it pertains to life in general. It makes

me realize that things are not always

going to be handed down to me and

in order to get what I want, I have to

put in the work, time and effort to get

there.




Jericha: Transitioning from middle school

to high school was a huge obstacle

that I had to overcome. It was a hard

transition for me but because of the

relationships I built with my team-

mates and teachers, with each passing

year it got easier. I overcame this ob-

stacle by working hard in and outside

of the class-

room. With

the help of

others, I over-

came this ob-

stacle and

have had a

successful

career at

MICDS.

Editor: If you had

to pick anoth-

er high school

athlete that

you consider

to be the best, who would it be, and

why?

Jericha: I would chose my basketball

teammate Rachel Thompson. She

works very hard every day at practice

and in games. Not only is she a vocal

leader, she is a great captain and all

around great basketball player. She is

very unselfish and is a great contribu-

tor to our basketball team. I consider

her to be one of the best players that

I know.

Basketball—Wesleyan Academy, IL


Sports Sprout



NAME Ogechi Anyagiligbo

Miami Country Day School

Miami, FL

Coach Ochiel Swaby


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Ogechi Anyagiligbo

Sports Sprout




ing basketball?

Ogechi: My sister Nkiru.



Why?

Ogechi: Winning nationals with my

team and winning MVP. I have never got-

ten it before with MCDS so it was a heart

-felt moment for me, and a great way to

finish my senior year.



Ogechi: Potter’s House. They have a

great defense and it was one of the only

games we were down and our effort was

the reason we won.



person? Why?

Ogechi: Kobe Bryant; he is relentless

and does not let what people say to him

on or off the court affect his game.

Editor: Have you ever disagreed with a ref-

eree during a game? How did you handle your-

self?

Ogechi: Yes, but I can do nothing but

shake it off and play better to prevent

from getting that call again.

Editor: When are you the most focused:

while you are playing in a game or

during the workouts and practice?

Why?

Ogechi: Practice; practice makes perfect.

How you act/perform in practice will

show in the game.




Ogechi Anyagiligbo—South

Sports Sprout



Ogechi: Work harder while tired and

run. Fatigue makes a coward of men,

so I try to be able to be comfortable

with that adversity.


as you do? Why?

Ogechi: Being successful. I want to be

someone when I grow up and be a

role model to others.



Ogechi: “Play your game,” because peo-

ple always want to go over and be-

yond, and sometimes that’ll make

them look bad. I play in my comfort-

zone to be successful.




Ogechi: Yes, I was take off the team by

my parents because of my at home

behavior. I have completely changed

and got to get back on the court.

Editor: If you had to pick another high

school athlete that you consider to be

the best, who would it be? Why?

Ogechi: Beatrice Mompremier from Miami

High. Her and I were friends for a

while and over the years I was able to

see her game grow to tremendous

heights.

Basketball—Miami Country Day, FL


Sports Sprout



NAME Milana Kazmer

Oaks Christian HS

Westlake Village, CA

Coach Kenneth Plummer


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




ing basketball?

Milana: Ever since my parents took me to my

older brother’s basketball games, I have al-

ways loved the game. It just clicked and I

loved it.



Why?

Milana: The biggest accomplishment thus far

in my career has been during my high school

season. I was the leader of charges in the

State and I ended with 29 charges in my jun-

ior year. It's my biggest accomplishment be-

cause when you take a charge it not only

pumps your teammates up; it changes the

opponent’s offensive mentality for the rest of

the game.



Milana: The best team I've played against

was Mater Dei High School. They are num-

ber 1 in all aspects and they are outstanding

and just a great team all around. I love play-

ing against them because it makes me better.


what do you admire most about that person?

Why?

Milana: My favorite athlete is Elena Adelle

Donne because she admires the game. She

doesn't play for the fame or the fortune. She

plays because she has a true love for the

game. You can always see it when she plays.

She is an all around great player. She inspires

me to always do what I love. Whether it’s

basketball or anything else. Do it because

you love it, not because someone else wants

you to.

Editor: What was your

biggest challenge last

season? How were

you able to overcome

it?

Milana: My biggest chal-

lenge this past season

was tearing my ACL in

the playoffs. I'm current-

ly still recovering, but

I'm preparing my mind to

get back and become stronger then I was

when I tore it. I will overcome it.

Editor: In what ways did your teammates

contribute to your success in the sport, and

why?

Milana: My teammates were a big factor in

my success over the years. They helped me

to get better by pushing me and at the same

time encouraging me. Without them I would-

n't be able to make the assists that I do. I

wouldn't be able to be the point guard that I

am.

Milana Kazmer—West

Sports Sprout



I wouldn't be able to make the assists that I

do. I wouldn't be able to be the point guard

that I am.

Editor: What are one or two things you cur-

rently do in your training that are keys to

your success? Why?

Milana: Currently I'm in rehab for my knee,

but I'm also keeping myself in shape by lifting

weights and keeping my cardio up as much as

possible. This will lead to an easier recovery

and getting back into shape. I have a personal

trainer that keeps me motivated and where I

need to be for the upcoming season.

Editor: What inspires you to play as hard as

you do? Why?

Milana: What inspires me to play as hard as I

do is my grandpa. He passed away a couple

years ago, but he was my number one fan

since the beginning and he was always at

every single basketball game. He inspires me

because I know he is looking down on me

every game and he is cheering me on. I play

every game for him.

Editor: Do you recall a difficult situation or

an obstacle you overcame? What was it, and

how did you do it?

Milana: A difficult obstacle that I have over-

come was the summer of my sophomore

year. I was playing with my high school team

at a CSUN tournament and two of my play-

ers tore their ACL's that tournament in the

same game. We won that game and made it

to the championship against a very good

team, and only had 5 players while they had

a full bench. We were all extremely tired as

the fourth quarter began. It was a close game

all the way through and we pulled out the

win because we all stuck together and

played as a unit.

Editor: What do you

think it takes to be suc-

cessful in your sport?

Why?

Milana: I think it takes

many things. Heart, moti-

vation and drive. If you

don't have those things

you won't push yourself

to get any better. You

need to want it more

then the person next to

you.

Editor: What would you

say is the most challenging aspects

of basketball? The most satisfying aspects?

Why?

Milana: The most challenging aspects of bas-

ketball are when you're down in the fourth

quarter and you’re tired but the team needs

you. It's hard to push through the fatigue and

play as hard as you can. The most satisfying

aspect is winning, plain and simple. Knowing

that all that work you put in to become bet-

ter has paid off in a win.

Basketball—Oaks Christian, CA


Sports Sprout



NAME Carmella Jones

Irmo HS

San Jose, CA

Coach Corey Mack


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout



Editor: If you could change one rule

about girls’ basketball, what would it

be? Why?

Carmella: I don’t think I’d change any-

thing. I love the game.


playing sports with your schoolwork?

Carmella: School takes first priority. Bas-

ketball is a privilege and if my grades

slip I can’t play anyway.



Carmella: “Everyone wants it, only a few

are willing to get it.” Our coach tells

us this at every practice and every

game and it is true. Everyone wants to

be the best, but you have to be will-

ing to put in the work to get it.



Carmella: Between my freshman and

sophomore year I hit a growth spurt

and had lost some control because of

it. I worked on it throughout the off-

season and then my coach told me

my ball control was some of the best

she’d seen from an underclassman.

Editor: What would you say is the most

challenging, and satisfying aspects of

you coming back to play basketball

again? Why?

Carmella: I’m looking forward to the chal-

lenges of starting a new season again.

The seniors are gone and this is my

chance to be a better leader for the

team. Hopefully we can win a state

championship.

Basketball—Irmo, CA

Sports Sprout




in playing basketball?

Carmella: I just always loved the

sport. We’re all big Laker’s fans in our family

so when we played in the driveway my dad

would pretend to be Shaq and let me be Ko-

be and I guess it just started from there.

Editor: Can you recall a game that you

felt you gave it all you had and even

more? What was the outcome of

your efforts?

Carmella: Yes, it was our first playoff

game last season and the team we lost to

went on to win state. I tried pushing our

team to the win but had a part of my an-

klebone break in the fourth quarter. I felt

like if I would’ve been able to finish we

would’ve won.

Editor: Do you have a saying or motto

that you like to share with others?

Carmella: Don’t give up and don’t let

up, especially in a sport like basketball

where it things can go in one team’s way

very quickly.



that person? Why?

Carmella: Kobe Bryant without a

doubt. He had a drive to be the best and

won five championships because of it.




Carmella: When I broke my ankle, I

was very upset that we lost and there

was nothing I could do to help out my

teammates. I told them though that next

year is gonna be our year and I’m gonna

work my tail off

to make sure we

get where we

want to go.

Editor: Who

were the

people that

have given

you support

and encour-

agement dur-

ing this diffi-

cult situa-

tion? How much do you think it

helped you?

Carmella: My parents and teammates

have been great to me. The ankle is

back and I’ve been playing around the

gym with a lot of my friends, but

mostly I have to thank God for getting

me through this.

Basketball—Catholic Memorial, MA


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Guilien Smith

Catholic Memorial HS

West Roxbury, MA

Coach Denis Tobin

Sports Sprout



Editor: How did you start playing basket-

ball?

Guilien: I started playing basketball

like most kids do, which is in the back yard

with your sibling. My older brother and I

would play one on one or two on two with

my neighbors for hours on end.

Editor: What has been your ultimate

achievement in basketball? Why?

Guilien: My ultimate achievement as a

basketball player has been winning the

2015 Massachusetts State Championship.

This is my ultimate achievement because

it came during my senior year of high

school and I was able to attain it with my

best friends.



Guilien: One of the best teams I have

ever played against was BABC, which is a

Boston Based AAU team. They are one

of the best teams I've played because

every player on the team had division 1

talent and they played as a unit.

Editor: What was your biggest challenge

last season? How were you able to

overcome it?

Guilien: Coming into last season, my

senior season, the biggest challenge that

my teammates and myself had to over-

come was the hype from newspapers.

We were predicted to be one of the best

teams in the state, if not the best, so we

had to ignore the press and work as if we

were the underdogs.

Editor: Have you ever disagreed with a

call made by the referee during a

game? How

did you han-

dle yourself

during that

situation?

Guilien: As a

player who at-

tacks the rim a

lot, I disagree

with many calls

or lack there of,

but I've learned

that if you com-

plain the referee

simply refrains from making calls in your

favor. I find it best to just accept the call

and continue to play the game.




Guilien: The two things that I do in my

training that are essential to my success

are consistency and repetition. I work on

my skill set everyday and try to improve

upon it.

Guilien Smith—Northeast

Sports Sprout



.Editor: What inspires you to play as

hard as you do? Why?

Guilien: My family and my future inspire

me to play as hard as I possibly can

every time I step foot on the court. I

want to be successful in life and I'm

using basketball as a stepping-stone

towards success. My parents have

sacrificed more than I'll ever know so

that I could have the opportunities

that I have had in my life and now it's

my turn to repay them and that's ex-

actly what I'm trying to do. I play hard

for them and myself.

Editor: Have you ever had someone give

you good advice that had a positive

impact towards your success on the

field? What was their advice?

Guilien: Yes, I have had someone give me

advice that has had and continues to

have a positive impact on my success.

My AAU coach, Donald Morris, told

me that every time I stepped on the

floor someone was watching and you

never know who that someone is. The

person watching could make or break

your future as an athlete. This piece

of advice has pushed me to play every

game like there are 50 division 1

coaches watching at all times.

Editor: Is winning the most important

thing for you? If not then what is the

most important thing for you while

playing?

Guilien: As a competitor I do believe win-

ning is the most important thing. Not

necessarily winning every single game,

but winning

when it mat-

ters most.

Editor: What

do you think

it takes to be

successful in

your sport?

Why?

Guilien: I think it

takes love

for the game in order to be successful

in basketball. If you don't love the

game you are not going to put every-

thing you have into improving yourself

every day. If you love the game you

will do whatever it takes to advance

and improve. You will make sacrifices

and push yourself to your absolute

limit in order to succeed.

Carmella Jones—Nominated Athlete


Sports Sprout



NAME Ryan Daly

Archbishop Carroll HS

Radnor, PA

Coach Paul Romanczuk


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Ed Miller

Brighton HS

Brighton, IL

Coach Fred Jackson

Sports Sprout




ball?

Ed: When I was 4 years old my mom

thought it would be a good idea to put me in

a sport. She said I would run around the

house using Nerf balls and trash cans for

goals, so she decided to sign me up for bas-

ketball at the YMCA. By the time I was in

second grade I was on the Competitive Bas-

ketball Team in Kingwood, Texas which was

a 45 minute commute for my mom outside of

Houston, Texas.

Editor: What has been your ultimate

achievement in basketball?

Ed: My ultimate achievement in bas-

ketball is that I have gone from a kid that

wanted to play basketball for fun to a

basketball player that is now a major part

of my team’s success and will be able to

play in college.

Why? I work very hard and consist-

ently workout to reach the level of my

game. Being recognized as one of the bet-

ter shooters in my class in St. Louis is

also one of the reasons why I work so

hard.


teams you ever played against?

Ed: The best team I have ever played

against is East St. Louis High School from

Illinois. They had the only guard during

our school year that could guard me.



overcome it?

Ed: When I started the new season I

had to learn a new position and be our #1

point guard. I normally play shooting

guard and

at first it

was hard

to under-

stand the

role I was

put in and

to actually

become

the leader

of the

team. I

was able

to over-

come this

with confi-

dence and

relying on my teammates who started to

trust me early in the season. When we

beat one of the best teams, Stevenson

High School out of Illinois, who had the

#1 point guard in the class of 2015 Jaylon

Brunson, that really helped boost my

confidence even more.

Ed Miller—Midwest

Sports Sprout



Editor: Have you ever disagreed with a

call made by the referee during a

game? How did you handle yourself

during that situation?

Ed: I have definitely disagreed with a

call, but I handled it by showing some

maturity and reminding myself that my

team needed me to be on the floor. We

had a very good team this year and a

number of calls may not have gone our

way. However, being in my new role as

point guard I was the leader and I had to

be on the floor to help us win. Keeping

my emotions in check was a must, even

though I wanted to lose it at times.



that person? Why?

Ed: My favorite athlete is Stephen Curry

and the thing I admire about him is his

silent approach to the game that is a

killer. The reason why I like his ap-

proach is because he lets his game

speak for itself. You don’t see him

boasting that he is the best player or

he wasn’t in the top 100 players com-

ing out of high school. He has just

come in to the league and silently be-

come a three point killer on the court.




Ed: The two things I do in my training are

ball handling drills and weight lifting. I

am in the gym four days a week. Two

is spent on weight lifting and quick-

ness and the other two is spent on

my shooting and ball handing with my

trainer. The reason why I work so

hard is because the older I have got-

ten the more physical the game has

become and the game has become

quicker. My school is now playing a

national schedule so we are not just

playing in town but we are playing

some of

the most

physical

and

quicker

high

school

teams

and this is how I can keep up with

these athletes.


as you do? Why?

Ed: My inspiration to play as hard as I do

comes from within. Proving doubters

wrong is one reason why I work very

hard. St. Louis is a very small city, and

there seem to be a number of people

who may not be as happy about our

team’s success. So winning for my

Basketball—Brighton, IL

Sports Sprout



about our team’s success. So winning

for my teammates is important enough

to me that I work as hard as I do to

help us succeed.





Ed: Yes my high school assistant coach.

His advice was don’t fall in to the role

of not being aggressive because your

role is just as important as everyone

on the team and court.

Editor: Is winning the most important

thing for you? If not then what is the

most important thing for you while

playing?

Ed: Yes winning is the most important

thing to me when I am on the court.

Editor: What do you think it takes to be

successful in your sport? Why?

Ed: To be successful in my sport it takes

tremendous work effort and a lot of

confidence in your ability to score.

Everybody in basketball, well compet-

itive basketball, wants to be success-

ful at it and wants to win just as much

as you want to win. So working hard

at your skills is a must to be better

than the next guy. You have to be

willing to put in the work to stand

out.


challenging aspects of basketball? The

most satisfying aspects? Why?

Ed: The most challenging aspect of bas-

ketball is the days that I have to work

out and turn

around the

next day to

play a tough

game and in

the fourth

quarter your

legs feel like

they are not

there, but you

have to con-

tinue to play

defense and

work through

it. The most satisfying aspect is seeing

the results of your training pay off.

This is so satisfying because you know

that all the 6 am shootarounds, the

agility training and the weight lifting

has helped make you the successful

athlete that you are and has helped

you to become the best you can be to

help your team be successful.

Ed Miller—Midwest

Sports Sprout



Basketball—Brighton, IL


Sports Sprout



NAME Marvin Hayes

Westbrook HS

Orlando, FL

Coach Evan Greenberg


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout



Editor: How did you start playing basketball?

Marvin: when I was as little as I could re-

member I picked up the ball but I started

playing organized at the age of 5

Editor: What has been your ultimate achieve-

ment in basketball? Why?

Marvin: Winning the North Carolina, 4A,

Mens State Championship, and playing the

entire game.

Editor: What has been one of the best teams

you ever played against? Why?

Marvin: I would have to say Kell or Millbrook

this year were one of the toughest teams I've

ever played against because they have depth

and their team is solid all around and know

how to play the game.

Editor: What was your biggest challenge last

season? How were you able to overcome it?

Marvin: Not starting as a sophomore, so I

really worked on my game and did my best

and my junior year I started every game.

Editor: Have you ever disagreed with a call

made by the referee during a game? How did

you handle yourself during that situation?

Marvin: Yes, I have but I kept my composure

and didn't worry about it and kept playing.

Editor: Who is your favorite athlete and what

is it that you admire most about that person?

Why?

Nick: I would say LeBron James because of

the type of life he had and what he grew up

with and where he is at today and the many

things that he has accomplished.

Editor: What

are one or

two things

you currently

do in your

training that

are keys to

your success?

Why?

Marvin: Lots

of shooting in

the gym al-

most every

day and ball

handling drills

to go along with it and just working

out in the gym as much as possible

Editor: What inspires you to play as hard as

you do? Why?

Nick: I play my hardest at all times because

you never know when your last game is, but I

also play hard for my brother. He is one of

the closest people there is to me, we grew

up playing basketball everywhere together

Marvin Hayes—South

Sports Sprout



and now he's in the military. I try to do my

best and then let him know as soon as one

of my games is over.

Editor: Have you ever had someone give you

good advice that had a positive impact to-

wards your success on the field? What was

their advice?

Marvin: David West is always giving me ad-

vice on what to do with my body, mind and

my game. Pretty much anything he says I take

for advice and it has helped me increase my

playing potential in so many aspects for ex-

ample jumping and stamina and flexibility.

Editor: Is winning the most important thing

for you? If not then what is the most im-

portant thing for you while playing?

Marvin: Winning is the most important part

of the game. I don't care if I have 50 points,

cause if I lost those 50 points don't mean

anything. Stats are second, but first you have

to get the "W".

Editor: What do you think it takes to be suc-

cessful in your sport? Why?

Marvin: A lot of hard work and dedica-

tion in the gym and to your mind about

the game can make you successful. If you

rarely do either of these your success in

this game is not going to be very good.




Marvin: The most challenging is being

able to play far into a career of a profes-

sional basketball player, but one of the

most satisfying aspects of basketball is

always winning the game.

Basketball—Westbrook, FL


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Payton Pritchard

West Linn HS

West Linn, OR

Coach Eric Viuhkola

Sports Sprout




ball?

Payton: I started playing basketball

when I was 5 years old, although I had a mini

hoop when I was 2 and I would put the ball

through the basket while my parents would

clap. I learned early on that the goal was to

put the ball through the basket. I started or-

ganized basketball with my dad and my soc-

cer buddies. A group of boys in my neighbor-

hood in Oregon City played soccer together.

From there my dad had the same group start

playing little hoopers.

Editor: What is your best achievement

so far in playing basketball? Why?

Payton: My best achievement would

be a team achievement. I am most proud

of winning the State Championship 3

times in a row with my high school bud-

dies. I am also very thankful for being se-

lected for player of the year and having

the opportunity to participate with USA

basketball and Global Nations.

Editor: What kind of training would you

recommend to younger athletes on

how to increase their vertical lift for

dunking and rebounding?

Payton: First off, I would recommend

consistency. If you want to be good at

anything you need to make a plan and

work towards that goal consistently. If

you do that you will improve at anything

you put your mind to. What I have done

personally to become more explosive is

performance training, speed agility and

quickness drills and the Vertimax. My

dad and I work a few days a week at the

track; these workouts are focused on my

quickness. In addition to that, my aunt,

Lisa Griffith, has a basketball performance

training facility where I work on basket-

ball specific core strength, the Vertimax,

sled, ropes,

etc. All

these drills

are devel-

oped

around

basketball

and several

of the drills use a basketball. I believe the

combination of all that training is what

has made me more explosive as a basket-

ball player.



overcome it?

Payton: Every year it’s a challenge to

start with new players on our high school

or club teams. As seasoned players grad-

uate it’s challenging to start the new sea-

son and find chemistry. I believe strong

teams know each other’s strengths and

trust one another. They are also willing to

Payton Pritchard—West

Sports Sprout



put the hard work in to reach the

team’s goal.

Although I would stay this is one of

my biggest challenges, I also enjoy this

challenge because it’s helped me to be-

come a better player and to learn how to

communicate with my teammates.

I know that there are other challenges

that I have had along the way every year.

Whenever there is an obstacle in front of

me, I try to stay positive, look at what

needs to be done to overcome the chal-

lenge and then make a plan to overcome

the obstacle. I have a tight knit family, my

parents were both collegiate athletes. My

mom was a Big 8 gymnast and my father

was a football player. My aunt also was a

division 1 college basketball player. When

things are tough or I am frustrated, I feel

lucky that I have my family by my side.

They can relate to different frustrations

and can guide me or give me advice to

get through it. They believe in me and

will support me regardless of the chal-

lenge.

Editor: What is your favorite drill during

workouts? Why?

Payton: Lately I have been working on

my midrange game. I practice a lot on my

pull up jumpers. What I am working on

now is shooting my pull up off of differ-

ent moves.



that person? Why?

Payton: My favorite athletes are Russell

Westbrook and Dywane Wade. I ad-

mire them for different reasons. I have

always been a huge Dywane Wade

fan because he is a tremendously hard

worker. I like Russell Westbrook be-

cause he never gives up. He is a fierce

competitor.




Payton: Daily conditioning, ball handling

and shooting. I also make sure that I

get plenty of rest and try to eat

healthy.


as you do? Why?

Payton: My love for the game. I want to

be the best that I can be and see how

far I can go with basketball. I love

challenges and competing.





Basketball—West Linn, OR

Sports Sprout



Payton: Yes, I have had many people

give me great advice. I believe most of

my advice comes from my dad. He

gives me consistent advice on how to

improve my basketball game. He also

gives me great advice on how to be

the best person I can be.

Editor: If you were to play basketball in

college, what would be the biggest

difficulty you would have to face to

change your game? Why do you think

this is so much more of a factor at the

next level?

Payton: The biggest thing I would need

to get better at is defense. At the

college level I believe that is the

hardest thing for players to adjust

to. The players are bigger, faster

stronger and I believe that is the

biggest adjustment. Although I have

been preparing for this by working

on all aspects of my overall explo-

siveness.

Editor: What do you think it takes to

be successful in your sport? Why?

Payton: I believe in order to be suc-

cessful you have to have the desire

to be the best. As a player you have

to know your weaknesses and take

criticism. I believe the best players

love being in the gym working day in

and day out on all aspects of the

game.




Payton: The most challenging aspect of

basketball would be getting a team to

play as one. The most satisfying as-

pect is the competitiveness. I am a

very competitive person and I enjoy

the challenge that each game brings.

Payton Pritchard—West

Sports Sprout



Basketball—West Linn, OR


Sports Sprout



NAME Henry Martin

North Lamar HS

Lamar, WI

Coach Ben Bennett


Sports Sprout



Sports Sprout




ball?

Henry: My older brother played and I

just loved the speed of the game. The

sport is very fast paced.



more? What were the outcomes of

your efforts?

Henry: I feel like that should be your

attitude every game. You should leave

everything out on the court every night;

you never know how long you have to

play.



Henry: After I tore my ACL my junior

season my dad told me that life is going

to knock everyone down. You can decide

if you want to stay down, or work and

fight to get back up. That helped me work

hard on my physical therapy so that I

could come back stronger than ever for

my last season.



that person? Why?

Henry: Tim Duncan. I just feel like the

San Antonio Spurs win basketball the

right way and there’s a reason they’ve

been a title contender since his rookie

year. He doesn’t make a bunch of head-

lines like other athletes, but that’s what I

love about him. He’s a champion who is

solely focused on winning.




Henry:

It was when

I tore my

ACL during

practice my

junior sea-

son. We

were only

four games

into the

season

when it

happened

and I had to

sit out and

watch my

team from the sideline all year. I didn’t

know if I wanted to come back, but after

talking to my dad and my coach I knew I

had it in me to come back.





Henry Martin—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout



Henry: Like I said, my parents and my

coach were very instrumental. Along

with my teammates who would play

some pickup games with me after

school to help get me in shape once I

had finished with rehab.


about basketball what would it be?

Why?

Henry: I like the NBA’s 24-second shot

clock. I think the basketball games

would be more fun if they would in-

corporate that to some extent.


playing sports with your schoolwork?

Henry: It’s difficult, but schoolwork has

to be a priority. I doubt I’ll make it to

the NBA or anything, so I need to

make sure I have a good plan for what

I want to do after school.



Henry: Hard work beats talent when tal-

ent doesn’t work hard.



Henry: That I was a hard worker. I put a

lot of work in to getting back to play-

ing form and the reassurance from

others on my team was really nice.



you coming back to play basketball

again? Why?

Henry: The most challenging was all of

the physical therapy. I worked out

with a trainer and would do my own

workouts at home because I wanted

to get back on the court as soon as

possible. It was all worth it as soon as

I got to see the ball tipped off for our

first game this season.

Basketball—North Lamar, WI


Sports Sprout



NAME

Danielle Brinckman

Glastonbury HS

Glastonbury, CT

Coach Joe Finocchiaro


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Danielle Brinckman

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Danielle: I have always been interest-

ed in soccer. I have been playing since I was

4 years old.


achievement in soccer? Why?

Danielle: My ultimate achievement in

soccer would be playing professionally

when I am older because of my love and

passion for the sport.

Editor: Have you taken any risk while



Danielle: Yes I have taken risks. Dur-

ing a tournament game I went up for a

header in the other team’s penalty box on

a corner kick inside of the last 5 minutes

of the game. When I was in the air a girl

from the other team shoved me to

ground right before I was going to head it

and we got a penalty kick. Risking my

body for a header paid-off in the end.

We scored on the penalty kick which tied

the game 1-1, and ultimately won that

game in overtime. It was my header that

helped get us into overtime, otherwise

we were going to lose the game and we

would have never had a chance to win

the conference tournament.



that person? Why?

Danielle: My favorite athlete is Abby

Wambach because of her dedication and

enthusiasm to the sport of soccer. She is

always willing to risk her body for soccer

and get to the ball first. She is relentless

and never gives up.

Editor: If, you select 1-2 things that you


high school girls’ soccer players, what

would they be? Why?

Danielle: I believe my agility and will-

ingness to head the ball separates me

from other players.

My agility and ath-

letic ability allows

me to do some

things others can’t

do on the field, in-

cluding getting to

the ball to head it.

I’m also not afraid

to stick my neck

out and head the

ball where others

may be afraid to do

so.

Editor: What kind of goals do you have

for the next season? Why?

Danielle: I would like to be an All-

Conference and All-State player be-

cause it is an achievement and goal

that I set for myself when I was

younger. I like to believe that it is

within my reach if I stay healthy and

keep working hard.




Danielle Brinckman—Northeast

Sports Sprout



Danielle: I train all year long including

with my club team to keep my soccer

skills up and keep improving, and I run

winter and spring track to keep my

fitness level and endurance high. I

also love doing both.


best game ever. What is it like to

have this feeling, and what can you

compare it to?

Danielle: I must admit, after we won

the championship, I was so excited.

Our whole team had their best game

ever. The only thing that could come

close to that feeling was when I was

named All-State in outdoor track dur-

ing my freshman year.



Danielle: The best advice I have ever

received was from my trainer, Carlos

Silva: “Practice makes permanent not

perfect” he told me, because it re-

minds me that there is always room

for improvement and I should not

stop practicing.




Danielle: A difficult obstacle I had to

overcome was when I was in 8th

grade and I broke my collarbone on

the soccer field. I was stuck in bed for

a week and was not allowed to do

any physical activity for 3 months, in-

cluding play soccer. I started doing

non-contact training as soon as I

could.

Editor: Do you enjoy positive rivalries

with your opponents? Give one ex-

ample why?

Danielle: I love positive rivalries. I al-

ways enjoy playing against my club

teammates during high school season

(many go to different high schools).

We battle on the field and then get

together after the game. I admit it’s

more fun when my team wins.

Soccer—Glastonbury, CT


Sports Sprout



NAME Courtney Hodge

Fishers HS

Fishers, IN

Coach Ben Beasley


Sports Sprout



Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Courtney: I first became interested in

soccer when I saw my sister playing. She

is four years older than me so when I was

younger I wanted to be just like her.



Courtney: At this current time my ul-

timate achievement would be to win a

high school state championship but as I

get older I would love to be a starter at a

D1 college.




Courtney: I feel like every time a play-

er makes a move on a soccer field they

are taking a risk. Each player has to antici-

pate what will happen next and rely on

their instincts to make the right decision.

One instance where I took a risk was

when a player from the opposite team

was dribbling with speed toward me as I

was the last defender. In that moment I

had to decide on whether to step or con-

tain her and I decided to step to the play-

er. The risk was worth taking because I

won the ball and our team was able to

have a counter attack.



that person? Why?

Courtney: My favorite athlete, as

many would say, is Lionel Messi. Not

only is he a great soccer play and athlete

but he is a great leader. Even with all the

success that he has earned he still finds

time to give back to

those who are diag-

nosed with illness that

they cannot afford to

treat through the Leo

Messi Foundation. He

carries himself with

poise on and off the

field and when you

watch him play he is

working just as hard as

any other player on the

soccer field and letting others shine.

Editor: If, you select 1-2 things that you



would they be? Why?

Courtney: One thing that I think dif-

ferentiates me from other high school

girls’ soccer players is my dedication. I

work hard during season and out of sea-

son. Just like I want my teammates to

work hard for me I want to work hard

with for them. By being dedicated it not

Courtney Hodge—Midwest

Sports Sprout



only allows me to improve and be the

best soccer player I can be but also helps

my team be better as a whole.



Courtney: One of my personal goals for

the next season is to improve as an

overall soccer player. That means get-

ting faster, improving my fitness and

improving my foot skills. As a team

my goal is to be cohesive and play for

each other. If we all play for each oth-

er no one will be focused on trying to

take on the other team by themselves.




Courtney: One thing that I currently do in

my training that is a key to my suc-

cess is that I listen to the criticisms

that my coaches have and I try to im-

prove upon them. Another thing that I

do is I work both on my foot skills

and fitness outside of practice. A

player does not become great by only

working at practice.



Courtney: The best advice that I have ev-

er gotten was to never let anyone tell

me I’m not good enough and if they

believe that then prove them wrong.

This is the best advice that I have ever

received because it makes me work

hard and believe in myself that I could

do anything that I set my mind to. I

never want to give anyone a reason to

say I’m not good enough.



was it, and how

did you do it?

Courtney: I have nev-

er really had any

difficult situations

or obstacles in my

life. I also don’t

see obstacles as

obstacles I see

them as a part of

life that you just

have to deal with and move on.


with your opponents? Give one ex-

ample why?

Courtney: Yes, I enjoy positive rivalries

with my opponents because I think

they make a player better because

everyone wants to be better than

their friends on the other team and

you work harder.

Soccer—Fishers, IN


Sports Sprout



NAME Macey Tranter

Notre Dame Academy

Park Hills, KY

Coach David Gronotte


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Macey Tranter

Notre Dame Academy

Park Hills, KY

Coach David Gronotte

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Macey: I have been playing soccer since I

was four years old, but I wasn't really

interested until Roby

Stahl coached me and taught me to

love the game.



Macey: My own ultimate achievement in

soccer would be to play college soccer for a

top division one team.




Macey: Yes, a few years ago in the semifi-

nals of a tournament the game was tied 0

-0 and it was the second half. I am a de-

fender so I usually don't score that often,

but I decided to get forward when my

team had a corner kick and I was right

outside the 18 yard box and the ball came

to me and I scored. Two minutes later

we got another corner and the exact

same thing happened to me in the exact

same spot on the field!! Those were the

only 2 goals scored the whole game



that person? Why?

Macey: Alex Morgan because she is a

great role model on and off the field.

She's so fun to watch, and you can just

see how much she loves the game




would they be? Why?

Macey: I think my

work ethic differ-

entiates me from

other high school

girls’ soccer play-

ers. Another dif-

ference would be

the NDA pro-

gram because I

am surrounded

by great coaches

and teammates

that push me to

be the best play-

er I can be.



Macey: For my next high school soccer

season my goals would be to win

Kentucky State. I was on the team my

freshman year when we won State,

and this past year (my sophomore

year) we came so close. With our

Macy Tranter—South

Sports Sprout



program's depth and dedication I

know we have a great chance.




Macey: I would say a good balance be-

tween fitness and skill training. In or-

der to play soccer you need to be fit

and in good shape, and you also need

to always be working on and improv-

ing your technique and skills.


best game ever. What is it like to have

this feeling, and what can you com-

pare it to?

Macey: The feeling is almost unexplaina-

ble, but what I can say is that it's one

of the best and most fulfilling feelings.

The feeling is incomparable



Macey: Probably to never give up. I know

that's a very common answer, but if

you put that to practice and when the

going gets tough you push through the

adversary, that's where you will find

success.




Macey: The hardest obstacle I’ve had was

probably injury, but I am very blessed to

not have hurt anything serious. I over

came this minor injury just by listening to

the doctor and doing what's best for my

body, but like I said I've been blessed to

not get seriously injured


with your opponents? Give one exam-

ple why?

Macey: Yes, I love positive rivalries be-

cause they bring out positive competi-

tion, which pushes the players and

teams to their best potentials. My high

school has been rivals with Highlands

High School for a

very long time,

and every time we

play them every-

one gets all excit-

ed and the atmos-

phere is awe-

some. Students

from both schools

come out to the

game and form

cheering sections,

and the school

spirit is unbelieva-

ble.

Soccer—Notre Dame Academy, KY


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Georgia Kingman

Saint Francis HS

Mountain View, CA

Coach Dawn Hill

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Georgia: I first started playing soccer

with my dad and sister in the back yard. It

was the first time I fell in love with the sport

and it has been the same feeling for me ever

since.



Georgia: My ultimate achievement

playing soccer would be to play profes-

sionally in Europe or in America. This

would be an incredible experience and I

would love to be able to get there. Play-

ing soccer at that level is a dream of

mine.




Georgia: I haven’t necessarily taken a

big risk in a tournament that specifically

comes to my mind. But I do take the

small risks on the field that a lot of play-

ers could relate to. Sometimes a pass or

a certain decision can be a big risk, but

we need to take them in order to be suc-

cessful.



that person? Why?

Georgia: My favorite athlete is Iniesta

because I love watching him play and I

love to relate to him as a player and learn

from the things he does on the field.




would they be? Why?

Geor-

gia: I train

everyday

no matter

what and I

take no

time away

from soc-

cer. I love

the sport

and I never

want to

take a day

to stop

playing it. I

get the advantage of playing for an ex-

tremely competitive soccer club, which

has provided me with a constantly com-

petitive training environment and taught

me how to train myself.



Georgia Kingman—West

Sports Sprout



Georgia: I want our team to be able

to win CCS and become even better

than we were this year. This year we

did a lot of rebuilding, but the chemis-

try on the team was unbelievable. A

lot of talents that were hidden before

came out this year and I know that

next year we will be able to really uti-

lize those talents to make our team

better.




Georgia: I work hard in every training no

matter what day or who’s watching.

The best players and athletes are the

one’s that are able to work hard for

themselves when nobody is there to

watch or motivate you.


contribute to your success in the

sport, and why?

Georgia: My teammates are a huge part of

my experience as an athlete. My

teammates make every single practice

and game special and memorable. My

teammates are my lifelong friends and

family and I couldn’t thank them

enough for making me the player I am

and the person I am.




Georgia: Throughout the years I have had

various injuries, some of them forcing

me to stop playing and recover. If I’m

injured it is always hard to overcome

sitting out and not being able to play

with my team. Sitting out of a big

game and not being able to be there

for your team is the worst feeling, but

coming out of that you’re always

ready to

be there

for your

team in

the fu-

ture.

Editor: Do

you think

playing

sports is

good

prepara-

tion for

life for

you and your teammates? Why?

Georgia: I think playing sports has taught

us discipline and commitment. Most

people don’t get the same experience

we do and don’t get to learn these

lessons.

Soccer—Saint Francis, CA


Sports Sprout



NAME

Jaime Kutey

St. Thomas Aquinas HS

Overland Park, KS

Coach Carlos Giron


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Jamie: My dad introduced the sport to my

brother and me when we were 4

years old. We played on a coed team

where my dad was the coach.



Jamie: The achievements I have experi-

enced so far in my soccer career have

been many which I am very fortunate

and grateful. The ones that stick out

for me are finishing in third place at

Nationals last year with my club team

and being the lead scorer in my age

group with 5 goals. Another accom-

plishment that I am very proud of is

being recognized as an NSCAA All-

American two years in a row. I am

also proud that so far I have been

able to match the all-time goal scor-

ing record at St. Thomas Aquinas with

79 goals that was set back in 1996.

My goal, of course, is to exceed the

79 to be the loan top scorer and set a

new record for years to come.




Jamie: I would say that as a player I am a

risk taker. If I believe I can get to a

ball, even if it will involve a tackle or

hard challenge, I will do that in hopes

of scoring a goal for my team. Just a

few weeks ago in Iowa, we won the

top bracket of the Tournament of

Champions. In the final I was taken

down twice in the penalty box be-

cause I just was giving it all I had to

make a difference and score a goal to

win. Without my perseverance and

determination to keep pushing myself

toward the goal and creating the

fouls, our

team would

not have won.

Editor: If you se-

lect 1-2 things

that you be-

lieve differen-

tiates you

from other

high school

girls’ soccer

players, what would they be? Why?

Jamie: My speed and ability to finish in

front of goal. I am able to beat many

defenders with my speed and it al-

lows me the opportunity to be 1v1

with the goalie. Many of my goals

have come by drawing the goalie out

and one touching it past them and

passing it into the goal.


Jaime Kutey—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout




Jamie: My main goal is to come into col-

lege as freshman and contribute as

much as possible, score my first col-

legiate goal and be an impact player. I

am hopeful that I will set some scor-

ing records in college as well.




Jamie: I currently work out at Boost

Sports Performance, which helps me

become bigger, stronger, and faster as

well as being a leader in the weight

room. I also practice on my own on

weekends/off days to help my touch.



sport, and why?

Jamie: All of my teammates (high school

and club) push me to run faster, and

work harder for them. Their continued

support on the sidelines and on the

pitch is essential I think, to anyone’s

success as a player.




Jamie: My freshman year a girl treated

me poorly because I came in and took

playing time away from her. I just

brushed it off and showed her I was

the bigger person, and was nothing

but nice to her. I just played my

game and proved that I earned my

spot and deserved to be on the field.

Editor: Do you think playing sports is

good prep-

aration for

life for you

and your

teammates?

Why?

Jamie: I think

soccer has

honestly

been the

center of

my life—

helping me meet so many people,

forming awesome friendships and

learning from good or bad decisions. I

think as I move forward into college,

and into the real world, the experi-

ence of playing a sport has shown me

the importance of friendship and co-

operativeness that we all need in the

future. It has given me the opportuni-

ty to be a leader and be a part of a

team success is based on the ability

to work together and motivate one

another.

Soccer—St. Thomas Aquinas, KS


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Alex Price

Beekmantown HS

Plattsburgh, NY

Coach Ryan Loucy

Sports Sprout



Editor: When and how did you start

playing soccer?

Alex: I started at 4 years old for the

Plattsburgh YMCA – my dad ran the YMCA

programs and was my coach. Later played

for the county ball, then Plattsburgh football

club team.

Editor: What is a unique aspect of soc-

cer that got you interested in playing?

Why?

Alex: I love scoring and helping my

teammates score. I also love to run.

Editor: What skills do you think you still

need to develop to step up to the

next level in your performance? Why?

Alex: Working on adjusting to the

speed of the game with very quick pass-

ing and the physical play as well as the

different styles of play in college.



that person? Why?

Alex: Lionel Messi, he is the best!

Editor: How do you prepare for a game?

Alex: Get pumped with my music,

get some fluids, stretch then play.


for next season? Why?

Alex: Being that I’ll be a freshman in col-

lege, when I get a chance to play I

want to have an impact and show the

coach what I can do. As always try to

help the team win.

Editor: What are

one or two

things you cur-

rently do in your

training that you

feel are keys to

your success?

Why?

Alex: I love to lift

weights and be

strong. I also

play several sports, which helps my

endurance and general fitness. When I

practice I like to practice hard.

Editor: What were some of the highlights

of the last season? What made it so

special for you?

Alex: As a captain, helping to lead our

team to the State Championship game

for the first time in school history. We

were mainly seniors and had played

together for a long time. I also led the

Alex Price—Northeast

Sports Sprout



section in total points as well as was

9th all time in NY for assists in a sea-

son with 29.





Alex: Play hard for the whole game; nev-

er take a play off.




Alex: Since I play midfield and run hard

the entire game, I had a bad issue with

cramping and had to figure out what

was causing it. Besides drinking a lot

of fluids and bananas, I found out that

I needed more magnesium. This end-

ed up almost completely solving the

issue.


good preparation for life for you and

your teammates? Why?

Alex: Definitely! Sports help you realize

that with hard work you can accom-

plish your goals. It also helps you re-

alize that life has its ups and downs

and you have to cope with it.

Soccer—Beekmantown, NY


Sports Sprout



NAME

Christopher Brennan

Copley HS

Copley, OH

Coach David Antal


Sports Sprout



Christopher Brennan

Copley HS

Copley, OH

Coach David Antal

Sports Sprout



Editor: When and how did you start play-

ing soccer?

Christopher: I began playing soccer at

the age of 6, when it was first offered by our

local community sports program.

Editor: What is a unique aspect of soccer

that got you interested in playing?

Why?

Christopher: I think that a unique as-

pect of soccer that got me interested in

playing is how it is nonstop. Unlike sports

such as baseball or football where there

is a break between each pitch or each

play, soccer is continuous.




Christopher: Some skills that I think I

need to develop are the ability to elevate

my teammates play, and also to become

a more dynamic offensive threat. I think

that these skills are very important for me

moving forward in order to succeed.



that person? Why?

Christopher: I can’t say that I have

one favorite athlete, but one of my favor-

ites is Ricardo Kaka. What I admire most

about him is not only his passion for soc-

cer but also his passion for Christ.


Christopher: In preparation for a

game, I typically do the same thing no

matter if I am playing for my high school

team, or my

club team. It

begins with

about a 5-10

minute period

of just passing

with one of my

teammates.

After this, I do

a set of dy-

namic warm-

up stretches

with my team.

Then, the starting 11 will move into a

game of possession which takes us up

until game time.


for nextseason? Why?

Christopher: Next season I hope to win a

state championship with my team. Al-

so, I want to elevate the level of my

teammates as much as a can in order

to help them succeed. Lastly, I am a

2x All-American, and this year I was

named Ohio’s “Mr. Soccer” as well as

Christopher Brennan—Midwest

Sports Sprout



the Gatorade State Player of the Year

for Ohio. I hope to be named the na-

tional high school player of the year

next year.


currently do in your training that you

feel are keys to your success? Why?

Christopher: I believe that the most im-

portant thing that I currently do in my

training is working hard because no

matter what you are doing, the key to

success begins with hard work.


of the last season?What made it so

special for you?

Christopher: Some highlights of last sea-

son included starting our season 20-0

-1 and making it to the state semi-final.

Also, as a team we were recognized

and ranked top 10 in the nation. But,

what made last season so special was

getting to spend it with my team-

mates. I couldn’t have asked for a bet-

ter group of guys to play with and I

think that a lot of our success is due

to being so close with one another on

and off of the field.




Christopher: Two days before one of our

biggest games of the year, against one

of our main rivals, I sprained my ankle

in practice and was questionable for

whether or not I would be able to

play. But, I spent the next day icing

and resting,

then the day of

the game, I had

to get my ankle

triple taped, my

foot barely fit

into my shoe,

but I was able

to play and we

ended up win-

ning the game 5

-1, and I scored

2 goals.




Christopher: Yes, I think that playing

sports is good preparation for life be-

cause it teaches you to work with

others and also to trust others. When

playing soccer, you have to trust your

teammates you cannot play as an indi-

vidual or you and your team will not

be successful.

Soccer—Copley, OH


Sports Sprout



NAME

Louie Aponte

St. Pius X HS

Atlanta, GA

Coach David O’Shea


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Louie: At age 3, my dad signed me up

for a team at the YMCA.



Why?

Louie: The physicality, slide tackling

especially, always drew me to the sport.




Louie: My mental game and speed of

play could always improve.



that person? Why?

Louie: Wayne Rooney because of his

hunger and the way he hustles.


Louie: I get good sleep, I hydrate, I

rest away from the sun, and I listen to

music before I start warming up in order

to prepare mentally.


for next season? Why?

Louie: To make an impact on my college

team and possibly start as an outside

back. I’ll be playing college soccer in

the fall.

Editor: What

are one or

two things

you cur-

rently do in

your train-

ing that you

feel are

keys to

your suc-

cess? Why?

Louie: Push

myself, and

try to put

myself in situations where I am un-

comfortable in order to improve in

those areas. Whether it be putting

myself In tight spaces, posting up for

ball with a man on my back or taking

long range shots. I train the way I

play, plus I practice new skills in or-

der to constantly be improving my

game.

Louie Aponte—South

Sports Sprout





special for you?

Louie: This season was amazing; we had a

rivalry game vs. Westminster who

beat us last year. We whipped them 3

-0 and I had an upper 90 strike with

my weak foot. And then I celebrated

with a backflip and I kind of slipped

because it was wet, but it still looked

good so that was a fond memory I

have. That and beating Woodward in

the semis in front of all our fans, and

being able to score and have a nice

assist as well.




Louie: I couldn’t really finish or shoot that

well at the beginning of the season,

but I just worked and worked at it,

and eventually got better to where I

could score with both feet at anytime

in any game.




Louie: Yes, it helps you explore a bond,

and feeling of desire for one thing

with a group of people that you could

never feel in any other place.


about soccer, what would it be? Why?

Louie: Score off a throw in, because I

have a long throw and I feel as if I

could throw it upper 90 sometimes.

Soccer—St. Pius X, GA


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Homero Morales

Clark HS

Spokane, WA

Coach Steven Woodard

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Homero: I started playing soccer

when I was five years old.



Why?

Homero: I played all kinds of sports

when I was a little kid. I felt like soccer

was the sport that I was most comforta-

ble playing. I also felt like I had a knack

for the game.




Homero: My first touch could always

improve and my heading accuracy. If my

first touch was perfect, I would be able

to do a whole lot more with the ball than

I can do right now. For my heading accu-

racy, I would be able to pass the ball in

the air with my head better and be able

to score more goals with my head than I

normally do.



that person? Why?

Homero: Lionel Messi, he is just

amazing with the ball. Whatever he wants

to do, he does it and with ease. I wish I

was able to do that with the ball.


Homero: I listen to a playlist on my

phone that I have to pump me up inside.

Editor: What kind

of goals do

you have for

next season?

Why?

Homero: I plan on

trying to make

the starting

lineup and play

most of my

games as a

freshman and a

sophomore at

a local community college. I want to

do this because I don’t like to sit on

the bench like most players.


currently do in your training that you

feel are keys to your success? Why?

Homero: I train as hard as I can whenever

I am on the field so I am ready for the

games. “You play how you practice,”

is what I live by when it comes to

soccer.

Homero Morales—West

Sports Sprout





special for you?

Homero: Winning a state championship

for the Chandler Wolves. What made

it so special was it was the first time it

has ever been done for Chandler ever

in its 100 year history.





Homero: Yes, I have. Their advice was to

stop worrying so much and just have

fun when you are playing.




Homero: Yes. Right now I am trying to

overcome an injury that I sustained. I

am trying my hardest to get back into

form, but right now I have to stay off

my feet for as long as possible. It’s

been tough but I know it will be

worth it.




Homero: Yes, because it teaches us re-

sponsibility and helps build trust

knowing that your brother is going to

be there right by your side all the

way.


about soccer, what would it be? Why?

Homero: I would change the rule about

the reaction when it comes to fighting.

In the rules it says the person who

retaliates gets the card. I think that

everyone in the predicament should

get a card on it.

Soccer—Clark, WA


Sports Sprout



NAME Thomas Bartlett

Athens HS

Athens, TX

Coach Ryan Humboldt


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Thomas: I started playing at the

YMCA when I was really young.




your efforts?

Thomas: There was a game last sea-

son against our biggest rivals, and I had 2

goals and an assist and we won 3-0. It

was an amazing feeling to be able to be a

part of every goal in such an intense

game.



Thomas: You have to work for every-

thing; talent will only get you so far.



that person? Why?

Thomas: Messi, he’s the best in the

game and the most fun player to watch.

Soccer is definitely a team sport, but he’s

a player who can really make a huge im-

pact on any team you put him on.




Thomas: My mom died last fall, but

being able to have something like soccer

and my teammates really helped me out.




much do you

think it helped

you?

Thomas: My dad

has been un-

believable

through every-

thing. I hon-

estly don’t

know how he

does it, but

he’s been my

biggest sup-

port through everything.

Editor: Has playing your favorite sport

taught you anything about being

thankful and grateful? Why?

Thomas: I’m grateful for everyday I have

and can spend with my family and

friends. My teammates and coaches

have also always been there for me.

Thomas Bartlett—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout




sports with your schoolwork?

Thomas: It’s tough but school has to

come first.



Thomas: “Everything happens for a rea-

son.” I truly believe that there’s a rea-

son for everything.



you coming back and playing? Why?

Thomas: I never left, but soccer helped

me get over my mom’s passing. My

teammates and coaches gave me

something to focus on and look for-

ward to and I’ll always love them for

that.

Soccer—Athens, TX


Sports Sprout



NAME Crosby Spiess

Great Valley HS

Malvern, PA

Coach Paul Hadzor


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




competing in track and field?

Crosby: My first time ever doing track

and field was when my best friend and I went

out for the team. I don’t think there was a

specific moment that first day that I had

some sort of epiphany and realized, “wow I

love to compete in track”, but from the very

first practice something about the sport and

the simplicity yet intensity of it drew me in

and ever since then I have been hooked.


ment as a track athlete so far? Why?

Crosby: I would say when my

4x800m relay (which I was anchor of)

ran in the Outdoor Pennsylvania State

Championship race in 2014 and placed 3rd.

While a 3rd place finish may not seem like

it would be a big accomplishment it was

for us and that’s because that was the

race that the top three teams all went

sub 9, which is unheard of in high school

track. My team personally ran a 8:56.82,

ranking us 3rd in the state and 4th in the

country that year, as well as breaking our

personal and school record and becom-

ing the 4th best time ever run by a PA

team. The euphoria and total disbelief

after this race was something I will never

forget and I will forever remember this

race as one of the best races and best

days of my life.


competing? What was it, and was it

worth taking?

Crosby: Yes, when I ran my first

800m it was something totally knew and

scary to me as I had previously only ran

400m and shorter. But the next time I ran

the 800m it was on my team’s indoor

4x800m relay and we ended up winning

the state title that

race so yes I would

say it was definitely

worth it.

Editor: How do you

get prepared for

your competition?

Crosby: My

coaches always say

to stay as stress free

as possible and I try

to follow that advice as closely as possi-

ble. That includes avoiding school stress

and family stress and any stress from

friends. Other then that though I just fol-

low my normal routine and eat well and

sleep plenty.


for the next track season? Why?

Crosby: Next year I would like to make it

to outdoor states again and get a

medal. Now I have no idea what

event I would achieve this in, but I

Crosby Spiess—Northeast

Sports Sprout



feel like medaling at outdoor states

would be the perfect cap to an amaz-

ing high school running career.




Crosby: Definitely keeping a routine.

When I have a routine of the same

school, then practice, then homework

and dinner and bed I feel comfortable

in a way. I don’t know how to explain

it but my coaches have always said

how a routine is essential and I hon-

estly believe it is. With a routine you

are able to focus on the tasks you

know you have to do and there is

something comforting in that.




Crosby: I definitely need to work on my

internal pacing. More then once I have

run a race where I will go out way too

quickly to try and catch another team

and then I end up hurting my kick at

the end.



Crosby: This year my coach, Paul Hadzor,

started almost a tradition where be-

fore I ran, while I was waiting for the

first three legs to run their parts, he

would look at me and tap his hand

over his heart and mouth, “run with

heart”. I always loved when he would

say that because

too often we get

caught up in the

politics and the

numbers and all

the other

“extras” of track

and we forget

that we run be-

cause we love it

and we love that

feeling of having an amazing run. So

whenever he would say that to me I

would always be reminded of my love

for the sport.




Crosby: My 4x800m relay as a whole

sort of hit a slump when most of us

weren’t running the times we thought

we should be running and we all got

very discouraged and disheartened for

that time period. But we continued

with our training and we supported

each other and then one by one we

all were able to reach our goal times.

Track—Great Valley, PA


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sandra Brown

Pike HS

Indianapolis, IN

Coach De Dee Nathan

Sports Sprout





Sandra: My current pole vault coach

took me out of regular track practice and

asked if I would be interested in trying pole

vault. It was one of the best decisions I have

ever made.



Sandra: My biggest accomplishment

was placing 6 at the state meet as a

sophomore. It was a big accomplishment

for me because it was a great way to fin-

ish my first year of pole vaulting.



worth taking?

Sandra: I haven’t really taken any risks

that were that big. I’ve taken some minor

risks for example, staying on one of my

bigger poles and trying to be wonder

women instead of listening to my coach.



that person? Why?

Sandra: Jennifer Suhr and Yarisley Sil-

va. I admire Jennifer Suhr because she

was one of the first pole-vaulters I start-

ed watching when I first started. I admire

Silvia although she is not part of team

USA; she is still a black pole-vaulter who

is very successful in what she is doing.

Editor: How do you get prepared for

your competition?

Sandra: I eat breakfast, and lunch. I try

to eat a little snack a couple hours before

I compete. I take naps on

the bus rides and before

jumps at the meet. I listen

to fast music to get me in

the mood to jump also.

Editor: What kind of goals

do you have for the

next track season?

Why?

Sandra: My goal for next track season is

to win state as a team and individually

if it does not happen this year. It is

always the main goal our head coach

sets for us so we strive to accomplish

it.




Sandra: We do something that is called

swings that we do on gymnast rings

that help us get our hips up.

Sandra Brown—Midwest

Sports Sprout






Sandra: The main skill I need to develop

is swinging faster which is my main

focus now and finishing the jump.

Those two things will help me start to

jump higher and improve my perfor-

mance.



Sandra: The best advice I was ever given

is probably when my coach told me

to relax, have fun and don’t

overthink. I’ve used this in my

track life and regular life. Whenev-

er he tells me that it helps my

jumps, I have no idea how, but it

does.

Editor: Do you recall a difficult situa-

tion or an obstacle you overcame?

What was it, and how did you do it?

Sandra: There was a time over the sum-

mer when we were working on my

technique for jumping and instead of

jumping higher heights; my heights

were getting lower each meet. I was

scared and thought I was doing some-

thing wrong. My coach told me it

would happen and to shake it off be-

cause it would pay off in the long run

and it helped tons! After I got the

technique down and just thought

about having fun and doing my best,

everything went back to normal.


successful in your sport, and why?

Sandra: You need to be determined and

focused. You need to be confident

and hard working. Track is a tough

sport that involves physical and men-

tal strength. You have to be ready for

anything that comes your way.

Editor: Do you think competing in track is

a good way of preparing you and your


Sandra: I think track is an amazing way to

prepare for life. It helps you with your

ability to work as a team even though

you all have different jobs you have to

fulfill. Being an athlete in general al-

ready makes your competition level

high.

Track—Pike, IN


Sports Sprout



NAME Makyla Stanley

James Island HS

Charleston, SC

Coach David Lee


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout





Makyla: Track was my second sport of

interest. While I was playing basketball in 7th

grade, a middle school P.E teacher (Joe

Eshelmen) discovered I was fast because as I

stole the ball and ran past the other kids to

make a layup I always ran past the basket,

accidently.



Makyla: My biggest accomplishment

as a track athlete this far was my junior

season when I won my first two individual

state championships and led my team to

our first team state championship title in

school history.



worth taking?

Makyla: I feel as though anyone who

decides to compete in any sport is taking

a risk.



that person? Why?

Makyla: My favorite athlete is Olympic

sprinter Allyson Felix. What I admire

about her most is how humble she is and

how she puts God before everything.


your competition?

Makyla: Every athlete has their way of

preparing themselves to compete. I listen

to music and vision myself doing some-

thing great before every meet.

Editor: What kind of

goals do you

have for the next

track season?

Why?

Makyla: My goals for

next track season

are huge. I would

like to place top

5 in the SEC in

one of my three

events. Also I would like to make the

top 10 performance list at my school.




Makyla: One key thing I try to perfect in

my training is practicing exactly how I

would compete on meet day. I believe

perfect practices make perfect perfor-

mances.

Makyla Stanley—South

Sports Sprout






Makyla: I definitely need the proper

weight lifting skills. Unlike most elite

athletes I have never lifted weights.



Makyla: The best advice I’ve ever given

someone is to never quit. You never

know how close you are to achieving

something. Never give up.




Makyla: The biggest obstacle I’ve had to

overcome before competing in anoth-

er event has been the mental blocks I

get after not performing as well as i

should have in one of my previous

events.



Makyla: It takes a lot of drive, hard work,

and dedication to be successful in my

sport.

Editor: Do you think competing in track is

a good way of preparing you and your


Makyla: Competing in track prepares my

teammates and I for the real world. It

helps with time management, respon-

sibility, cooperation and how to work

toward individual as well as group

goals.

Track—James Island, SC


Sports Sprout



NAME Nia Powdrell

Cleveland HS

Rio Rancho, NM

Coach Tim Flores


Sports Sprout



Sports Sprout





Nia: My grandfather was a college track

and field athlete. My mother was also

a track and field athlete. I was always

interested in their stories about the

sport. When I was 12 I had a conver-

sation with my grandfather and he

told me he believed I would be really

good at it, and I decided to give it a

try.



Nia: In 2014 I had a great season, and

when I ran at the State Track and Field

Championships, I didn’t perform well. I

placed 4th in the 100m and 2nd in the 200

meters, I didn’t even make the podium in

the long jump. I felt I was prepared to

win, that I should have won considering

the regular season I had. My poor perfor-

mance motivated me to work the entire

summer to improve. My biggest accom-

plishment was figuring out how and why I

performed the way I did, and then over-

coming that particular set back and a year

later winning the 100m, 200m, and set-

ting the HS record in the long jump (and

making the podium with 2nd place), being

named the meet’s high point female ath-

lete.



worth taking?

Nia: Yes, at the Metro Championship,

I was experiencing pain in my knee. Alt-

hough it didn’t hurt when I was actually

running, there was some level of pain. It

was definitely risky running in the meet,

but I would say it was worth it. I set two

PR’s in my individual events, and came

away with 4 gold medals and the meet’s

high point female athlete award.



that person? Why?

Nia Powdrell—West

Sports Sprout



Nia: My favorite athlete is USA Track

and Field Olympian, Allyson Felix. What I

admire most about her is her faith, her

humility, and all of her many accomplish-

ments. When I read about her, and defi-

nitely when I watch her run, it motivates

me to work harder to become a better all

-around athlete…on and off the track.


your competition?

Nia: I have to prepare both mentally

and physically before my race. Physically,

I make sure that I train really hard pushing

myself beyond my comfort zone, stay hy-

drated, eat and sleep well. Mentally, I try

to focus on my race not that of my oppo-

nent, the personal goals I have set for

myself, and I try to make sure that I

don’t allow myself to give in to my nerv-

ousness. I listen to really good music!


for the next track season? Why?

Nia: My goals are to continue to improve

my race. The reason is because it is

easy to become complacent once you

become the state’s champion. I don’t

ever want to do that because it will

not prepare me for track and field be-

yond high school. My goals are to

continue to get stronger, work on per-

fecting my race in hopes of getting

faster and my long jump abilities. I

hope to repeat my performances next

year with better marks.




Nia: Currently, I am working with a per-

sonal trainer, who helps me with

strength and technique, as well as

staying in shape and continuing to

care for my body. I would also say

running with my grandfather, who al-

ways shows me ways to improve my

race, and works with me on my men-

tal preparedness.

Track—Cleveland, NM

Sports Sprout





Nia: The best advice I was ever given by

my mom was to focus on myself and

run MY race. I spent a lot of time

worrying about my opponents and

their race. It would distract me from

my focus and ultimately my race. My

mom pulled me aside one day and

said, “You are not running against an

opponent, you are running against the

clock, focus on yourself, and your

race.” It changed the way I think

about each event.




Nia: I think the most difficult situation I

have ever overcome is running at the

USATF Junior Olympics National

Track Meet. I had been winning all of

my races in New Mexico, and I

thought that was what the level of

competition was like everywhere.

When I made it to the national com-

petition I met a lot of athletes who for

them track and field had always been

a major part of their lives; this was all

new to me. I wasn’t prepared for rac-

ing at that level and I was filled with

fear. Right before the race I began to

cry and tell myself there was no way I

could run in this race. I felt I would be

humiliated and never want to run

again. My grandfather came over to

me and said, “You can do this, don’t

worry about it and have fun”. I didn’t

want to let him or my mom down be-

cause we had come so far, so I

sucked it up and ran the race. I

gained so much experience that day

that I still carry with me now.



Nia: Hard work, and fully understanding

track and field. It isn’t just as simple

as training then running. There are so

many components to putting together

Nia Powdrell—West

Sports Sprout



a solid event no matter what the

event is. It takes understanding that

50% is physical and 50% is mental,

and you have to be prepared. Well, I

would say that is true for most things,

but in my sport it is what I work on to

ensure success.

Editor: Do you think

competing in track

is a good way of

preparing you and

your teammates for

life? Why?

Nia: Absolutely! This

sport teaches you

how to overcome

obstacles from

mental and physical

fatigue, to injuries. It

teaches you how to

prepare for those

moments that may

not always work

out the way you

had hoped, and

how to pick your-

self up and try

again. That is what track and field has

done for me. I have suffered the big-

gest disappointments and success in

the past 5 years, but I would say both

have taught me how to make the tran-

sition from the field to my life.

Track—Cleveland, NM


Sports Sprout



NAME Cayla Nikodemus

Faith Lutheran HS

Las Vegas, NV

Coach Dan Kober


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout



Editor: What first interested you to com-

pete in track?

Cayla: I was always fast as a child so

we knew I had potential in that area. As I

already competed in sports during the fall

and winter season, to keep myself in

shape and busy I found track to occupy

myself in the springtime. Yet, as time

passed, track ended up becoming my

number one priority over my other activi-

ties.

Editor: Can you recall a meet that you



your efforts?

Cayla: The state championship my

senior year, after already setting a new

meet record with my 4x400 relay team

and finishing first in the long jump, I want-

ed to conclude my high school career

strong and give my last race everything I

had. I left everything out on the track in

my 200-meter race not only winning, but

also beating the previous state record I

had set myself in 2014.



Cayla: A quote I always look to for

inspiration within the athletic field as well

as every other aspect of life: “When I

stand before God at the end of my life, I

hope that I don’t have a single bit of tal-

ent left, and say, I used everything you

gave me” –Lana Del Ray



that person? Why?

Cayla: My favorite athlete is a college

track runner who is exceptional in almost

every event. Jenna Prandini sets a great

example to young

girls like me, exem-

plifying great love

for competition and

a humble attitude.

Editor: Do you re-

call a difficult

situation or an

obstacle you

overcame?

What was it, and

how did you do it?

Cayla: Most of my struggles came

from lack of confidence and mental

toughness. Although my body knew what

to do, my worry and overthinking brought

me down and got in the way. In order to

overcome this obstacle, I focused more

on visualization and mental rehearsal over

actual physical practice. Doing this helped

me imagine the process of the activity,

before it actually occurred.

Cayla Nikodemus—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout



Editor: Who were the people that gave

you support and encouragement dur-

ing this difficult situation? How much

do you think it helped?

Cayla: Talking to my coaches as well as

my parents helped tremendously dur-

ing the difficult times. Getting the is-

sue out in the open and acknowledg-

ing the problem was the first step of

getting back on track. Without their

support and dedication, I would not of

reached the success I did at the end

of the spring season.

Editor: What inspires you to compete as

hard as you do?

Cayla: Acknowledging the talents and

abilities God has given me has estab-

lished pride to glorify him with every-

thing he has blessed me with. I feel a

big responsibility to not only repre-

sent my God but perform my best for

my teammates and school as a whole.


track with your schoolwork?

Cayla: By participating in an extra curricu-

lum activity creates a standard to not

only work hard on the track, but also

excel in the classroom in order to

keep up the grades to compete. Hav-

ing practices and meets after school

as well as on the weekends makes for

no time to procrastinate and be lazy.

A simple schedule and routine helped

me get everything done while still get-

ting to bed in a reasonable manner.



Cayla: The best advice I was ever given

was from my High School jumps

coach. Knowing how competitive I

was, her best advice for me was to

smile and

have fun.

By relaxing

and not

taking any-

thing too

seriously

gave me

the ability

to enjoy myself in the midst of com-

petition.



you coming back to compete again?

Why?

Cayla: Coming back and starting from the

basics is hard, feeling you have taken

steps back and become worse than

where you were before. Although,

looking back at where you started and

acknowledging the growth and pro-

gress that has been made is the most

rewarding aspect of all.

Track—Faith Lutheran, NV


Sports Sprout



NAME Nick Cionci

Great Valley HS

Malvern, PA

Coach Paul Hadzor


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout



Editor: When, and how did you start


Nick: I started competing in 7th grade for

my middle school (Great Valley). My

mom ran track and helped coach

young kids, so it was easy for me to

gravitate towards track. Plus I love the

sport.

Editor: What is it that makes your event

in track and field so unique? Why?

Nick: I don’t have a single event as I am

in 2 relays (4x100 and 4oo), long and

triple jump. I think long and triple are

unique because they are very physi-

cally demanding events that require

you to execute multiple steps in just

seconds, and not as many people do

it. I also run the 200 meter dash oc-

casionally.

Editor: What are your favorite drills dur-

ing the workouts? Why?

Nick: For jumping I like to work on

my pop ups/take offs and my phases for

triple because they’re the most important

parts. For sprints, I like to do 200/300

workouts because it requires mental

toughness, stamina, and speed. I also like

to practice hand offs with my teammates

because it’s a pretty laid back and fun

part of practice.

Editor: How do you get prepared for a

track meet? Is there a specific routine

that you use a day before or morning

of the meet to get ready for it?

Nick: The day before meets I just like

to chill and save my energy, but the day

of meets I love to listen to music, prefer-

ably my old school hip hop, and my R&B

soul music. I’m a pretty laid back kid and

I like to find my groove and stay loose

the day of meets.

I always tell my

teammates and

friends to “stay

cool”.

Editor: What

goals would

you like to

achieve next

season? What

would it take

to achieve

them?

Nick: My goals for all my events are just

to keep improving my times/distances.

I’d like to try to make districts in all

my events. That’s hard to do, but hard

never hurt anybody.




Nick Cionci—Northeast

Sports Sprout



Nick: I also play football, so when I

lift I lift for stamina and also strength

so my body will be able to stay

strong through a football season, and

also be able to last a whole track sea-

son during the Indoor and Outdoor

seasons. I also box when I’m not do-

ing football, which keeps me physical-

ly fit and in tip top shape.

Editor: How are you able to stay focus

throughout the completion in your

event? Why this is important?

Nick: I like to know where I am ranked

and what I have to get to either make

finals in my event or place. This helps

my keep a competitive edge on the

other people competing because now

I know what I have to get and shoot

for.



Nick: Nobody has ever really given me a

piece of advice that has really impact-

ed me, but what I have learned and

taught myself is to just persevere, and

no matter what the situation or the

surroundings you have to stay in the

moment and focus on the task at

hand, but have fun doing it. That’s ba-

sically what my saying “stay cool”

means.




Nick: One example from this past season

is it was one of the first meets of

spring track so it was still really cold.

It was like 39 degrees or something

like that and I competed with a 101

degree fe-

ver be-

cause it

was an op-

portunity

to com-

pete and I

didn’t want

to let my

teammates

down. I

had a real-

ly bad day

in triple

jump and

didn’t run

too well in the 4x100. I was in the last

event 4x400. I was feeling so weak

and I was shivering because I was so

cold and sick. I ended up just sticking

with what I knew best which was just

to stay cool and let my teammates

know that I got this. I ended up run-

ning my best 400 time ever and got

our relay from 4th place to 3rd place

and we ended up with a medal. I

wanted to collapse and pass out after,

but we got the job done.

Track—Great Valley, PA


Sports Sprout



NAME Austin Corley

Adrian HS

Adrian, MO

Coach Matt Cochran


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout





Austin: I started track in 8th grade. My

best friend started track and convinced me

to join the team so we could run together.

From there I fell in love with the sport and

have dedicated myself to it since.

Editor: What is something unique that

you find about your event in track and

field? Why?

Austin: My best events are the hur-

dles, and what is unique about them is

that not a lot of people know how to do

them. Not many schools around where I

live have someone who has real experi-

ence to teach the event. Without some-

one to teach you form, it’s hard to get

into running hurdles.

Editor: What is your favorite event on

the track? Why? Have you tried any

other events?

Austin: My favorite event is the 300m

Hurdles. It’s my best event, which helps,

but what makes it my favorite is the fact

that it’s a difficult event. The 300m hur-

dle has the form factor that makes it

unique, but it also has the endurance fac-

tor. I have tried almost every event and

have done surprisingly well at all of them,

but out of the other events, the 400

would be next on my favorites list be-

cause it is just fun to run and it is very

difficult.



that person? Why?

Austin: I don’t know if I have a favor-

ite athlete related to track or sports that

are more popular because I don’t watch

sports on TV. My

favorite athlete

would involve

motocross ath-

letes because they

put crazy amounts

of work into their

sport. People say

that motocross is

easy because you

are just riding a

bike, but even

with me being in

good shape from track, racing still kicks

my butt.


meet?

Austin: I wouldn’t say I get prepared

for a meet, unless my muscles are really

hurting, then I spend hours rolling out

and icing them. I do however spend large

amounts of time warming up before my

events, which involves multiple exercises.

Austin Corley—Midwest

Sports Sprout





Austin: If I do end up running at the col-

legiate level, I want to drop my times

dramatically and improve on every

event. I want to use the talents and

abilities that I was blessed with to the

fullest. I want to not only make peo-

ple proud and prove what I can do to

others, but prove to myself that hard

work pays off.




Austin: The two things that have contrib-

uted to my success the most in my

opinion are my diet and work ethic. I

do not drink pop at all and I don’t eat

any junk food during the season. I

never take time off; I’m either lifting in

the summer for football or running

and training for track in the winter to

get ready for the spring season.

Editor: What would you do if you were

told that you were selected as the

best high school athlete of all time?

Why?

Austin: I would be shocked of course,

but I would embrace it. I would want

to use my talents to help other high

school athletes. It would be selfish to

have that talent, experience, and ad-

vice and not share it to help others.



Austin: The best advice given to me was

from my current track coach, Matt

Cochran. When I started track, I

would

get tired

and want

to quit.

Coach

would

walk over

to us as

we were

hunched

over in

pain and

say “It’s

all men-

tal. How

bad do

you want it?” Ever since then, I have

applied that to everything I do be-

cause overcoming your mind is the

hardest part of a sport.




Track—Adrian, MO

Sports Sprout



Austin: The biggest obstacle to over-

come is the mind. Your body can do a

lot more than your mind will allow.

To reach down and power through

that wall is a very difficult task, but

you have to do this every single race

and every practice. As for one specific

situation, I would have to say running

with a broken wrist. Freshman year I

broke my wrist across both bones.

The season had just started so I was

running out of time to make it on the

varsity 4x4 team. After about a week

of having my cast on, I started to

compete again. It hurt tremendously

just to move it, but I still ran my hur-

dles and other events to the fullest

capability. I ended up beating out an-

other runner to make it on the 4x4

team just in time to run at districts.

Editor: What’s your favorite movie and

book? Why?

Austin: My favorite movie is Shooter with

Mark Wahlberg because it is an awe-

some action movie but it also shows

the corruption and secrecy within the

government. My favorite books are

from the Merlin series. They are epic

fantasies but still teach remarkable

lessons.

Editor: Do you think competing in track

is a good way of preparing you and

your teammates for life? Why?

Austin: All of my high school coaches

make the comment that the sport that

we are playing will help us with our

life and career. I agree with them

100% because there will be obstacles

in both. There are hardships and

struggles. Things will happen in life

that make you

just want to

give up like in

a sport, but

you have to

dig deep and

power

through. In life

you have to

build relation-

ships, work

with others

and learn to

trust someone. All of these apply to

sports and real life situations. Track

goes a little bit further in this because

you have a team that you want to

make better, but for the most part it’s

individual. You have to learn to suc-

ceed independently. You only get

back what you put in.

Austin Corley—Midwest

Sports Sprout



Track—Adrian, MO


Sports Sprout



NAME Austin Corley

Adrian HS

Adrian, MO

Coach Matt Cochran

Domonique Lewis

Kell HS

Marietta, GA

Coach Guy Clarke


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Domonique Lewis

Sports Sprout





Domonique: I started running when I

was in 9th grade, because I wanted to be fast-

er in football.

Editor: What is something unique about

your event in track and field? Why?

Domonique: The 400 is really a man’s

race. Its easy for the first 300, then in the

last 100 you really have to push yourself

and get your legs up to finish.



other events?

Domonique: Actually my favorite

event is the 200, because it’s long

enough for the runner to have to have

endurance but short enough to were you

have to sprint the whole thing.



that person? Why?

Domonique: My favorite athlete is

Trayvon Bromell, because he is just a

freshmen but won the outdoor NCAA

championship for the 100.


meet?

Domonique: I usually listen to music

and try to focus on my race and stretch a

lot.



Domonique: My goal is break 10.5 in the

100 and to hit 48 or 47 in the 400.




Domonique: I have been working on my

arms, getting my legs up and increas-

Domonique Lewis—South

Sports Sprout



ing my stride.


ment in your event? Why?

Domonique: My biggest accomplishment

is being a part of the 2nd fastest 4x8

team in the state.



Domonique: The best advice I ever got

was from my friend who told me, “If

size mattered, the elephant would be

king of the jungle.”




Domonique: I strained my hamstring dur-

ing a 400 at the 200 meter mark I

pretty much was dragging my leg to

the finish line and I ended up coming

in 4th, but that was the worst pain I

have ever felt, but I had enough men-

tal toughness to finish.



Domonique: I think it takes a lot in terms

of being at the track everyday working

on your craft and getting better.

Editor: Do you think competing in track

is a good way of preparing you and

your teammates for life? Why?

Domonique: I think track is the best way

to prepare you for life because life is

like a 400 or 800. The first part is

easy, but when it gets tough you have

to push through it.

Track—Kell, GA


Sports Sprout



NAME

Aidan Kirwan

Branham HS

San Jose, CA

Coach Tobias McLeod


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout



Editor: When, and how did you start com-

peting in track and field?

Aidan: I started to compete in Track & Field

by the time I was a 6th grader. I was consid-

ered "fast" and enjoyed running despite my

asthma. I wasn't really aware of what the

sport was at the time, and my dad basically

forced me into it, only to later see how right

his decision was in making me do it.

Editor: What is something unique that you

find about your event in track and

field? Why?

Aidan: Although every event possesses its

own unique aspect, the hurdles are significant

in the respect that they require the most out

of athletes. The hurdles are a great physical

challenge (especially the 300/400) but are

also a great mental challenge because they

provide a great intimidation factor to sprint-

ers, and overcoming that fear is a big

achievement in one's steps to becoming a

better individual because this fear is irration-

al; The hurdles are obstacles that stand in

the way of your goal -the finish line- but ulti-

mately if you can't efficiently cross them or

are unwilling to, the negative results are at

your expense. In events such as the

100,200,400 M dash, there is no outstanding

thought that comes to a sprinter's mind be-

sides that of "I need to focus and perform at

my highest level" whereas in the 110, a sprint-

er would have a handful of thoughts includ-

ing how they need to execute their steps to

the first hurdle or accelerate in-between to

maintain their position in the race.

Editor: What is your favorite event on the

track? Why? Have you tried any other

events?

Aidan: My favorite event on the track is defi-

nitely the 110 hurdles, followed by the 300

hurdles. The 110 hurdles is arguably the most

dangerous and exciting race in Track &

Field. The training is pretty straightforward,

yet it seems every hurdler has their own ap-

proach and mindset to this race. In the 300's

comes even greater strategy, where athletes

are given an extra

200 meters to

decide what kind

of effort they will

put into the race,

specifically how

they plan on

coming into the

curve and their

speed consisten-

cy in-between

each hurdle. As a

part of my train-

ing, I am thrown

into various

events including

distances ranging

from the 100 M

to the 400 M and both relays. I also enjoy

high jumping.


meet?

Aidan: My preparation for meets begins up to

days prior, where I do time trials of the

events I have going on (mostly 110 hur-

dles). The night before my competition I find

it important to take an ice bath for various

reasons. Aside from how I prepare myself

Aidan Kirwan—West

Sports Sprout



physically, I find the mental preparation to be

a lot more important. I find music to be the

key distractor from anxiety before the race

and that's crucial in keeping your mind fo-

cused and your thoughts clear.

Editor: What kind of goals do you have for

the next season? Why?

Aidan: Next season is going to be very differ-

ent from any season I've experienced, and

that is because by that time I'll be competing

on a collegiate team. I have some basic goals

however, and that's to maintain low 14's in

the 110's and reach 53' in the 400 hur-

dles. These goals are important in setting me

up for the rest of my college career.




Aidan: Unlike the previous years where I

have been balancing the amount of work I

put into Track, this year I finally have my

season tuned to where the amount of work

is not overbearing or inconsistent. With this

I can concentrate at practice and at meets.

Editor: What would you do if, you were

told that you were selected as the

best high school athlete of all time?

Why?

Aidan: I would relish in the moment and

thank the people who helped me along the

way because such a reward is one that can-

not be cherished alone and there comes a

point in an athletes’ journey where an out-

side source has helped them along the way.

Editor: What was the best advice you were

ever given? Why?

Aidan: I am lucky to have a coach that con-

sistently reminds me that, compared to other

competitors, I don't necessarily not look fast

nor have the intimidation factor like how they

do, but that doesn't mean that I should sub-

sequently be the one who is intimidat-

ed. From this I learned that actions speak for

themselves, not words or appearance, and in

acceptance of this idea I don't let my oppo-

nents' presence distract me.

Track—Branham, CA


Sports Sprout



NAME Austin Laut

Oak Ridge HS

El Dorado Hills, CA

Coach Rob Fairley


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout





Austin: I started competing in track and field

in the 6th grade. How I got involved is a

mere blur however. I believe that I recall my

friends, teachers, and family telling me to try

this sport out. Immediately I loved it

More specifically, I began pole vaulting

my freshman year in high school. When I

walked out on to the field for the first time

after the winter wrestling season, I saw the

pole vaulters flying through the air. In that

moment, I knew I was going to pole vault.

The idea of doing such a unique and adrena-

line-pumping event was exactly what I was

looking for.

Editor: What is something unique that

you find about your event in track and

field? Why?

Austin: Why is pole vaulting so

unique? That's simple. Where else do

you get to sprint at full speed with a pole

in your hand, long jump about thirteen

feet, high jump into the air, practically do

a pull up, flip completely upside down,

and then fall onto a huge pad from six-

teen feet in the air? Pole vaulting is al-

most like a combination of every event in

track and field. Clearly, this event is

unique in itself and stands out on the

track.



other events?

Austin: For the same reasons that

pole vaulting is so unique, it is by far my

favorite event in track and field. I have

tried various other events such as sprints,

throws, high jump, and long jump. These

other events are undoubtedly fun but do

not give me the thrill and physical activity

that pole vaulting does.

Editor: Who is

your favorite

athlete and

what is it

that you ad-

mire most

about that

person?

Why?

Austin: My

favorite athlete

is Renaud

Lavillenie. He is

the world rec-

ord holder for pole vaulting. I admire that

this man defies the odds that are against

him. What do I mean by this? Well, be-

fore Renaud held the world record, it was

thought that you need to be fairly tall and

you need to have a long, straight trail leg

in the vault. Lavillenie is just the opposite.

He is only 5'9" in height and weighs 132

lbs. Also, he has a straight trail leg but

then tucks it into a ball when he flips up-

side down. Needless to say, he has

Austin Laut—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout



changed the way that pole vaulters

around the world have pictured the per-

fect pole vault technique.


meet?

Austin: In preparation for a meet, I

make sure that I have plenty of sweats /

warm-ups, water, food, and sunscreen.

Personally, however, I need my spikes, a

forearm guard, chalk, and a piece of a

broken pole (to practice technique with

while off the pit). Those are critical piec-

es of equipment for me. Then, before I

start competing, I go through my routine

warm ups and stretches. Next thing you

know, I am on the pit and ready to go for

competition. However, one thing that I

never fail to do is pray to God for safety

and success before I compete. I am so

grateful and know that I could not be

where I am today without a strong belief

in my religion.



Austin: For my next season I have large

goals. This year, I am really shooting

for the 17' range. That goal is way up

there, but I figure that I'll never reach

it if I don't strive for it. Being so, I

hope to definitely be in that range

next season and see if I can't get

close to 18'. I hope to improve by 12-

18 inches per year.




Austin: One thing that I do in training is a

designated technique day. Once a

week, my team emphasizes technique

and often won't jump on the pit at all

these days. If you don't

have the basics in your

vault, you won't continue

to jump higher and im-

prove. Additionally, I do

my best to practice pole-

plants with a ten foot

piece of PVC piping at

home before school and

before bed. Another vital key to suc-

cess in practice is to put a bungee at a

height higher than you think you can

go. This way you strive to reach high-

er heights.



Austin: The best advice that I was ever

given was to have confidence that you

can do it. If you don't believe that you

can do it, you won't make it. My dad

always says, "You are a Laut... You

can do it!" I have the blood of my

family members and they have found

Track—Oak Ridge, CA

Sports Sprout



great success in life as well. Also, my

coach and I believe that we can do

this together. "2G" is what we say.

This stands for "together". A lack of

confidence or belief in yourself will

rarely result in success.

Editor: Do you recall a difficult

situation or an obstacle you

overcame? What was it, and

how did you do it?

Austin: One of the most difficult

situations I overcame was be-

coming an Eagle Scout. The

process of doing so took sev-

eral years. This achievement

was by far a difficult task yet

still a very enjoyable process.

By taking it one step at a time

and with the assistance of my

parents and other scouts, I was

able to achieve my Eagle Scout

at the age of 16.

Editor: Do you think competing in

track is a good way of prepar-

ing you and your teammates for

life? Why?

Austin: I think that track and field

is definitely beneficial to me

and my teammates in life skills be-

cause it teaches teamwork, time man-

agement, and balance. Between man-

aging workouts and practices with

studying and homework, a student-

athlete's schedule becomes pretty

full. Thus, the value of balancing one’s

choices and having effective time

management is reinforced. These

skills prepare you for many aspects of

life.

Austin Laut—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout



Track—Oak Ridge, CA


Sports Sprout



NAME Darius Goodwin

Hillcrest HS

Hillcrest, PA

Coach Max Ferrell


Sports Sprout



Darius Goodwin

Sports Sprout



Editor: When did you start playing foot-

ball? What made you want to play?

Darius: I started playing in 2006,

when I was nine years old.

Editor: How would you describe a good

football team?

Darius: A team that plays together

and can keep mistakes to a minimum.



Darius: Hard work and dedication.

Someone is always working as hard as

you.



sport, and why?

Darius: They were my support and

helped me stay driven. We always kept

are goals in sight.


for the next football season? Why?

Darius: Next season I would like to con-

tinue playing at a high level and just

have fun.



keys to your success? How have they

made you a better player?

Darius: I train at least four times a week

and always with an athlete that can

really push me.

Editor: What helps you to focus when

preparing for a game? How are you

able to stay

in your zone

while play-

ing?

Darius: Every

game has a

person or

system that

was a key

for me. I

would un-

derstand

the other

team’s sys-

tem and

work to lim-

it the places they would normally

have success.


to younger athletes in your sport, and

why?

Darius: To never give up or stay down. I

broke my leg this last season, but you

just have to face adversity and attack

it.

Darius Goodwin—Northeast

Sports Sprout






Darius: My senior season was cut short

due to an injury. I worked hard to

beat it and never

let it keep me from

my dream.

Editor: Do you think

playing football

prepares you and

your teammates for

life? Why?

Darius: It taught me

how to come to-

gether as a group;

to operate and

trust each other for

one common goal.

Editor: Were there

any games last sea-

son that particular-

ly stuck out in your mind or are excit-

ing to think about? Why?

Darius: Our first game last season was

against a big rival. I played the exact

game I planned. We won it, and sen-

ior year so I will always remember. I

was also able to be a part of three

state titles.

Football—Hillcrest, PA


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Carter Linton

Clarkston HS

Clarkston, MI

Coach Kurt Richardson

Sports Sprout





Carter: I started playing football when

I was in third grade. My dad and cousin

played football and I was interested in the

game.


football team?

Carter: A good football team is one

that collectively has a good work ethic,

positive attitude, and is able to work to-

gether towards a common goal. Also it

must have coaches who know the per-

sonnel of the team and are able to put

players in the position that will benefit

the team most.

Editor: What’s your favorite drill that you

go through in practice? How do you

think it benefits players at your posi-

tion?

Carter: My favorite drill in practice is

the Oklahoma drill because it allows for

close range blocking and tackling that

simulates a real game time situation.



person? Why?

Carter: My favorite athlete is Ray

Lewis because I admire his leadership and

his ability to make quick decisions on the

field. Also, I admire his attitude and inten-

sity that he brings to the field; it’s conta-

gious throughout the team.

Editor: In what

ways did your

teammates

contribute to

your success

in the sport?

Why?

Carter: My

teammates are a

major factor in

my personal suc-

cess because

without them

doing their assignments, I can’t get mine

done. They are there when I need them

and help keep me motivated.

Editor: How important is strength and

conditioning to you? Can you de-

scribe how it has changed your game?

Carter: Strength and conditioning is a

huge factor in the game of football.

Without strength, I wouldn’t be able

to shed blocks and make tackles.

Without conditioning I wouldn’t be

able to keep going play after play.




Carter Linton—Midwest

Sports Sprout




Carter: I focus on the mental aspect of

the game as much as the physical as-

pect. Understanding plays and know-

ing my assignments has helped me by

giving me confidence in my perfor-

mance. As my old coach used to say,

“smarter plays faster.”



able to stay in your zone while play-

ing?

Carter: My love for the game and know-

ing that losing a game hurts helps to

keep me motivated on the field.


to younger athletes in your sport, and

why?

Carter: Hard work truly pays off and if

you are willing to dedicate yourself to

the sport you love then success will

find you.




Carter: In ninth grade my coach wanted

to move me from fullback to offensive

line. I didn’t want to but I looked at

the bigger picture, put my own needs

aside and did it for the team.

Editor: Do you think playing football pre-

pares you and your teammates for

life? Why?

Carter: I truly do believe that playing

football prepares me and my team-

mates for life because it teaches us

discipline,

strong work

ethic and

teamwork

which are all

useful skills

in life.

Editor: Were

there any

games last

season that

particularly

stuck out in your mind or are exciting

to think about? Why?

Carter: Playing for my second state title

at Ford Field against Saline was a

game that stood out to me and is ex-

citing to think about because I realize

that I have the opportunity to win my

third state title in three years and go

undefeated for my fifth year in a row!

Football—Clarkston, MI


Sports Sprout



NAME Samuel Jordan

Park Hill HS

Knoxville, TN

Coach Harrison Hughes


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout





Samuel: I started playing in fourth

grade. I had played flag football and was

ready for the real deal. My friends were all

starting that year, so I did as well.


football team?

Samuel: A good football team is will-

ing to make sacrifices for the better of

the team. They are eager to buy into the

system and work hard while doing so.

Most importantly, they have fun.




Samuel: I plan on continuing my base-

ball career in college. To do so, I will

work out, perform various fielding/hitting/

pitching drills, and focus on eating better.

I want to be the best I can be, and never

be satisfied.



person? Why?

Samuel: My favorite athlete is Adrian

Beltre because he has a love for the

game he plays and is a leader.

Editor: Do you currently have a record

that you are extremely proud of?

How did you get it?

Samuel: I have been extremely

blessed to be on three state champion-

ship teams (two football; one baseball).

We accomplished those feats by working

hard day in and day out.

Editor:

What

kind of

goals do

you have

for the

next

football

season?

Why?

Samuel: As a

senior,

this was

my last,

and I do not plan on playing football

in college. I wouldn’t change a thing

that happened during my football ca-

reer.





Garrett: I work out in the weight room,

Samuel Jordan—South

Sports Sprout



but stay limber by stretching and run-

ning. Strength is huge in football, but

it was important for me to maintain

flexibility. Sleep is also very important

to rebuild and prepare for the next

day.




ing?

Samuel: I have the mindset that I will do

my job, and there is nothing my oppo-

nent can do to stop me. This, along

with a focus on my breathing, helps

me stay relaxed and in the zone. It’s

about being relaxed and confident.



Samuel: That’s tough, because I’ve re-

tained a lot of advice I’ve received. I

guess it’s, “Don’t let anyone outwork

you,” because you’re not the only

person going for a certain goal.




Samuel: This year we lost to a team by

over 30 points. It made us realized

that we weren’t invincible, so we

shook it off and went back to work.

Editor: Were there any games last sea-

son that particularly stuck out in your

mind or are exciting to think about?

Why?

Samuel: We played John Tyler in the

state semifinal round. They were huge

and talented and didn’t shake our

hands at the beginning of the game.

We were projected to lose, but end-

ed up putting together the best game

of the season. It’s always a good feel-

ing to make a statement by proving

others wrong.

Football—Park Hill, TN


Sports Sprout



NAME Travis Lockhart

Hamilton HS

Chandler, AZ

Coach Steve Belles


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout





Travis: I started playing football when

I was 6 years old in Texas and have played

every year since then. I started with a season

of flag football and decided to put the pads

on after that. Football has been in my family

as far back as I can think. My great-

grandfather played, my grandfather played,

my father played, and I have been throwing

the ball with my family since I could walk.


football team?

Travis: One that has good team-

chemistry and a family atmosphere. One

that is always challenging each other to

get better. One that focuses on winning

as a team instead of winning as individu-

als. A good team can handle adversity. It

is easy to play when you are ahead, but

the best teams are not fazed when they

have to play from behind.



Travis: In order to be successful in

football it is important for a team to de-

velop a strong culture of trust. Each per-

son needs to focus on doing their job and

trust that the guy to their left and the guy

to their right are equally focused and pre-

pared on doing their job. Furthermore,

each team member needs to have trust in

the experience and advice provided by

the coaching staff. A team that doesn’t

have this type of trust does not have the

ingredients to be successful in the “team

sport” of football.



person? Why?

Travis: One of my

favorite athletes has

always been Peyton

Manning. He has

been a very success-

ful quarterback in

both college and in

the NFL due not only

to his athletic ability,

but also due to his

mental preparation

for every game. I admire his preparation,

work ethic, and ability to act as a coach/

leader on the field to help his team win.



sport, and why?

Travis: My teammates are critical to

my success in multiple ways. We all hold

each other accountable to focus and

work hard during the off-season to en-

sure we are well prepared for the upcom-

ing season. We challenge each other on

Travis Lockhart—West

Sports Sprout



the field and in the classroom to bring

out the best in one another. Our team is

like a family and we are working together

to accomplish our objective of being

State Champions.


for the next football season? Why?

Travis: We lost in the State Champion-

ship last season, so I think all of us

are very focused on bringing the Ari-

zona State Championship back to

Hamilton High School. As a senior, I

want to be a key leader for our team

and help us to be well prepared for

each game and to execute at the high-

est level in each game. I would like to

excel academically and in football and

hope to receive an offer to play foot-

ball at the collegiate level.





Travis: I work with a quarterback coach

on the weekends to improve my foot-

work, release and accuracy. These

additional sessions also help me work

on timing with my receivers. I am also

working with a speed coach to help

improve my speed for situations when

I need to run. Finally, I am spending a

lot of time in the weight room with

my teammates – we are all trying to

improve our strength and flexibility to

improve our performance on the field

and to help prevent injuries.




ing?

Travis: During the

week prior to

a game, we

spend a lot of

time watching

film. I like to

study our op-

ponent’s de-

fense and

watch for

weaknesses

that we can

exploit and to

see where

their

strengths are. There are a lot of nu-

ances you can see when watching

how defenders set up and how they

react to various formations. I spend

time in the evenings during the week

before the game visualizing how we

will run plays that we have planned. I

find that running through scenarios in

my mind and anticipating what de-

fenders may do and how I will react

helps me when I get into the actual

playing situation. On game day, I like

to listen to music before the game

and continue to think through the

plays we are going to be running and

Football—Hamilton, AZ

Sports Sprout



go through how I plan to respond to

various things that could happen dur-

ing the game. Once we hit the field, I

am very focused on executing the

game plan, listening to what my

coaches are seeing and recommending

and feeding off the positive emotions

from my close friends and teammates.


to younger athletes in your sport?

Why?

Travis: My biggest recommendation is to

stick with the sport of football. I have

played baseball and basketball and

believe they are both great team

sports. However, I believe football is

really the ultimate team sport. You

have 11 people on offense and 11 on

defense that all have to do their part

individually and collectively in order

to have a successful outcome. I would

also recommend that you make the

most out of each season you are play-

ing. Even if you are not the starter

each season, you can take away a lot

from what you learn in practice and

by watching the person starting in

front of you and the decisions they

make – both right and wrong. Every

season and off-season presents an

opportunity to learn and improve – so

take advantage of each situation you

are in to learn and improve.




Travis: I think the biggest obstacle I have

had to overcome in football has been

when I have not been the starting

quarterback and had to play second-

string or rotate series. It is hard to

build momentum and get into a

rhythm when you are in and out of

the game.

When I have

been in those

situations, I

have always

done my best

to prepare for

each game as

if I were going

to start and I

have stayed

mentally en-

gaged in each

play of each

game. I think that taking this approach

has provided me a lot of chances to

learn and has helped me to stay en-

gaged and do well when I am needed

during the game. I had a lot of playing

time during my junior season and

learned a lot from both the time I was

in the game, but also learned a lot

from watching my predecessor and

the situations that he was in.

Travis Lockhart—West

Sports Sprout



Editor: Do you think playing football pre-

pares you and your teammates for

life? Why?

Travis: I think football is great for prepar-

ing my teammates and I for life. This

is one of the key reasons my parents

have always encouraged me to play

football. It is the ultimate team sport

– it teaches you how to work with a

large group of other people in order

to accomplish a common goal. You

don’t have to be best friends with

everyone on the team, but you need

to learn how to work with everyone in

order to play well together. You learn

how to play through mistakes and

keep pushing forward – to never give

up. You learn the importance that

mental preparation and hard work

plays in achieving you objectives. No

matter what career I ultimately

choose to pursue, I know that working

well with others, never giving up,

mental preparation and hard work will

be key ingredients to my being suc-

cessful.

Editor: Were there any games last sea-

son that particularly stuck out in your

mind or are exciting to think about?

Why?

Travis: We had a lot of games/situations

that stick out in my mind – especially

going to the state championship.

However, I think the game that sticks

out the most in mind is a game we

played against Valley Vista. In that

particular game, our starting quarter-

back was hurt in the first quarter and I

got into the game to help lead the

team. As a backup, many of the times

I had been in before that game, we

had a lead in the game. In this case I

had several consecutive series, was

able to get into a rhythm and help

drive the team down the field for two

scores and gain the lead. It was a

great feeling to see how my team-

mates pulled together in that situation

and gave me a lot of confidence that

helped me the rest of the season.



Sports Sprout



NAME

Jeff Terrell

Newport HS

Newport, KY

Coach Harvey Whitman


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




playing the football?

Jeff: My dad coached both of my older

brother’s peewee teams, then when I was

old enough he coached mine.




your efforts?

Jeff: Every game you play you have to

give it everything you have on every

down. Every down is a chance to score.

There was a game though last season, it

was the de-facto district championship

and it seemed like every play we ran we

were able to get a first down.



Jeff: “You get what you put in.” Every-

one’s trying to get a scholarship or be the

best at their position, but you have to put

the work in for it.



that person? Why?

Jeff: Aaron Rodgers, there’s just no

other quarterbacks playing at the level he

plays at right now.




Jeff: I had taken a hard hit in the first

half of our district championship game

and had to come back into the game. Af-

ter the half I was in a lot of pain, but was

still able to throw the ball. Our team was

down 17-14 before I came back in for the

second half.

Thanks to

my offensive

line and be-

ing able to

lean on our

running

backs, I only

had to at-

tempt 7

passes the

second half,

and they

were all

completions

with two

touchdowns. We won the game and it

was the greatest game I was ever a part

of.





Jeff Terrell—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout




Jeff: My coach and teammates were the

only ones that were really there at the

moment, but I owe a lot to our offen-

sive line for being able to keep me

from taking hits. Our running backs

deserve a lot of credit for grinding to

get yards too.

Editor: Has playing your favorite sport

taught you anything about being

thankful and grateful? Why?

Jeff: After taking that hit, I ended up with

a bruised ribcage. I realized how

quickly a career in this sport can end

and why it’s so important to always

take care of your body.


playing football with your school

work?

Jeff: I don’t know, I guess I always saw

schoolwork as being pretty easy, but

whenever I get to college I know I’ll

have to start studying a lot more.



Jeff: After we won the game to take dis-

trict, my coach said I had the heart of

a champion.



you coming back and playing football

again, and why?

Jeff: My hiatus didn’t really even last a

quarter, but it was a different feeling

playing through such a severe injury

and being successful despite it. It defi-

nitely made the win all the more satis-

fying.



Sports Sprout


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Sports Sprout, Issue #4