Sports Sprout, Issue #5

Issue #3 May 2015 Page 1

Sports Sprout

H.S. Sports Magazine

ISSUE 5

July 2015

Sports Sprout H.S. Sports Interviews’ Magazine

“Being cool is one thing…

Being the best at what you do

is way cooler.

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


Sandra Cecil

Nominated Athlete

Cali Holt

Northeast

Jael Johnson

Midwest

Jewel Walters

South

Alexis Dirige

West

6 12 16 20

Sarah Howard

Nominated Athlete

Alayna Gribble

Northeast

Savannah Buck

Midwest

Kelsey Marshall

South

Savannah Lewis

West

28 32 36 40 46

Robert Carrollton

Nominated Athlete

Mikael Smith

Midwest

Christian Thomas

South

Michael Wilson

West

58 62 66

Taylor Reynolds

Nominated Athlete

Lydia Roy

Northeast

Kennedy Turner

Midwest

Lauren Fry

South

Julia McGivern

West

70 74 78 84 88

Volleyball

Girl’s B

asketb

all

Boy’s

Basketb

all

Girl’s S

occer

JD Brent

Northeast

TABLE OF CONTENTS

24

50 54


Sports Sprout


Boy’s

Soccer

Girl’s

Tra

ck / X

C

Boy’s

Tra

ck / X

C

Footb

all

Skye Harter

Nominated Athlete

Alan Hargreaves

Northeast

Zach Lane

Midwest

Jacob Jerles

South

David Loya

West

92 96 102 108 112

Erin Morrison

Nominated Athlete

Tab Wismer

Northeast

Brenna Rohnkohl

West

116 120 130 134

Jarel Shaw

Nominated Athlete

Rashad Medaris

Midwest

Lane Inwards

West

140 144 152 156

James Owens

Nominated Athlete

Todd Heinkle

Northeast

Desmond Jones

South

Randy McLaughlin

West

160 168 172 176

Meghan Janssen

Midwest

Mary Stewart Wilson

South

James Gregoire

Northeast

Derrick White

South

Chad Foley

Midwest

126

148

164


Sports Sprout


Cali Holt

Granby Memorial HS

Granby, CT

Coach Dave Sprowson


Sports Sprout


Sports Sprout



Editor: How did you first get interested

in playing volleyball?

Cali: My sister started playing in high

school when i was in 7th grade. I went to all

her games and was instantly hooked. I had

played softball all my life, but stopped in 8th

grade. I started practicing with a travel team

of girls my age and really got into it freshman

year on my high school and travel teams.

Editor: What would be your ultimate

achievement in volleyball? Why?

Cali: I think I achieved the ultimate

achievement this year. A lot of people

would want MVP or some other individu-

al award but mine came as a team effort.

We went 26-0 this season with winning

our conference and states. I don’t think

anything could ever compare to that feel-

ing. I made all-conference team twice and

all-state team once, along with numerous

regional achievements on my travel team.

Just recently we became the top 18s team

in the region of New England. It was the

best two seasons I’ve ever had!

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?

Cali: We did a lot of work on plyo

boxes and conditioning to get us more in

shape and jumping higher. My coach

would make me go until I couldn't

breathe sometimes doing block after

block and approaches. He would hold

balls on the other side of the net and

make me grab them without touching the

net. He would block us with shovels and

folding chairs to make us reach higher

and lean around the block. He taught me

how to run flares and slides to give me

more of a hitting range. I came in as a

freshman with an 8ft standing reach and a

9' 5" jump reach. At the end of senior

year I could jump reach 9'11". Every drill

and all my coaches taught me obviously

helped.

Editor: De-

scribe your

best game

ever. How

did it feel?

What fac-

tors might

have con-

tributed to

it?

Cali: My

best game ev-

er is a tie be-

tween the

state finals and

the regional

semi-finals. The regional semifinals was

definitely my best game if I really had to

choose. My travel team was playing a

team we had rivaled for 4 years and we

had come in second to them every time.

We would work our whole practices on

how to beat them and pull a part every-

thing they did. It always ended in them

beating us in 3 sets. We would win the

first and they'd come back and win the

next 2. But this day was different. It was

our last game possibly ever playing to-

gether and we wanted to go out there

Cali Holt—Northeast

Sports Sprout



and play like a real team. We started

off just like before with winning the first

and them taking the second. It came

down to 3rd set, as usual. We started off

in a deficit but we put our heads back to-

gether and really worked hard with every-

thing we had. We executed our final

points and it was the most amazing thing I

ever witnessed. We had finally done it.

We beat them and it was the most amaz-

ing feeling. The parents were all on their

feet screaming and we were all smiling

bigger than ever. We decided that we

wanted to go out with a bang! It was our

last time together and we made it worth

it!

Editor: If you select 1-2 things that you

believe differentiates you from other

high school volleyball players, what

would they be, and why?

Cali: First off I have the height ad-

vantage. Second, I have some of the most

dedicated coaches a girl could ask for.

Going into volleyball as a 6'1" girl is like a

stereotype that you’re going to automati-

cally do well. It was hard at first learning

how to use it to my advantage, but soon I

was unstoppable. My high school coach

saw the immediate potential I could bring

and worked hard with me to help me find

it. There were times I cried and argued

with him, but in the end it was all worth

it. He really shaped me into the athlete

I’ve become today. Along with my travel

coaches, my skills were fine tuned into

true mastery. I still have lots to learn in

college, but without their dedication and

true care for my teammates and myself, I

never would have gotten to where I am

today. Behind every good athlete are sup-

portive parents and coaches who have

pushed all the way.

Editor: What helps you to focus when

preparing for a game? How are you

able to stay in your zone while play-

ing?

Cali: We would go into a corner of

the school or whatever place we were

at and we would sit in

a circle and all close

our eyes and listen to a

compilation of inspira-

tional sports movies

quotes or speeches.

Most of the quotes

were from Friday Night

Lights. I can quote the

whole thing word for

word and I will think of

it forever. In those mo-

ments of peace and

serenity we became an

unstoppable force. We

all silently agreed that

in this moment we were going to go

out on that floor, be a team and play

as a machine. I still listen to the com-

pilation before any big event in my

life. It's truly inspirational.

Editor: What are one or two things you

currently do in your training that are

keys to your success? Why?

Cali: I do my best to stay in shape. I’m

on my feet all day at work at Six Flags

and I do a lot of dancing there too.

Keeping active out of season is defi-

nitely a challenge. In the three months

of this past season I lost 30 pounds.

Volleyball—Granby Memorial, CT

Sports Sprout



During travel season I kept it off, but

now it's starting to come back a little.

I don’t have the best eating habits, but

I do my best.

Editor: How do you prepare for an up-

coming tournament? Do you have a

special routine that you follow?

Cali: I get a lot of sleep and prepare

my food for the weekend. That's

about it. I’m not really a strong believ-

er in special routines or preparing for

those kinds of things. The most im-

portant things for me are food and

sleep.

Editor: What kind of advice can you give

to younger athletes in your sport, and

why?

Cali: Follow your dreams and do your

absolute best! If you can’t master cer-

tain skills now, that's okay. You've

got a long way to go. I’m a newly

graduated senior and there's still

things I’m learning every minute I’m

out on the court. It's going to be hard

and there may be times you want to

quit, but I promise if you stick with it,

it's going to be worth it in the end!

Editor: Do you recall a difficult situation

or an obstacle you overcame? What

was it, and how did you do it?

Cali: Ask anyone on my team, any

coach or my parents and they will tell

you I am the queen of injuries. I’ve

been on crutches 6 times with numer-

ous rolled ankles, a broken toe, and a

muscle injury to my knee, I have ten-

donitis is my ankles, I’ve had 2 con-

cussions, I damaged a nerve in my el-

bow, messed up my wrists and fin-

gers, and gotten too many floor burns

and bruises to count. It was definitely

hard wearing an obnoxious knee brace

all of freshman and sophomore year

for games. It was the most amazing

day when I could finally play without

it. Having to sit out of a few major

games with a concussion during travel

season this year was tough too. I

learned the hard way you have to re-

ally heal before you can play at 100%

again. I know that volleyball is a dan-

gerous sport, but I’m not going to let

that stop me. Every ounce of blood,

sweat and tears left out on that court

is worth it.

Cali Holt—Northeast

Sports Sprout



Volleyball—Granby Memorial, CT


Sports Sprout


Insert Two Page Picture Here

NAME Jael Johnson

Avon HS

Avon, IN

Coach Scott McQueen


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




in playing volleyball?

Jael: All of my life, I dreamt of becom-

ing a professional women’s basketball player.

I grew up knowing nothing about the game of

volleyball. I began playing volleyball in mid-

dle school, but never really considered taking

the next step. After many influences, I decid-

ed to try out for a club team. I knew that if I

ever wanted to become a decent volleyball

player, it would require a ton of work and

dedication. This, being only my second year

on a club team, has totally transformed my

life, all for the better. I fell in love with the

game and haven’t looked back.

Editor: What would your ultimate

achievement be in volleyball? Why?

Jael: My ultimate achievement in vol-

leyball would have to be becoming the

best possible player and teammate that I

could be. I would love to have the

chance to play in college and possibly

after college, but right now I accept my

role. I want to take the chance I have and

run with it.

Editor: Have you taken any risks while

playing in a tournament? What was it,

and was it worth taking?

Jael: Well, I feel that while playing in

volleyball tournaments there are always

risks. If you truly give all that you have

every single game of every single tourna-

ment, there are risks involved. Personally,

I take every game as an opportunity to

play something that I truly enjoy and that

is such a blessing. By risking my body

playing volleyball, I am fulfilling my

dream.

Editor: Who is your favorite athlete and

what is it that you admire most about

that person? Why?

Jael: My

favorite ath-

lete is Drew

Brees for mul-

tiple reasons.

First of all, he

is an out-

standing play-

er on and off

of the field.

Secondly, he

has had many

major set-

backs, like all

great athletes, and the way he responds

to those adversities is remarkable. His

faith is always strong, which is a key part

of my life. I admire him a lot.



high school volleyball players, what

would they be, and why?

Jael Johnson—Midwest

Sports Sprout



Jael: High school volleyball is a very

large part of my life right now. Some peo-

ple do not take it as seriously as I do, but

every chance I have to play or get better I

want to take it. I have a very competitive

spirit, but I also feel that I have a positive

attitude. I hate the fact that while playing

volleyball some people get down on

themselves. Everyone has their “off” days,

but nothing is worse than seeing your

teammate or whole team become upset. I

try my best to help build our team up and

sustain a positive atmosphere.

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?

Jael: I don’t really have a set routine nor

do I hope for the best. I am not su-

perstitious, I just go out approaching

each game as another chance to be-

come a better player.




Jael: Training can be one of the toughest

parts of any sport. Keys to my training

is to always, ALWAYS, give every-

thing you have. You have to be moti-

vated every time you enter the gym.

Whether it is the big game you lost

last season or the fact that someone

is doubting your success. Always start

and finish each workout strong.

Editor: You probably felt great after your

best game. What is this feeling like

and what can you compare it to?

Jael: The feeling that you get after an

amazing game is indescribable. Your

adrenaline is still pumping and you are

super hyped from the atmosphere.

Just having your team, your coaches,

and your family all supporting you is

extraordinary. It is hard comparing

such an amazing feeling like that to

anything else.

Volleyball—Avon, IN


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Jewel Walters

Warhill HS

Williamsburg, VA

Coach Gregory Koon

Sports Sprout



Editor: How did you first get interested in

playing volleyball?

Jewel: My older sister played volleyball

when she was little and I would always go to

her games and be so interested in the idea of

serving and hitting, I thought it was awesome.

Whenever my sister had free time I would

always try to convince her to pass a volley-

ball around with me or set with me. I then

began playing in the recreational league when

I was about 9 and ever since then my love

and admiration for volleyball grew over time.

Editor: What would your ultimate achieve-

ment be in volleyball? Why?

Jewel: I would have to say winning the 2014

VHSL State Championship, my sophomore

year. It’s amazing to see how all the hard

work and effort we had put in paid off and

the feeling was indescribable. What made the

experience even better was coming back

from a loss in the previous state champion-

ship. I knew we had the ability to win this

year, and when we actually won I felt so ac-

complished and I felt that our team as a

whole achieved so much. Not many people

can say they won a state championship or

have state rings; it’s really an honor. The

same year I had also made first team all-

conference, first team all-region, as well as

first time all state for the first time. It’s a

memory I will treasure forever.

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

lieve differentiates you from other high

school volleyball players, what would they

be, and why?

Jewel: I think the 2 main things that separate

me from other high school volleyball players

are my vocal skills and my quickness. Liberos

are expected to be the loudest players on

the court as well as the quickest. I’m natural-

ly an outgoing person so being loud and vo-

cal is not an issue for me. I love helping out

my hitters by letting them know what spots

are open when they're hitting. As for quick-

ness I’ve loved running and doing sprints. I

always go to the track or run the trail when I

can and it’s very beneficial when it comes to

volleyball. I have a strong mindset that I can’t

let any ball touch the

floor. It works very effec-

tively.

Editor: What helps you to

focus when preparing for a

game? How are you able

to stay in your zone while

playing?

Jewel: Before a match I

always listen to music.

Sometimes intense motivational songs, some-

times slow meaningful songs, I just always

have to be listening to music. It helps me get

focused and get into the volleyball mindset.

During a match I honestly block everything

out that doesn’t relate to what’s happening in

the game. I focus on my technique and my

fundamentals. I focus on reading the hitter so

I’m in the right spot when the ball is hit. I fo-

cus on my serve receiving more than anything

else, it comes with being a libero. It’s easy to

imagine that no one is actually in the gym

watching the match. It’s just you and the oth-

er team.

Editor: What are one or two things you cur-

Jewel Walters—South

Sports Sprout



rently do in your training that are keys to

your success? Why?

Jewel: I play other sports as well. I play soft-

ball and basketball and I also like to run. I

think softball and just running on the track

frequently helps with my quickness. I know

that basketball helps with not being intimi-

dated by the size or strength of a hitter. Do-

ing other sports keep me conditioned so

when we end up playing a 5 set match for

school I never get exhausted to the point

where I can’t focus.


best game. What is this feeling like and what

can you compare it to?

Jewel: A great game I had that comes to

mind was the state championship. After win-

ning and knowing I gave my all and did really

well made me feel so proud of myself. I

guess I could compare the feeling with get-

ting a 5 on an AP Chemistry exam. If you

didn’t know AP chemistry is a tough class

and the exam itself would probably make

you want to cry. Getting a 5 on the exam

would make you feel nothing but joy, which

is exactly how I felt after the state champion-

ship game.

Editor: What kind of advice can you give to

younger athletes in your sport, and why?

Jewel: My advice to younger athletes that

play volleyball would be that in order to suc-

ceed you sometimes have to accept failure.

As contradicting as that sounds it’s a true

statement. Younger athletes need to under-

stand that there are going to be times where

they're going to fail. The only way to be suc-

cessful is to learn from the obstacles that

you stumble upon. They give you more

knowledge and experience, which will help

you conquer the same obstacle when faced

again.

Editor: Do you recall a difficult situation or

an obstacle you overcame? What was it, and

how did you do it?

Jewel: Last year I was the

player who would melt

under pressure. If it was

a close game and I made

a mistake I would get

down on myself and

make several critical mis-

takes consecutively. It

was definitely an Achilles

heel of mine.

Editor: Do you enjoy positive rivalries with

your opponents? Give one example why?

Jewel: I absolutely love rivalries with my op-

ponents especially when there are girls I

know on the opposing team. It really brings

out my competitiveness. A great example

would be whenever we play Jamestown High

School. They are our biggest rivalry in our

conference. We are both great teams who

have outstanding volleyball players, which

makes the game itself extremely intense. I

enjoyed playing them because most of the

girls on my club team, play for Jamestown

and its nice to play against teammates you’ve

always played with. My craving to win always

increases whenever I play them.

Volleyball—Warhill, VA


Sports Sprout



NAME Alexis Dirige

Sacred Heart Cathedral HS

San Francisco, CA

Coach Margi Beima


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Alexis Dirige

Sacred Heart Cathedral HS

San Francisco, CA

Coach Margi Beima

Sports Sprout



Editor: How did you first get interested in

playing volleyball?

Alexis: Since I was little I was always around

volleyball. My sisters played club volleyball

so I was always in the gym watching them

play.


achievement in volleyball? Why?

Alexis: My ultimate achievement in volleyball

would be to set many records in college

and to help lead my team to an NCAA

title.

Editor: What are your favorite kinds of drills

that help increase your reaching range? How

much do you think these drills have im-

proved your overall game?

Alexis: As a passer I usually don't reach for

balls because it's really important to get my

feet to the ball!

Editor: Describe your best game ever. How

did it feel? What factors might have con-

tributed to it?

Alexis: My best game ever was at nationals

this past summer. The energy in the gym was

great and it was such an intense match. It

was my best game ever because I was doing

everything I could to help my team win.

When we needed a good pass I executed the

pass. When we needed a tough serve I got

an ace. Everything was just falling into place.

I think my calm energy contributed to my

stellar performance.



school volleyball players, what would

they be, and why?

Alexis: My ability to lift up my teammates

when they are down is something that I

greatly value about myself. I'm a selfless

player which means that even if I'm having

the worst game of my

life, I can't get in my

own head. I have to

make sure my team-

mates are having the

best game of their life.

Editor: What helps you

to focus when preparing

for a game? How are

you able to stay in your

zone while playing?

Alexis: When preparing

for a game I like to listen to the sounds of

the gym and absorb the energy of the gym. I

really try to take in the atmosphere and in-

tensity of the gym to help myself get used to

it.


rently do in your training that are keys

to your success? Why?

Alexis: I currently lift a lot and really try to

get stronger every day. I've realized that get-

ting stronger greatly affects my performance

on the court. I also try to eat as healthy as

possible and I also try to run a lot.

Alexis Dirige—West

Sports Sprout



Editor: How do you prepare for an upcom-

ing tournament? Do you have a special rou-

tine that you follow?

Alexis: To prepare for an upcoming tourna-

ment I always hydrate a couple days in ad-

vance. I also try to go to sleep early so that I

can be used to waking up early in the morn-

ing for a tournament.

Editor: What kind of advice can you give to

younger athletes in your sport, and

why?

Alexis: I think it's very important for younger

athletes to be coachable. No matter how

good you think you are, there's always

something new to learn.


an obstacle you overcame? What was

it, and how did you do it?

Alexis: When I was 14 years old I tried out

for the USA volleyball high performance

team. Fifty girls were chosen to compete for

a spot on five different teams based on skill

and ability. I really wanted to make the top

team and I did! The team was very competi-

tive and I was ecstatic that I made it. On the

first day of practice I wasn't doing well and

my confidence automatically dropped. I was

scared and intimidated. I told my mom that I

wanted to quit and go home. I told her I was

too scared. My mom didn't let me go home

and told me everything would be okay. On

the first day of the tournament I played

amazing! I ended up having a great experi-

ence and I'm so thankful that my mom

pushed me to stay.

Editor: How do you think volleyball and

competition prepares you and your

teammates for life? Why?

Alexis: I think volleyball teaches you com-

mitment and dedication. Having to follow

rules really sets responsibility.

Editor: Do you enjoy positive rivalries with

your opponents? Give one example

why?

Alexis: I love rivalries with my opponents! I

play club volleyball with a completely differ-

ent group of girls that I play with in high

school. So when I play high school volleyball

I play against all

my friends from

my club team. It's

awesome and so

much fun!

Volleyball—Sacred Heart Cathedral, CA


Sports Sprout



NAME Sandra Cecil

Hollybrook HS

Hollybrook, WA

Coach Tina Barber


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




playing volleyball?

Sandra: My parents set up a beach

volleyball course in our backyard when I was

in elementary school. I always had friends

coming over to play and by the time I got to

middle school and could play on the team I

was already in love with the game.

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?

Sandra: There was a tournament in

Salem that we played in and we were on

fire from the first serve. It’s always great

to have the entire team playing well be-

cause it makes the game that much more

fun.

Editor: Have you ever experienced that

you were at your personal limit while

playing in a game or working out?

How does it feel, and why was it so

hard to press on?

Sandra: Yes, but if you don’t push

yourself past those limits, you’ll never

grow in to the player that you have the

potential of being.



that person? Why?

Sandra: Kevin Durant, I think he’s one

of the most fun players to watch in the

NBA and it’s crazy how well he can

shoot for his size.




Sandra: Yes, my junior season I took a

ball to the

face and

broke my

nose. I had

to wear a

plastic face-

mask for the

rest of the

season,

which made

it more diffi-

cult to play.

Editor: Who

were the people that have given you

support and encouragement during

this difficult situation? How much do

you think it helped you?

Sandra: My coaches and teammates knew

I was frustrated with having to adjust

to playing with the facemask but they

encouraged me the whole time.

Sandra Cecil—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout



Editor: What inspires you to play volley-

ball as hard as you do?

Sandra: My love for the game. I’m very

competitive and want to be the best

at everything I do, but when it’s

something you already love doing like

volleyball, it just makes it that much

more fun.

Editor: How are you able to balance

playing volleyball with your school

work?

Sandra: It’s not always easy, especially

around midterms when projects are

due and you have a bunch of exams

to take, but school always comes first.

Editor: What was the best advice you

were ever given? Why?

Sandra: “Failure isn’t falling down, but re-

fusing to get back up.” Things might

not always feel like they’re going your

way but you haven’t lost anything until

you’ve given up.

Editor: What is the best compliment you

have ever received? Why?

Sandra: When I first started playing com-

petitive volleyball my coach told me I

was a natural and I don’t know why,

but I’ve always remembered that.

Editor: What would you say is the most

challenging, and satisfying aspects of

you coming back and playing volley-

ball again? Why?

Sandra: I didn’t really lose any playing

time, but I was very happy to be able

to play without the mask. The biggest

problem is how fogged up they can

get and if it’s not on perfectly it’ll

move around. It was just difficult to

focus on my game when it was on.

Volleyball—Hollybrook, WA


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Alayna Gribble

Norwin HS

North Huntingdon, PA

Coach Brian Brozeski

Sports Sprout



Editor: What got you interested in playing basketball?

Alayna: I started playing in 2nd grade

and just really loved it so I kept practicing

and playing.

Editor: What is your biggest accomplish-

ment as a basketball player so far?

Why?

Alayna: Winning the WPIAL AAAA

championship this year and advancing to

the final four of the state playoffs. Our

school has never won a WPIAL champi-

onship so our team made history.

Editor: What has been one of the best

teams you ever played against? Why?

Alayna: Cumberland Valley. They are

a very talented team and play together

well.


what do you admire most about that

person? Why?

Alayna: Candice Parker. She is an

amazing player and has led her teams to

championships. I like the way she plays

and try to play the game the way she

does.

Editor: Have you ever disagreed with a

referee during a game? How did you

handle yourself?

Alayna: There have been many times I

have disagreed with referees, but I

learned early in my playing career to not

get upset over referees and just play my

game. You can only control one thing and

that is yourself and how you play.

Editor: When are you the most focused:

while you are playing in a game, or

during the workouts and practice?

Why?

Alayna: I am

very fo-

cused dur-

ing games

but I am

also fo-

cused dur-

ing practic-

es and

workouts

as well.

When you

are focused

in practices

and

workouts

the games

tend to just come to you because you

have worked so hard in practice.




Alayna: I spend a ton of time on develop-

ing my basketball skills. I think more

kids need to focus on getting better at

fundamentals instead of only playing

games. Because I have worked on my

skills I feel like I perform better in

games.

Alayna Gribble—Northeast

Sports Sprout



Editor: What inspires you to play as hard

as you do? Why?

Alayna: I always strive to be the best

player on the court. I don't play the

game of basketball just to play. I play

to be my best and to win.

Editor: What was the best

advice you were ever

given? Why?

Alayna: Work as hard as

you can every single

day because there may

be someone out there

working harder.

Editor: Do you recall a

difficult situation or an

obstacle you over-

came? What was it,

and how did you do it?

Alayna: People always said

I wasn't athletic

enough. I worked really

hard on my skills and

fundamentals to over-

come what I may lack

in athleticism.

Editor: If you had to pick

another high school

athlete that you consider to be the

best, who would it be, and why?

Alayna: Kelly Jekot, I like how she plays

the game.

Basketball—Norwin, PA


Sports Sprout



NAME Savannah Buck

Homestead HS

Fort Wayne, IN

Coach Kent Mitchell


Sports Sprout



Sports Sprout



Editor: What got you interested in playing

basketball?

Savannah: I began playing basketball in 3rd

grade and my inspirations were my dad,

grandpa, and older sister. My dad played bas-

ketball throughout his childhood with the op-

portunity to walk on at Ball State University.

My grandpa coached men’s college basket-

ball at Huntington University. Both of them

were constantly hoping I would play from a

very young age, just like my sister did. My

older sister, Sydney Buck, loved the game as

well and what younger sister doesn’t want to

be exactly like their older sister?

Editor: What is your biggest accomplishment

as a basketball player so far? Why?

Savannah: As a basketball player, my biggest

accomplishment is reaching the Indiana high

school girls basketball State Championship

this past year as a Junior. This accomplish-

ment has been an aspiration since I first be-

gan playing at Homestead High School. Alt-

hough we ended up losing the State Champi-

onship game, it is a memory I will never for-

get and the biggest accomplishment of my

career.

Editor: What has been one of the best teams

you ever played against? Why?

Savannah: Columbus North is one of the

best teams I have ever played against simply

because of Ali Patberg who is the 2015 Indi-

ana Miss Basketball player. She is an amazing

player who allows her teammates to contrib-

ute on the floor as well which makes her and

her team deadly. A single player can’t beat a

team, but Ali was a player who is smart

enough to understand that as she drew the

help, even though she could take it herself

every time, she could kick it out to her team-

mates for open shots.

Editor: Who is your favorite athlete and what

do you admire most about that person? Why

Savannah: My favorite athlete is Steph Curry.

His quick trigger, court

awareness, and passing

abilities are some of the

things I admire most

about him. Curry under-

stands how to play

team basketball, where-

as most other players

enjoy the one on one

and clear out type

games.

Editor: In what ways did

your teammates con-

tribute to your success in the sport? Why?

Savannah: All of my teammates contributed

to my success in basketball whether they

played 32 minutes or barely got to see the

floor. On and off the court my teammates

were family who encouraged me when I did-

n’t have my best games, but celebrated with

me in my better games. For the players who

didn’t get to play as much, they contributed

by going hard every day at practice and chal-

lenging me defensively throughout the sea-

son. Without all of my teammates I wouldn’t

be as successful or the same basketball play-

er as I am today.

Savannah Buck—Midwest

Sports Sprout




rently do in your training that are keys to

your success? Why?

Savannah: Overall, lifting would definitely

have to be a key to my success as a player.

Without this type of training I wouldn’t be as

strong on the floor and also would get in-

jured more easily. Lifting not only makes you

stronger but also prevents major injuries. An-

other successful component of my training

would be how hard I work in practice and

workouts. This is key to my success because

every time I step on the court it needs to be

game-like in order for me to transfer my abil-

ities in my workouts to game situations.

Editor: What inspires you to play as hard as

you do? Why?

Savannah: I play hard because I want to play

hard. I’m extremely competitive and will my

way to victory. Disappointing my teammates

or my coaches is not something I like to do

so they inspire me to play hard as well. I

don’t want to be on the bench because I’m

not playing hard, and I definitely don’t want

to lose a game by not playing hard. I play

hard because I do not like to lose or let peo-

ple down.

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

cessful in your sport? Why?

Savannah: Hard work and dedication is what

it takes to be a successful basketball player.

If you’re not in the gym every day getting

shots up, working hard, or pushing yourself

to your limits, you will not be successful. If

you want to be the best, you have to train

like the best. People who out work you are

simply going to be better than you because

practice makes perfect. Without a good work

ethic and some dedication to the game it is

hard to be a great basketball player.

Editor: What would you say is the most chal-

lenging aspects of basketball? The most sat-

isfying aspects? Why?

Savannah: Under-

standing the game

as a whole. Even

some outstanding

basketball players

still have yet to

completely master

and understand

the game. You

don’t need to be a

great basketball

player to under-

stand the game

and you don’t have

to understand bas-

ketball to play; but

if you understand the game, that’s what will

get you to the next level. The most satisfying

aspect of basketball would have to be all of

the little kids who look up to you and want

to be like you. They are the people who

push me to never give up and be the best

that I can be on and off the court. Obviously

winning championships and tournaments are

satisfying as well because they validate all of

the hard work that you did.

Basketball—Homestead, IN


Sports Sprout



NAME Kelsey Marshall

Miami Country Day School

Miami, FL

Coach Ochiel Swaby


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout



Editor: What got you interested in play-

ing basketball?

Kelsey: My brother, Khyle. The type of

work he put in and the things that he’s ac-

complished made me want to work even

harder to be better than him.



Why?

Kelsey: For me, being able to come

from a different high school program and

not winning anything to coming here to

this program and being able to win a state

and national championship.

Editor: What has been one of the best

teams you ever played against? Why?

Kelsey: Elizabethtown High School

(KY) because of how good they are fun-

damentally.



person? Why?

Kelsey: LeBron James because of how

hungry he is to get better at what he

does best.

Editor: Have you ever disagreed with a

referee during a game? How did you

handle yourself?

Kelsey: I disagree with a lot of refer-

ees. What I try to do is ask the referee

what it is that I did.

Editor: When are you the most focused:

while you are playing in a game, or

during the workouts and practice?

Why?

Kelsey: During a game because when I am

playing I’m so focused on winning.

Kelsey Marshall—South

Sports Sprout






Kelsey: Working on my shot and being

able to shoot off the dribble and driv-

ing to the basket.

Editor: What inspires you to

play as hard as you do?

Why?

Kelsey: To be the best that I

can be so I can show out

from the other players.

Editor: What was the best ad-

vice you were ever given?

Why?

Kelsey: “Don’t try to be like

anyone else, do what Kel-

sey Marshall does best.

Editor: Do you recall a difficult

situation or an obstacle you

overcame? What was it,

and how did you do it?

Kelsey: When my team was in

a big game against Potter

House and I wasn’t able to

get my shot going, I had to

find other ways to help my

team win.

Editor: If you had to pick an-

other high school athlete

that you consider to be the

best, who would it be? Why?

Kelsey: My teammate Channise Lewis. I

like her style of play and how she can

be a clutch player at anytime against

any team. She is able to put our team

on her back.

Basketball—Miami Country Day, FL


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player Savannah Lewis

Oaks Christian HS

Westlake Village, CA

Coach Kenneth Plummer

Sports Sprout





Why?

Savannah: Unlike most players my

age, I didn’t start playing serious club

basketball until the end of my freshman

year. Because of that, my transition from

eighth grade to ninth grade, high-level

varsity basketball was extremely chal-

lenging. I had to not only play catch up to

the rest of these incredibly talented girls,

but I had to reverse my whole mindset

and approach to the game. My greatest

accomplishment was overcoming that

time gap and receiving the Most Improved

Player award at the end of the year. I re-

member clearly wanting to quit playing

basketball because I felt completely left

behind, but thankfully I was able to per-

severe through all that difficulty. My

school coach really motivated me to take

basketball to the next level, as well. He

expected the best from me and pushed

me, and because of him, I do have a de-

sire to play college basketball.

Editor: What does it take to become the

very best basketball player in the

world? Why?

Savannah: I think it takes much more

than natural, God-given talent to become

one of the best basketball players in the

world. A great basketball player needs to

have a great work ethic along with a

sense of humility, meaning they’re always

open to learning new things and changing

some aspects of their game. I once heard

that if someone thinks they know every-

thing, they actually know nothing, so

keeping an open mind is essential to their

success. A great player also needs to

have heart, which is something that can’t

be coached.

Editor: Who is your fa-

vorite athlete and what

do you admire most

about that person?

Why?

Savannah: I have two

favorite athletes, and both

are in the NBA: Blake

Griffin and Stephen Curry. Though the

two players couldn't be any more differ-

ent, there's aspects of both their games

that I would love to add to mine. Griffin

is an absolute beast out on the floor, and

I really admire how he penetrates the key

with so much power and speed. He's al-

so great in terms of defense and re-

bounding, and a game rarely goes by that

he doesn't get a double double. Curry is

definitely more of a guard, with excellent

ball handling skills and a shot that can't

be beat. The goal for me is so turn into

this guard that can both drive and shoot,

but drive with power and shoot with pre-

cision.

Savannah Lewis—West

Sports Sprout



Editor: What are your favorite drills dur-

ing your workouts? In what ways have

they helped improve your game?

Savannah: One of my favorite things

to do at practice are competition drills,

especially one on one and two on two

drills. When you're out there by yourself,

it makes the problems that you need to

work on suddenly very obvious to you,

and from there it's easy to fix. I've

learned through these types of drills that

I need to improve my ball handling skills

and get a stronger upper body, and cur-

rently I'm putting in a lot of work to im-

prove in those areas. There's a name for

a drill that incorporates conditioning and

small teams that my school coach does

constantly: the Indiana Drill. Usually, dur-

ing a hard practice, that's the last thing

any one of my teammates would want to

hear, but I've learned to see the upside

to it.

Editor: In what ways did your teammates

contribute to your success in the

sport, and why?

Savannah: Having a great point guard is

essential to having a successful team,

and in all the years I've played at my

school, I've been blessed to have

Katie Campbell and Milana Kazmer on

my team. They’re both incredibly self-

less players, and often they create

scoring opportunities for everyone

else on the court. You could call both

of them facilitating point guards. Also,

in practice, their defense is relentless.

When I was a freshman, it annoyed

me how the two of them went 100%

hard at me all the time, but now I'm

thankful for it; they’ve both helped me

become a better player by overcom-

ing the defense in front of me. They

both demanded the best from me.

Editor: What are

one or two

things you cur-

rently do in your

training that are

keys to your

success? Why?

Savannah: Lately,

I’ve been train-

ing very hard on

my ball handling

and shooting. These skills will be es-

sential to playing basketball at the

collegiate level. At my height, I would

be a slightly above average heighted

guard, which means I couldn’t solely

rely on my inside game to thrive. Be-

cause of that, expanding my game

would give me more college options.

Those skills would help me be more

well-rounded: I can drive or shoot if I

have a defender larger than me, or if I

have a smaller defender, I can post

her up.

Basketball—Oaks Christian, CA

Sports Sprout



Editor: Please describe your best game

ever. How did it feel? What factors

might have contributed to the success

of your performance?

Savannah: Even though my team lost that

game, my best game was against Ma-

ter Dei high school. I almost had a

double-double, with ten points and

eight rebounds. That alone is a good

game for me, but what really made

that game feel so much better was

blocking one of Katie Lou Samuel-

son’s shots, the future Gatorade Play-

er of the Year. That moment felt ex-

hilarating for me. I felt as if I played up

to the competition, which happened

to be one of the best teams in Cali-

fornia. I’ve also had games where I

had 15 rebounds, but playing such a

high level team was definitely very

memorable for me.



Savannah: “Listen to what they’re saying,

not how they’re saying it.” Especially

during my freshman year of high

school, I was very hypersensitive to-

wards things I was being told by my

coaches, teammates, and parents. It

really affected me and how I played:

on the court, I was extremely nerv-

ous, and felt as if I was paralyzed. Es-

pecially in tough game situations, a

coach or player might shout some-

thing and sound angry, because

they’re just in the heat of the moment.

Even though I know now that it’s to-

tally normal and ok, the younger me

took the tone that they were saying

things in personally. When I received

that advice from my dad, it opened

my eyes, and I was able to get past

my emotions and respond better to

what was needed from me.

Editor: What are a few qualities you

would like to develop by next season?

How will you improve these aspects

of your game? Why will this help with

your overall success?

Savannah: By the

next school

season, I want

to improve my

ball handling,

and work on

both mid-range

and three point

shooting. Un-

fortunately, in

the past, I’ve

turned the ball

over because I

wasn’t confi-

dent and was second guessing myself,

which might have contributed to a

loss. I’ve also passed up wide open

shot opportunities, once again be-

cause I lacked confidence. By improv-

ing both those aspects of my game, I

will become a harder player to guard,

making me more of an offensive

threat. I’ll improve those areas by

practicing those skills daily, utilizing

both personal trainers and drills I’ve

picked up along the way.


challenging aspects of basketball? The

most satisfying aspects? Why?

Savannah Lewis—West

Sports Sprout



Savannah: I think one of the more

challenging aspects of basketball is all

the multitasking that takes place. Bas-

ketball is such a complex sport, and

I’ve learned that to be successful you

need to be able to do multiple things

at once. One of the most satisfying

things you could feel in the sport is

seeing your hard, independent work

pay off in a game situation. Lately, I’ve

been training with personal trainers

constantly, and in my summer club

season, I’ve expanded my game out-

wards; I’ve been hitting three pointers

in games and breaking presses. It

makes you feel like all the hours and

sweat you’ve put in are paying off.

Basketball—Oaks Christian, CA


Sports Sprout



NAME Sarah Howard

South Bernadino HS

San Bernadino, CA

Coach Carrie Holt


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




in playing basketball?

Sarah: I got into it from watching my

brothers play when they were in high school.

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?

Sarah: Yes, we were competing in a

tournament last season and the whole

day it seemed like I couldn’t miss a shot.

We ended up routing the 3 teams we

played and won the whole tournament.

Editor: Do you have a saying or motto

that you like to share with others?

Sarah: Don’t give up and don’t let up,

especially in a sport like basketball where

things can go in one team’s way very

quickly.



that person? Why?

Sarah: Brittney Griner, she was sensa-

tional at Baylor and really brave for com-

ing out after she went into the WNBA. I

really admire her courage and tenacity.




Sarah: When I broke my ankle, I was

very upset that there was nothing I could

do to help out my teammates. I told them

though that next year is going to be our

year and I’m going to 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 encouragement

during this difficult situation? How

much do you think it helped you?

Sarah Howard—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout







Sarah: My parents and teammates have

been great to me. The ankle is back

and I’ve been playing pick up games

with some of my teammates.


playing sports with your schoolwork?

Sarah: School takes first priority. Basket-

ball is a privilege and if my grades slip

I can’t play.



Sarah: “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 willing to

put in the work to get it.

Editor: What is the best compliment you

have ever received? Why?

Sarah: Between my freshman and sopho-

more year I hit a growth spurt and had

lost some control because of it. I

worked on it throughout the offseason

and then my coach told me my ball

control was some of the best she’d

seen from an underclassman.



you coming back to play basketball

again? Why?

Sarah: I’m look-

ing forward

to the chal-

lenges of

starting a

new season

again. The

seniors are

gone and this

is my chance

to be more

of a leader

for the team.

Hopefully we

can win a state championship.

Basketball—South Bernardino, CA


Sports Sprout



NAME JD Brent

Wapanauka HS

Wapanauka, NY

Coach Gerald Stevenson


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout



Editor: How did you start playing basket-

ball?

JD: My dad played professionally

overseas for a while and started teaching me

how to play since I was little. We play 1 on 1

at least once a week and I still have never

beaten him.

Editor: What is your best achievement

so far in playing basketball? Why?

JD: I’ve lead our district in scoring the

past three seasons, even as a freshman. It

would be very cool to do it again for my

senior year.

Editor: What kind of training would you

recommend to younger athletes on

how to increase their vertical lift for

dunking and rebounding?

JD: We do a lot of things in our

workouts to help us get more air. My fa-

vorite are depth jumps where we step off

a box and jump as soon as you hit the

ground. It helps get your reaction time up

too.

Editor: What is your favorite drill during

workouts? Why?

JD: Shooting drills. I’m a shooting

guard so any chance so I love any oppor-

tunity to work on my shot.



that person? Why?

JD: Steph Curry, it seems like he can

make any basket from half court up

with ease. I’ve been studying the way

he’s able to create his own shot and

have tried to incorporate that into my

game.




JD Brent—Northeast

Sports Sprout



JD: I do cross training and have found

that the more athletic I can get my-

self, in any activity, can work its way

into my basketball game.


as you do? Why?

JD: My dad, I want to be as good as he is

and I can’t wait for the day when I

beat him 1 on 1.

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?

JD: Whenever I’m having a bad night and

my shot’s off my dad will always yell

at me to keep shooting. It doesn’t

matter if the ball goes in or not. As

long as I’m taking good shots I have

to keep putting the ball up there.

Eventually they’ll start to go in.

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?

JD: My ball handling, I’ve had some issues

in the past with turning the ball over,

but I’ve been working on that. In col-

lege the athletes are better; you can’t

give them the ball and not expect

them to make you pay.

Editor: What do you think it takes to be

successful in your sport? Why?

JD: Attitude is

everything.

Not just in

basketball

but life to.

You have to

really want

to be great

or it won’t

happen.




JD: The most satisfying thing to me is

how quick the game is played. If you

messed up you know that you’ll have

the ball back soon with another op-

portunity to score. One mistake isn’t

going to cost you a game.

Basketball—Wapanauka, NY


Sports Sprout



NAME Ryan Daly

Archbishop Carroll HS

Radnor, PA

Coach Paul Romanczuk

Mikael Smith

Ridgeview HS

Cedar Rapids, IA

Coach Dom Nelson


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




ball?

Mikael: I’ve been playing my whole

life. My brothers and I would always shoot

around in the backyard growing up, so once I

was old enough to get on a team I did.



Mikael: Getting a scholarship to play

in college. Not having to ask my parents

to have to pay for my education or me

paying for it myself was the best feeling in

the world.





Mikael: Squats and working out your

legs. It’s one of the last parts of your

body that a lot of athletes and people

forget to really push in the weight room.

You have to do it for basketball though.

Editor: What was your biggest challenge

last season? How were you able to

overcome it?

Mikael: My biggest challenge came in

our district championship last year. I’d

been having issues with getting my free

throws to drop throughout the year and

been working on it a lot on my own. We

were up 1 point with 8 seconds left and I

got sent to the line. I was so nervous but

I made both the free throws, which put is

in position to win.


workouts? Why?

Mikael: I’ve

recently got-

ten really big

into working

out in the

weight room. I

know I need

to put on

muscle if I

want to be

able to hang

with the guys

in college.



that person? Why?

Mikael: LeBron James, he has every physi-

cal attribute to be the perfect basket-

ball player and he’s worked on his

game so much that he can play each

position on the floor. I know he just

lost the Finals, but it was the best

basketball performance I’ve ever seen.

Mikael Smith—Midwest

Sports Sprout






Mikael: One thing I do is work on my

shot outside the gym. You need to

work on aspects of your game that

are weak as much as you can if you

want to get better.


as you do? Why?

Mikael: Getting my college paid for was a

big reason I worked so hard in high

school. Now that I’m going to the

next level I think my inspiration will

be to be competitive for my team and

hopefully I’ll be able to make it pro

one day.





Mikael: My coach is always telling us to

play our game. Don’t let the other

team change your approach or else

you’ve already lost.






next level?

Mikael: Getting bigger, there’s so much

more size at the college level, that

and work on defending better. De-

fense isn’t really a sexy part of bas-

ketball, but the best players can dom-

inate at both ends of the floor.



Mikael: I

think suc-

cess

comes

straight

from how

much

work

your putting in to be successful. You

aren’t just good at basketball unless

you’ve worked to be good.




Mikael: There’s no better feeling than hit-

ting a game winning shot, but if that

shot doesn’t go in it’s the worst.

Basketball—Ridgeview, IA


Sports Sprout



NAME Christian Thomas

Copper Hills HS

Copper Hills, AL

Coach Mike Dupree


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




ball?

Christian: I started playing when I was

a kid. My family went to Atlanta for a week-

end when I was little and we saw the Braves

and Hawks play. I didn’t really care for the

Braves, but I loved the energy around the

basketball game so much.



Christian: Winning all-district for point

guard was a big achievement, but I’d like

to see our team compete for a state title

for my senior season.





Christian: We do a lot of split squats

when we’re in the weight room to help

get our jumps higher.



overcome it?

Christian: We got knocked out of the

state playoffs early last year, I’d like to

see us come back stronger next year.


workouts? Why?

Christian: Ball control drills are really

important to my game. I have to be able

to hold on to the ball and sometimes be

creative to get it where I want for my

team to be successful.

Editor: Who is

your favor-

ite athlete

and what is

it that you

admire

most about

that per-

son? Why?

Christian: Ste-

ve Nash. I

think he’s

one of the

best point

guards to ever play the game.


as you do? Why?

Christian: I want to be the best. Every

champion has had a drive to be the

best in the world at what they did. If

you don’t have that mentality your

already putting yourself in a corner for

what you can achieve.

Christian Thomas—South

Sports Sprout








next level?

Christian: I think the size and speed of

the game at that level would be the

biggest change.



Christian: You have to have a

strong drive to want to work

hard and put in the effort.

Editor: What would you say is

the most challenging aspects

of basketball? The most satis-

fying aspects? Why?

Christian: My favorite thing about

basketball is how high scoring

it is compared to other sports.

It’s not like soccer or hockey

where just having a really good

goalie can keep the other team

from scoring all day. It seems

to have more of a team effort

to it in that sense.

Basketball—Copper Hills, AL


Sports Sprout



NAME

Michael Wilson

Glencoe HS

Glencoe, UT

Coach Pete Young


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Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




ball?

Michael: I’ve loved the game since I

was a kid. I just love how fast paced it is and

the high scoring.





Michael: I would do a lot of jump

rope for a while. If you do that with

weights around your ankles it’ll help build

up the muscles in your legs that you’ll

need to jump higher.



overcome it?

Michael: I had a big shooting slump in

the middle of last season. Coach had

been working on my technique and it

took me a while to get used to some of

his advice. I just tried to make sure I gave

it even more of an effort on defense so

that I could help my team in some way.

After a while though my shots started

going in and I got my confidence back.


workouts? Why?

Michael: Our one on one-layup drills

are really fun. We get really competitive

during this drill and its fun to block your

friends shot when they’re driving in.


what is it that

you admire

most about

that person?

Why?

Michael: Not real-

ly an athlete

but as far as

sports figure

that I really

look up to is

Coach K from

Duke. The

man’s a legend

and has done it all with a lot of class.




Michael: I try to treat practice as if it were

a game. I’m very competitive and

whether it’s a workout or warm ups

or anything I want to make sure I’m

working harder than the guy next to

me.

Michael Wilson—West

Sports Sprout




as you do? Why?

Michael: The thought of getting a scholar-

ship so my parents wouldn’t have to

pay for my college. I know if I work

hard enough I can get it, but if I’m not

willing to put in the time to get better,

someone else will.




court? What was their advice?

Michael: “With hard work there are no

limits.” I believe that if you’re willing

to put in the work to get something or

somewhere you will do it.






next level?

Michael: I think more than anything I’d

need to get stronger. All of those

guys at the next level are bigger and

stronger than me. If I want to be able

to bang around in the paint with them

I’ll need to get up to their size.



Michael: I think you have to love the

game and look at it that way. No one

should get into basketball if they

aren’t passionate about the sport.




Michael: I think the most challenging thing

is each team is different. You may be

one of the best teams in the state but

get beat by a team with an average

record because they matchup well

with you.

Basketball—Glencoe, UT


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Robert Carrollton

Greenville HS

Greenville, WI

Coach Barry Watson

Sports Sprout




ball?

Robert: I started out playing soccer

when I was little, but needed something to

do during the winter so my mom signed me

up for basketball and I’ve been playing ever

since.



more? What were the outcomes of

your efforts?

Robert: I feel like every game I play I

go out and give it everything I have. You

have to be willing to leave it all out on

the court each game to be successful.



Robert: “I can do all things through

Christ.”



that person? Why?

Robert: LeBron James, because he’s

the best in the world.




Robert: This past season I got my

wrist broken coming down for a rebound.

I had to sit out for a while until it healed

enough for me to take a shot.





Robert: My coach

and teammates

were always

there for me.

Most of all

though was my

mom who kept

telling me that

God had a rea-

son for this and

a plan to get me

through it.

Editor: If you could change one rule

about basketball, what would it be?

Why?

Robert: I’d add a shot clock, I feel like

the high school game can get very

slowed down and a shot clock would

be better preparation for college bas-

ketball.

Robert Carrollton—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout




playing the sports with your school

work?

Robert: My mom won’t let me do any-

thing until I’ve gotten all of my

schoolwork done each day. Education

is definitely the priority because if I

can’t play if my grades aren’t good

enough.

Editor: What was the best

advice you were ever

given? Why?

Robert: “If it doesn’t chal-

lenge you, it won’t

change you.” People

have to go through

struggles if they ever

want to get better.

Editor: What would you

say is the most chal-

lenging, and satisfying

aspects of you coming

back to play the basket-

ball again, and why?

Robert: The most challeng-

ing was doing physical

therapy while the rest

of my team was work-

ing on their game. I had

to watch them while I

waited to get healthy. Coming back

though was the greatest feeling, espe-

cially since I knew how much work I

put in to get back.

Basketball—Greenville, WI


Sports Sprout



NAME

Lydia Roy

Waterville HS

Waterville, ME

Coach


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Lydia: I was first interested in playing

soccer around the age of five when I began

to play for the youth program and my love

for the game continued to grow after that.


achievement in soccer? Why?

Lydia: My ultimate achievement in

soccer would be winning the state title

game this past year. After four years of

hard work and dedication winning the

state game in overtime was confirmation

that all the hard work finally paid off, it

was unforgettable. As time went on and it

looked like we would possibly continue

into penalty kicks, like the previous year’s

final, I decided to take shots from the

outside. Fortunately, I was lucky enough

to land the game winning goal right be-

fore the second overtime period. The win

was a team effort, and the unforgettable

season wouldn’t have been possible with-

out the support from my friends, family,

and teammates, who have become the

best friends that I’ve ever had.

Editor: Have you taken any risk while



Lydia: During the state game, I was hit

in the head and had to leave the field

twice due to a cut above my eye that was

bleeding. Seeing as it was my last game

as a high school athlete, I decided I didn’t

care what happened as long as I could

get back on the field. At the end of the

game I needed five stitches and now I

have a scar that will always remind me

about one of the best days of my life.

Editor: Who is your favorite ath-

lete and what is it that you ad-

mire most about that person?

Why?

Lydia: My favorite athlete is

Milan Lucic, from the Boston Bru-

ins, I think that I admire his deter-

mination and perseverance on the ice and

he inspires me to be just as determined

on the field.

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


high school girls’ soccer players, what

would they be? Why?

Lydia: I think the main thing that dif-

ferentiates me from other high school

girls’ soccer players is my tenacity. I nev-

er back down, from anything. I try to

beat players to loose balls and win each

battle every time I step onto the field.

Editor: What kind of goals do you have

for the next season? Why?

Lydia Roy—Northeast

Sports Sprout



Lydia: Since next year I will hopefully be

playing at the collegiate level, my only

goal I truly hope to accomplish is to

make the kind of friends that I have

made over the past four years.




Lydia: One thing that is key to my suc-

cess is conditioning. If I didn’t do ex-

tra running after drills, or train during

the off season, I wouldn’t be able to

keep such a high work rate throughout

the entire game and therefore I

wouldn’t be nearly as successful as an

athlete. I also work on my technical

skills throughout the year in the off

season.


best game ever. What is it like to

have this feeling, and what can you

compare it to?

Lydia: After having a great game I feel

amazing. It’s extremely refreshing, ful-

filling, and exciting and only adds to

my love of the game. It just makes me

hungry for more opportunities to get

out onto the field and try and beat my

previous best.



Lydia: The best advice that I was ever giv-

en was to “tiger up”. This phrase

came from my coach, Ian Wilson, who

would yell to me when I wasn’t play-

ing my best to tiger up. This phrase

helped me rise to the occasion and

fight back, even if we were down by a

few goals. This was the best advice

I’ve ever been given because I can

take it off the field and

use it in real life. Now

whenever I have a bad

day, or I’m having a

hard time with some-

thing, I just remind my-

self to tiger up and to

never give up when

things get hard.




Lydia: I think the hardest obstacle that I

had to overcome was a hip injury last

year. Unfortunately I had a problem

with my growth plates so it wasn’t an

easy fix, in fact the only remedy was

to wait it out, and it took months to

go away. I was unable to run as often

as I would have liked. I had to resort

to training in alternative ways such as

swimming, biking and the elliptical.

Soccer—Waterville, ME


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Kennedy Turner

Fishers HS

Fishers, IN

Coach Ben Beasley

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Kennedy: I tried multiple sports when

I was little and soccer was the only one that

I really enjoyed and decided to continue.



Kennedy: Getting a scholarship to play

at a Division 1 school, because it would

be a testament to the time and effort that

I put into soccer over the years.



that person? Why?

Kennedy: I don’t have a favorite ath-

lete. I admire many athletes for what they

do in the game as well as outside their

sport.




would they be? Why?

Kennedy: I am a very speedy, athletic

player. In previous seasons I played as a

forward and my speed was very beneficial

to the team. Even though I rarely play

that position anymore, I can still use the

speed that I have to run past players in

the center mid position or send it off to

the forwards up top.



Kennedy: Next season I plan to be more

of a leader and mentor for younger

players. I want people to look up to

me because I have good morals and

values. I believe this is important on

and off the

field.

Editor: What are

one or two

things you

currently do

in your train-

ing that are

keys to your

success?

Why?

Kennedy: I stay focused in practice and

pay attention to everything the coach

says because it is very useful on the

field. Also, positivity is very important

because it allows you to keep going

and never give up.


best game ever. What is it like to have

this feeling? What can you compare it

to?

Kennedy Turner—Midwest

Sports Sprout



Kennedy: Playing my best game ever

made me feel like I was a huge con-

tributor to the success of the team. It

was great knowing that I scored the

winning goal in the state semis. That

set us up to play in and win the state

championship.



Kennedy: To use my speed as an

advantage, because as my coach

says, “They won’t be able to

catch up once you’re gone.”

Editor: Do you recall a difficult situ-

ation or an obstacle you over-

came? What was it, and how did

you do it?

Kennedy: I remember a game where

we only had a couple substitutes

and none of them played my po-

sition, so I was in the whole

game. I had to cover a lot of the

field. I adjusted to the situation

and applied pressure where it

was needed on the field to help

my team. I was able to conserve

energy and finish the game.

Editor: Do you enjoy rivalries with

your opponents? Give one example

why.

Kennedy: I enjoy rivalries because it is

basically like a rematch between two

teams. If it was a loss last time you

get another chance to try and beat the

other team. If it was a win you get a

chance to remind them who is the

better team. I also have friends from

different high schools and it is fun to

play against them.

Soccer—Fishers, IN


Sports Sprout



NAME Lauren Fry

Lexington Catholic HS

Lexington, KY

Coach Terry Quigley


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Lauren: I’m really close to my god-

mother’s sons, and they all played soccer at

some point, so I grew up watching the sport.

When I was about four years old I told my

mom that I wanted to play. She said, “But

Elle (my nickname), you don’t know how to

play soccer.” And I immediately responded

with, “Yeah I do, I watched the boys play!”

My parents signed me up that year and I’ve

been playing ever since!



Lauren: My ultimate goal in soccer is

to simply be the best athlete that I can

be. I know that I won’t be able to play at

the highest level, but if I can be the best

player I can for my teammates and coach-

es, that would be the most fulfilling goal

for me.




Lauren: I am a defensive player, so

taking risks is something I hardly do be-

cause it could result in a goal. I do re-

member one game during a tournament,

and it was getting very competitive to-

ward the end because we were tied up.

Not one of my coaches has ever taught

me to slide; they knew that we weren’t at

the level to control the technique cor-

rectly. This girl just came flying down our

right flank, and got past our right back. I

don’t really know what possessed me,

but as she came into the box, I pulled

over and slid down to knock the ball off

her feet and clear it up-line. I realized that

wasn’t the wisest move as I saw the box

line, but it worked well because she did-

n’t get a chance

to shoot.

Editor: Who is

your favorite

athlete and

what is it that

you admire

most about

that person?

Why?

Lauren: It’s so

hard to pick just

one! The first

player that came to my mind was Karl

Anthony Towns. I am a UK fan at heart,

and have followed the basketball team

over this past season. It was inspiring to

see his physical transition alone. He got

leaner and stronger. He also stepped up

when the rest of the team needed him

over this past season. Most importantly,

you can really tell he has fun and isn’t

afraid to let his lighthearted personality

show.

Lauren Fry—South

Sports Sprout



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



would they be? Why?

Lauren: If I had to pick anything that

makes me stand out amongst other high

school soccer players, I would probably

say my loyalty. I’ve stayed with the same

club team for six years and played for my

high school team for four. Once I become

involved, I feel responsible for making it

better. This past fall season, my parents

kept mentioning that I didn’t have to re-

turn, but for me that wasn’t an option.

Editor: What kind of goals do you have for

the next season? Why?

Lauren: Unfortunately, my career in soc-

cer will be ending after this current

spring season with my club team, but

some goals that I will pass on to my

high school team would be to make a

run for state and become the best

versions of themselves, on and off the

field. Our high school team had, in my

opinion, one of the best seasons it

has seen in several years. I truly be-

lieve that they can make it even fur-

ther into the state tournament next

year. Also, this past year was great

because all of us got closer as a

group, and I think that if they keep

that up, they will have even further

success.




Lauren: Right

now, one of

the biggest

factors I fo-

cus on in

training is

communica-

tion. It’s so

essential

that even in

training it

requires

practice.

Communi-

cation helps

everyone

out as a whole, so focusing on that

has led to success in more than one

area. I feel like it is harder to train on

your own, but when I do, I envision a

game-like situation. I focus on the

competitor and use that as motivation

to push myself harder, which has

helped in my conditioning especially.


best game ever. What is it like to

have this feeling, and what can you

compare it to?

Soccer—Lexington Catholic, KY

Sports Sprout



Lauren: It’s the greatest feeling you

will ever experience in sports. You

look back and say, “Wow, they could-

n’t have done that without me. I did

that.” It’s just a great moment of self-

realization that is so rewarding. I

would probably compare it to creating

a piece of artwork – you look at it

over and over again just to know that

you made it, and it is beautiful.



Lauren: “Hang in there.” One of my

coaches said this to me during the

most difficult period of my soccer ca-

reer. It was so simple, but it meant

the world to me. If I hadn’t hung in

there, I wouldn’t have experienced

the greatest moments in my senior

year.




Lauren: I’d be lying to myself and every-

one else if I said that these past years

were perfect for me. They were really

rough; everyone knows that, I’m just

going to be the first to say it. I was

coming into varsity play from junior

varsity and club, where in both I was

playing full games. In varsity play, I sat

the bench for more than I was ex-

pecting – full games even. That broke

me a little, but I had to remind myself

that this is a team sport, and I was

willing to sacrifice my time for the

team. This mentality kept me going,

knowing that my sacrifice was offered

for the team and not for myself. It

was a humbling event, but the support

from my

coaches and

teammates

kept me going

every day.

Editor: Do you en-

joy positive

rivalries with

your oppo-

nents? Give

one example

why?

Lauren: Abso-

lutely. My club team has a rivalry with

a local club, and while there is some

trash talk every once and a while, it is

a positive rivalry. We push each other

further every time we face off. They

make us better, and we make them

better as well.

Lauren Fry—South

Sports Sprout



Soccer—Lexington Catholic, KY


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Julia McGivern

Saint Francis HS

Mountain View, CA

Coach Dawn Hill

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Julia: I first became interested in playing soc-

cer because my older brother was playing

and I wanted to be just like him.



Julia: My ultimate achievement in soccer

would be to win a Division I championship in

college, which has been a dream of mine

since I started playing competitively.

Editor: Have you taken any risk while playing

in a tournament? What was it, and

was it worth taking?

Julia: Fortunately, I have never been in a posi-

tion where I had to take a risk while playing

in a tournament.


what is it that you admire most about that

person? Why?

Julia: My favorite athlete is Michael Jordan

because along with his outstanding skills and

championships, he also explored and ex-

celled in different sports other than basket-

ball. I can relate to this because although

soccer is my favorite sport, I also enjoy play-

ing basketball and volleyball and try to find

time to play every one. Like Michael Jordan, I

love competition.



school girls’ soccer players, what would they

be? Why?

Julia: I think my passion and enthusiasm dif-

ferentiate me from other high school girls’

soccer players. I am always pumping my

teammates and myself up before the games

and during half time. I never give up even if

our team is losing or

we are all exhausted

because I believe

that I can achieve any

outcome if I am will-

ing to work hard

enough to get to it.

Editor: What kind of

goals do you have

for the next season?

Why?

Julia: I hope for our

team to achieve a

WCAL and CCS championship because I be-

lieve that these titles help to prove the hard

work that we give every game.


rently do in your training that are


Athlete I currently work out on my own time

to be in shape and ready for the upcoming

Julia McGivern—West

Sports Sprout



season. During scheduled trainings, I try my

best to listen closely to my coach’s advice

because it consistently improves my game

when I follow instructions during practice.


contribute to your success in the sport, and

why?

Julia: My teammates are always there to give

me a pump up talk if I’m feeling nervous, or a

pat on the back if I do something good. They

are the most spirited and positive people I

know and we work really well together. I can

always count on them to give 110%, which

motivates me to do the same.

Editor: What was the best advice you were

ever given? Why?

Julia: The best advice I was ever given is that

if I work my hardest in everything I do, I can

never fail. This has always motivated me be-

cause even if I experience a loss or defeat,

the only time I truly fail is if I don’t give my

best effort. Most of the time this mindset

leads to success.


an obstacle you overcame? What


Julia: Towards the end of the season I hurt

my quad and had to sit out a couple practic-

es. Since practice is so crucial to game per-

formance, it was hard for me to be confident

for the last games. In order to overcome this

obstacle, I had to form a positive mindset

before games, which included pump-up

playlists and a focused warm up. Once I got

the juices flowing, I was ready to play.

Editor: Do you think playing sports is good

preparation for life for you and your

teammates? Why?

Julia: I do think that playing sports is good

preparation for life because it teaches my

teammates and me

how to collaborate

with other people as

well as how to

overcome failures.

Soccer is a sport

that teaches disci-

pline and teamwork,

which are important

skills to have later in

life.

Editor: What were

some of the high-

lights of the last season? What made it so

special for you?

Julia: Some highlights from last season in-

clude beating Presentation on our senior

night and going undefeated until the very last

game of the season. Our team shared a lot of

triumphs during the season and we really

came together as a group in order to achieve

such a successful record. It was very special

to be part of a team that always put in 110%.

Soccer—Saint Francis, CA


Sports Sprout



NAME

Taylor Reynolds

St. Thomas Aquinas HS

Overland Park, KS

Coach Carlos Giron


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Taylor: I got interested in soccer be-

cause I saw a bunch of my cousins play when

they were in high school. I was still really,

really young and loved playing sports, so I

decided to try soccer



Taylor: My ultimate achievement in

soccer would be to win another state ti-

tle in high school, win nationals with my

club team, and win a national champion-

ship with my college team in the next

four years.




Taylor: I have taken a lot of risks

while playing. I have made some big tack-

les when people have gotten a breaka-

way, taken penalty kicks, free kicks, and

fouled and took one for the team when

needed.



that person? Why?

Taylor: My favorite athlete would

probably be Mia Hamm. I know that eve-

ryone probably says that, but she worked

so hard at soccer and practiced on her

own all of the time and I really admire

that drive and determination in a person




would they be? Why?

Taylor:

If I had to

select

something

it would

probably

be that I

am a win-

ner. I never

accept a

loss and

will always

do my part

to help a team win and be successful



Taylor: Next season will be my first sea-

son in college soccer, so I am hoping

to get some playing time and go as far

as we can in the tournament and

hopefully win our conference

Taylor Reynolds—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout






Taylor: I would say that working by my-

self is a really big thing for me be-

cause it keeps me determined and in

really good shape other than just ex-

ercising with my team



sport? Why?

Taylor: My teammates have played such a

major role in my success. They are

my family and I am super close to a

lot of them so it is easy to gel with

them when I play. We are friends on

and off the field and I think that makes

a huge difference



Taylor: The best advice I have ever been

given would probably be from my dad

because he always tells me that I can

achieve anything that I put my mind to

and not everything comes easily to

you in your life.




Taylor: Being a captain and having to deal

with different issues on the field and

with others who have asked for my

input.

Editor: Do you think playing sports is

good preparation for life for you and

your team-

mates? Why?

Taylor: Yes I would

say so because

it helps you

grow up and

also to be a

hard worker and

determined to

do whatever

you decide to do later in your life

Editor: What were some of the highlights

of the last season? What made it so

special for you?

Taylor: Some of the highlights for me last

season would have to be winning

state in overtime with my high school

team, and making it to the semi-finals

with my club team. We had worked

so hard and deserved what we got

that is was such a big honor and

something I had dreamed about for a

long time

Soccer—St. Thomas Aquinas, KS


Sports Sprout



NAME

Alan Hargreaves

Centennial HS

Pittsburgh, PA

Coach Brian Sanders


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout



Editor: When and how did you start

playing soccer?

Alan: I started pretty young. My older

brother used to play me in FIFA on our Xbox

and I started falling in love with it through

that. Once I was about 8 I asked my parents

to sign me up for a team.

Editor: What is a unique aspect of soc-

cer that got you interested in playing?

Why?

Alan: I love that the game doesn’t

stop. There’ s no timeouts, it’s just a very

fluid game from start to finish.

Editor: What skills do you think you still

need to develop to step up to the

next level in your performance? Why?

Alan: I need to step up my defense.

Sometimes I hesitate when I’m going for a

tackle. I just need to get my confidence

up in that area so that I can get to the

ball at the right time.

Editor: What kind of drills would you

recommend to younger players to in-

crease their ball control? Why?

Alan: Try kicking a ball to yourself

against a wall and juggling when you have

nothing to do.

Editor: Is there a specific routine for you

and your teammates to prepare your-

selves for an upcoming game? How

do you think this helps the team?

Alan: I’ll usually just listen to music to

help with my nerves. It allows me to fo-

cus on the game we’re about to play and

get rid of any distractions.


for next season?

What will it take

to achieve these

goals?

Alan: I’d like to see

our team win

state. Being a

senior I’m going

to have to step

up and be a

leader for the

younger guys.


currently do in your training that you

feel are keys to your success? Why?

Alan: I’ve been working on my ball con-

trol, I want to make sure I’ll be effec-

tive in getting the ball to where I want

it to go rather than handing it to the

other team.

Alan Hargreaves—Northeast

Sports Sprout





special for you?

Alan: Being district champions was great,

but we’d like to make the leap to

state champions next season.

Editor: Do you think playing soccer at

high a level helps you and your team-

mates to be better prepared for chal-

lenges in life? Why?

Alan: Of course, it teaches you to make

quick decisions and being a team play-

er.

Editor: What qualities differentiate the

top soccer players in the world from

an average soccer player?

Alan: The best players are those that are

never satisfied and are always fighting

to get better. You’re never too good

to learn something new.

Soccer—Centennial, PA


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Zach Lane

East Lansing HS

East Lansing, MI

Coach Nick Archer

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Zach: I’ve been playing soccer ever

since I was old enough to kick a ball. Even

before I could talk, professional soccer was

on the TV more than anything else. I spent

my first couple of years playing in my front

yard with my dad and older sister, and as

soon I was old enough joined my local rec

team. Since then I have never stopped.



Why?

Zach: One unique characteristic of

soccer I have always found intriguing is

that it is a constantly flowing game. Un-

like other sports, there is no stopping to

reset after each play, there are no

timeouts, and the clock never stops. I

love this about soccer because it forces

players to think for themselves through-

out the entire game. Coaches cannot

draw up plays to be followed and any

changes to the formation or game plan

need to be fluidly integrated within the

flow of the game.




Zach: The skill I need to develop

more is my ability to take on players 1 on

1. Elite players need to be able to make

things happen without any help. The best

players can make their mark on any game

by going alone when necessary. When a

game isn’t going the way my team needs

it to go, I can’t wait for a moment to

come, I need to have the skills to change

the game at anytime.




Zach: I

would recom-

mend for young-

er players to

practice juggling.

Keeping a ball up

in the air helps

players get a

better feel for

the weight of the

ball. Becoming

used to the

weight of the

ball helps a play-

er with cushioning the ball on their first

touch, bringing a ball out of the air, and

properly weighting passes.





Zach: Whether it is on the bus or in

the locker room, my teammates and I

would always listen to rap songs to get

hyped. Then we’d go out and go through

a warm up routine to get our bodies

ready for the game. When the team came

together it was time to leave everything

else behind, so the familiarity of our rou-

tine got us all on the same page. The final

part of our routine was our pregame

Zach Lane—Midwest

Sports Sprout



chant that involved a lot of jumping

around and yelling. This got everyone’s

adrenaline going so we were ready to get

out on the field as energized as possible.


for next season? What will it take to

achieve these goals?

Zach: Our main goal for next season

is to win a third consecutive state

championship. We are the first team

in school history to have the chance

to three-peat, so we all are excited at

this opportunity. The most important

thing is that the team comes together

and improves our team chemistry. We

have a team that includes a lot of

newcomers so it is unlikely we will all

mesh right away. Although full of tal-

ent, for the team to be the best it can

we need to spend as much time to-

gether on and off the field. A team

made up of players who trust each

other has the best chance at reaching

its potential.




Zach: One of the most important

things I do in training is practice play-

ing with a limited number of touches.

When forced to play quickly it pre-

pares me to play in any environment,

and forces me to analyze the field

faster. Being able to play faster gives

me more opportunities with the ball

at my feet and when I’m off the ball.

In the off-season I’ve also spent more

time weight training. This has helped

me bump my game up because being

stronger makes me more explosive.

Because one step in a game of soccer

can decide whether you take that

game winning shot or game saving

tackle, explosiveness is key. On every

part of the field being faster gives me

advantages.

Editor: What were

some of the

highlights of

the last sea-

son? What

made it so spe-

cial for you?

Zach: The best

highlights of

last season

were our state

semifinal and

state champi-

onship wins in

extra time. Our

semifinal game was against a local ri-

val that we had lost to earlier in the

season, so getting our revenge made

the victory even sweeter. The reason

both of these games were so special

to me is because of the toughness

and resilience we showed as a team.

In both games we managed to come

from behind in regular time to tie the

game up, and then finish the deed in

extra time. In comparison to the state

championship a year before, last

year’s run was much harder. I was

proud that my team was never

psyched out by being behind.

Soccer—East Lansing, MI

Sports Sprout







Zach: A couple years ago my club

coach told me that when taking penal-

ty kicks to always go the same way. I

respected my coach's advice and

since then my penalties have been

better than ever. Knowing where I’m

going before I step up to take the kick

takes away the pressure of having to

decide where I want to go. My

coach’s advice also has given me

more confidence in my ability. There

are no mind games involved in my

penalties. I just have to be confident

and beat the keeper to my spot.




Zach: Last year in the middle of our

playoff run, I broke the second toe on

my right foot. Breaking my toe did not

make it impossible to play, but I had

to find a way to handle the pain. I

knew that a doctor would tell me to

take time off to heal, so I didn’t seek

any medical attention with the excep-

tion of having my trainer tape my toes

together. Being right footed, I needed

to teach myself how to strike a ball in

a way that did not cause excruciating

pain. I managed to finish out the last 4

games of the season on this bad toe

and never once came off the field be-

cause of my injury. At all times I took

ibuprofen and iced my foot, but the

pain never completely went away.

What got me through the last two

weeks of the season is that I knew my

teammates would go through any

amount of pain for the team, so I

couldn’t let them down.

Editor: Do you think playing soccer at a

high level

helps you

and your

teammates to

be better

prepared for

challenges in

life? Why?

Zach: I think

soccer teach-

es many life

lessons be-

cause to be

successful in soccer requires every-

thing it takes to be successful in life.

To improve in anything one needs to

put in hard work and effort, which are

attributes I could not live without in a

competitive soccer environment. Soc-

cer has taught me how to get along

with others in a way that is most pro-

ductive for a team. Learning how to

be a teammate and working out differ-

ences is essential to overcome obsta-

cles.




Zach: The top soccer players in the

world have soccer IQs that are above

Zach Lane—Midwest

Sports Sprout



any average soccer players. The best

soccer players know the game of soc-

cer better than anyone else in the

world. They don’t react to what hap-

pens during the game, but instead

they are 3 steps ahead. They know

where their teammates are going to

be, what the defenders are going to

do, and what their best option is at all

times. These players also have com-

petitive mentalities that have led them

to where they are. Professional play-

ers have been determined since they

were young to do whatever it takes to

make them the best. They’ve priori-

tized soccer and put in the extra work

others would not. Not accepting me-

diocrity is what sets top players apart.

Soccer—East Lansing, MI


Sports Sprout



NAME

Jacob Jerles

Norman North HS

Norman, OK

Coach Geo Claros


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Jacob: I started playing soccer at

about the age of 5. It was in Lawton when I

started playing. I ended up playing with the 7

year old team instead of my age group. I

started playing mainly because I was a very

active kid and I always wanted to be playing

or trying something new.



Why?

Jacob: I liked soccer because of how

it differentiates from other sports because

soccer players use our feet. I feel like

having to use our feet while having the

vision to make passes requires a unique

talent. I always watched videos of the

greatest soccer players and it made me

strive to learn how to do the things that

they were doing.




Jacob: My vision and speed of play

definitely, at the collegiate level those

aspects are key in becoming a better and

more successful player. With every pro-

gression you make to another level of

your career, the speed of play will in-

crease. Having pristine vision will allow

you to play the game quicker and allow

you to be successful.




Jacob: To the younger players I would

suggest that you try to play as many pos-

session games as you can. 4v4, 5v5, and

6v6, etc.

Because

posses-

sion al-

lows you

to know

where

your next

touch

should

go and

will help

your ball

control

in tight spaces. I learned to love posses-

sion drills and it helped my ball control

tremendously. And if you are alone then

the best thing to do is just to juggle non

stop or even just go in your backyard and

practice moves at game speed.





Jacob Jerles—South

Sports Sprout



Jacob: Well I tend to just treat every

game like another game. No matter what

the magnitude of the situation is, I always

stay calm and composed. Even in the

locker room 30 minutes before a huge

playoff game. My high school team used

to blast music in the locker room before

warm up and I would actually just tone

out all the noise and focus on what I

need to do to help my team win this

game.




Jacob: My goals for next season will be

to get a lot of playing time and even

become a starter by the end of the

season. This next year will be a tough

one considering it’s my first year play-

ing collegiate soccer. So I will have to

learn to adapt to the pressure and

speed of play quickly, all while being

away from home. I always love facing

my challenges head on.




Jacob: In my training sessions a couple

things that help me are listening to

what the coach is trying to teach us in

certain training and incorporating it

into my play. That always makes the

coach happy and it will help you di-

versify the way you play soccer. The

other thing I always do is not let one

mistake lead to others. If I make a bad

pass or I do bad in a certain drill, I

don’t drop my head, I tell myself that

I need to pick it up and I make up for

it with a great performance in the next

drill. Persistence is key.



special for you?

Soccer—Norman North, OK

Sports Sprout



Jacob: Last season was probably the

most special season to me, consider-

ing I was a senior and a captain on my

team. I had to be a leader and pick up

my team when they were down. I had

a lot of special moments throughout

the season. One that sticks out was

my goal in the state semi-final match

against Broken Arrow. I got subbed

out earlier in the second half of the

game, and right before my coach

subbed me back in he came up to me

and told me that we need a goal and

that I need to be a game changer.

When I went back in with 18 minutes

left in the game, tied 0-0, a cross

came into the box and got cleared out

by a header. I was waiting ten yards

out of the penalty box and the ball

came right to my chest. I chest it

down, let it bounce once, and then

took a rip with my left foot. The ball

swerved and dipped into the top cor-

ner. Probably one of the best goals

I’ve ever scored.





Jacob: My coach Geo Claros has coached

me for about 8 years, and since day

one he always wanted one thing from

his players, hard work. His hunger for

hard work sculpted me into the player

I am today. When things got tough he

always pushed us to dig deeper and

find that inner fire. Those things

helped me win three state champion-

ships in high school, because two of

those championships were won in

overtime.


or an obstacle

you overcame?

What was it, and

how did you do

it?

Jacob: I’ve always

been rather injury

prone and my

freshman year in

pre season I

pulled my quad,

and in my junior

year I was sick

with mono for a month, so I missed

all of pre season. Those two scenari-

os made it difficult for me to get into

the swing of things once I came back.

But, I made it happen by hitting the

ground running once I was able to

play.

Editor: Do you think playing soccer at a

high level helps you and your team-

mates to be better prepared for chal-

lenges in life? Why?

Jacob Jerles—South

Sports Sprout



Jacob: Yes I do, a lot of the challeng-

es in soccer take perseverance and

persistence. Those two qualities are

so essential in everyday life. When it

comes to job interviews or just every-

day challenges, having those traits will

help you achieve your goals.




Jacob: The best players in the world

aren’t just players, they are students

of the game. No matter how good you

are you can always learn something

new. They are always learning and

searching for little things that can en-

hance their game.

Soccer—Norman North, OK


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

David Loya

Chula Vista HS

Chula Vista, CA

Coach Ruben Oliveira

Sports Sprout



Editor: When and how did youstart play-

ing soccer?

David: I started playing soccer since I

was old enough to walk. As soon as I turned

4 my dad put me on a team in a local league

and I've played ever since.

Editor: What is a unique aspect of soccer

that got you interested in playing?

Why?

David: What really made soccer

unique to me was the fact that it is so

simple, all you need is a ball and people

to play with. You don't need much space.

It's just something you can always play.




David: I believe I need to improve all

my skills, but the ones I really want to

focus on going into college soccer is my

aggressiveness, reaction time and lower

body strength.

Editor: What kind of drills would you rec-

ommend to younger players to in-


David: For field players I would rec-

ommend kicking the ball into a wall over

and over using only one touch. However

as a goalkeeper (the position I play) I

would recommend having some kick hard

shots towards you and just trying to

catch every ball.




do you think

this helps the

team?

David: Just

constant practice

and staying

healthy and hy-

drated to perform

your best on the

field. Before

games we listen to

music to help us

relax, goof around,

and just focus on

the game ahead of

us.




David: My goals for the upcoming season

are too be among the best in my

league and in the state once again. I

think it's going to take a lot of training

and perseverance but I believe I have

what it takes to get where I want.

David Loya—West

Sports Sprout






David: I am constantly pushing myself to

do better and I have not stopped

training. I feel these two things will

lead me to success because I believe

if you work hard enough for some-

thing you will get what you want.



special for you?

David: My highlights last season were

definitely the last 3 State Champion-

ship games. I felt I really stepped up

my game and helped my team as best

I could. What really made it special

coming out State Champions after be-

ing a lower seed and having to play all

our games away from home taking out

#3 in Quarterfinals, #2 in Semifinals,

and #1 in the Final.





David: I've had lots of different coaches

and my parents have always told me

listen to every piece of advice I'm giv-

en. I think I've taken a lot of very

good advice from several different

people that have helped me have suc-

cess on and off the field. A piece of

advice that has really stuck to me is

to always remember God is with me

and that "I can do all things through

Christ who strengthens me."




David: When I was about 11, I had a big

mistake on the field that cost us the

game and took us out of the tourna-

ment. For a long time I played with

fear and pressure on not messing up.

My teammates and coaches had no

confidence with me in the goal and it

devasted me. I became so focused on

not messing up I forgot all about the

desire to win and improve. Over time

I kept training hard and eventually

moved to another team who trusted

me and made me feel secure; bringing

me to the

great suc-

cess of

being a

State

champion.

Soccer—Chula Vista, CA


Sports Sprout



NAME Skye Harter

Copley HS

Copley, OH

Coach David Antal


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




playing soccer?

Skye: I started playing soccer when I

was 4 years old. I started playing because my

older brother played and enjoyed it so I de-

cided to give it a shot.



Why?

Skye: Soccer is different because

there are no set plays, only tactics! A

soccer player must be able to think

quickly and creatively to come up with

plays on the spot. This allows players to

have a certain freedom that isn’t found in

other team sports.




Skye: To continue improving and step

up in my game I need to keep working to

get stronger physically. Also, continue to

work on my speed of play and tactical

discipline when defending.




Skye: There are several drills you can

do with and without other teammates.

Juggling is the simplest, but I think one of

the most effective. Another that I do is

punt the ball up in the air and juggle it

out. One last way to work on first touch

is to pass the ball back and forth with a

teammate kicking the ball very hard and

seeing who can get the best first touch.





Skye: We usually just listen to music

and talk. That helps us relax before the

coach goes over the game plan one last

time. I think that it helps us focus as well

as give us confidence before playing.

Skye Harter—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout






Skye: My goal for next season is simply

to make myself better than I was the

season before. For me it’s not about

setting records as much as it is to find

out how good I can be. I will achieve

because my teammates and I will

push each other to the limits to im-

prove our level of play.




Skye: The time I spend outside of prac-

tice working on my game is what real-

ly helps me to be successful on the

field.



special for you?

Skye: I would say our games against Me-

dina and Revere, our biggest rivals be-

cause of how well we played and the

results we had against them showed

how good we could be. It was special

to play with my best friends growing

up and to be so successful.





Skye: I would have to say that the best

advice I have had from a coach was to

not let my emotions take over me.

Players around me feed off my emo-

tions and that has an impact on how

the team plays from then on as a

whole.

Editor: Do you think playing soccer at

high a level you helps you and your

teammates to be better prepared for

challenges in life? Why?

Skye: Yeah I do. The one coaching phrase

I have heard more than any other

from my coach is “solve the prob-

lem.” In life, like in soccer, you face

certain challenges and problems and

you have to be able to face them.

Soccer—Copley, OH


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Tab Wismer

Great Valley HS

Malvern, PA

Coach Paul Hadzor

Sports Sprout




competing in track and field?

Tab: My dad was a runner in high

school and he always encouraged me to run.

Both of my older brothers did cross-country

and track, so running was all around me

growing up.


ment as a track athlete so far? Why?

Tab: I got third in outdoor states with

my 4x800 relay team. Being successful

with a relay team is special because you

have other people to share the excite-

ment with and count on. They become

your best friends. We were also 4th in the

country and I dropped a huge PR split,

which was exciting because I hadn’t per-

formed at that level all season. That race

brought my confidence back.

Editor: What are your favorite drills?

How do you think these drills prepare

you for your specific event?

Tab:



that person? Why?

Tab: Galen Rupp is the athlete who I

admire the most because he breaks the

boundaries of what American male long

distance runners have been able to

achieve. I remember watching him in the

Olympics when Mo Farah won. Ever since

that moment I have been following his

career watching him win and break rec-

ords and he has become such an inspira-

tion to me. His hard work and determina-

tion are things that I strive for.

Editor: How do

you get pre-

pared for your

competition a

day before

and the

morning of a

meet? How

does this help

you to focus

on your

event?

Tab: I prepare

with a warm up

routine, which is key to a good perfor-

mance and injury prevention. Before that I

roll out my muscles and ice that day and

the day before. I make sure that I am eat-

ing the right foods and stay hydrated. I

have found that the best way to calm my

nerves down before competing is to sing.

Whether it’s in my head or with my team-

mates, singing always settles the butter-

flies in my stomach. Staying calm and fo-

cused is key before stepping onto the

track.

Tab Wismer—Northeast

Sports Sprout




for the next track season? Why?

Tab: One of my goals is to get acclimated

to college running. This includes con-

tinuing to run PRs while getting used

to the different, more intense training.

Going a long with that I would like to

stay injury free. Injuries are more like-

ly with more intense training. My goal

is to take care of myself so I can run

injury free and keep improving.




Tab: Adding cross training (swimming,

biking, elliptical, core and lifting) to a

runners schedule is very important,

especially if you are injured, to stay in

shape.




Tab: One of the most important things is

to stay focused. I feel as though I

need to work on my focus sometimes.

My focus can be improved by con-

stantly setting goals and giving them

all my attention.



Tab: During every race my dad tells me

to, “Run your own race.” This can be

applied in running and in life.

Editor: Do you re-

call a difficult

situation or an

obstacle you

overcame?

What was it,

and how did

you do it?

Tab: A difficult

thing for me was

when I spent sometime being the al-

ternate on my 4x800m relay team. As

I recovered from injury there were

four girls faster than me. I kept a good

attitude and supported them as I con-

tinued to train hard. I realize how

lucky I was to train the four very tal-

ented girls. The training paid off and I

proved things to myself in an open

event at districts when I made it to

the district finals by running a person-

al best in the 1600. I made it back on-

to the 4x800 team and it was all due

to my good sportsmanship, determi-

nation and hard work.

Track—Great Valley, PA


Sports Sprout



NAME


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Meghan Janssen

Minnetonka HS

Minnetonka, MN

Coach Jane Reimer-Morgan

Sports Sprout





Meghan: My mom’s family is really

big into running, so I always had an interest

in running by growing up around it. Also

when I was in third grade there was a play

that our school went to see about Wilma

Rudolph and her running career. After seeing

that play I knew I wanted to run track and it

was something that I knew I would someday

need to be a part of.



Meghan: Being a four time Minnesota

State Champion in the 4X800 meter re-

lay is my biggest accomplishment so far.

It’s something that my relay team did to-

gether. We all had goals, and every year

we were able to put them together and

give the best race we could. We worked

very hard for ourselves and for each oth-

er to be able to achieve something great.

To have worked for the state title every

year since my freshman year- and to

achieve it every year- is something that is

special to me.




Meghan: My favorite drill would have

to be the 22 X 200 meters race pace.

This is a tough one, but it is so rewarding.

It’s a workout that gives me the perfect

amount of time to feel good and the per-

fect amount of time to feel pretty awful

which mimics a race very well. It prepares

me for the 800m run and helps me with

the 400m too. This workout prepares me

for the 800m because it builds my endur-

ance when running so many 200s con-

secutively with very little recovery time. It

also builds speed be-

cause we have to run

them pretty close to

race pace. The 800m

is a long sprint tech-

nically, so this pre-

pares me for that.

Editor: Who is your

favorite athlete

and what is it that

you admire most

about that person? Why?

Meghan: My favorite athlete I would

say is Allyson Felix. She is an amazing

track athlete that I have been able to

watch for a long time. She is a remarkably

fast runner with so much talent. What I

admire most about her is that she is one

of the best runners in the world, but yet

very humble. I admire this because char-

acter is worth so much more than speed.

Knowing that she is as good as she is, but

also knowing she is as much a good per-

son as a runner is really special.

Meghan Janssen—Midwest

Sports Sprout



Editor: How do you get prepared for

your competition a day before and the

morning of a meet? How does this

help you to focus on your event?

Meghan: The day before I eat good

meals with a good amount of protein. I

drink a lot of water. At practice the day

before we usually do a little bit of pace

work with warm up and cool down. The

night before I ice my legs and go to bed

early. The morning of I eat a good break-

fast that includes a banana with peanut

butter and an egg. I listen to some pump

up music and try to stay calm until meet

time. This helps me focus because the

good food gets my body feeling good.

When I ice I know my legs are ready and

it gets my body knowing its almost race

day. Music really keeps me focused be-

cause it keeps my mind off of the nerves

and just lets me think about what I need

to do that day.



Meghan: Next track season I will be run-

ning in college at the University of

North Dakota. The goals I have for

myself are to keep decreasing my time

in the 800m run. Starting the season

with solid times and growing my con-

fidence and then being able to keep

dropping time is definitely a goal of

mine. I want to be a strong competi-

tor in the conference.




Meghan: I really work hard at giving it

everything on the hard days in prac-

tice because that’s what will get me

past “the wall” in races. Taking prac-

tices seriously prepares me well for

the races because I feel ready to com-

pete at the level I need to. I also train

with my awe-

some teammates

who do the

same events as I

do. This is im-

portant because

we push each

other and chal-

lenge each other

to do our best.




Meghan: I need to get past the mental

block. Mentally its easy to get set

back in running because its such a

mental sport. For me to reach the

next level I have to keep practicing

the mental piece. It’s something that I

can always be working on.

Track—Minnetonka, MN

Sports Sprout





Meghan: The best advice I was ever given

was from my Coach Jane Reimer-

Morgan. She told me that I am capa-

ble of running much faster then I

think, but I have to really believe I can

run those times before I can. I need to

believe I can run certain times be-

cause I won’t be able to until I believe

I can. This advice has stuck with me

because it is so true. This sport is so

mental that the way I get past a cer-

tain time is really truly believing in

myself that I can and then going out

on the track and doing it.




Meghan: When I was a freshman I was

put in the 4X800m relay less then a

week before the state meet. I had

never before run an 800 meter race.

The longest race I had ever raced was

a 400m. I was very nervous because I

really didn’t know much about how to

race it besides the stuff coach had

told me. So I said okay I’m going to

do this and it’s going to be okay. I was

running first leg. I stepped up to the

line at the state meet and ran my leg.

We won and were state champions. It

was one crazy experience and I’m so

happy I got to race that day because

now the 800m is one of my races. I

overcame the nerves and the un-

known of what I was doing by just do-

ing it. Sometimes not questioning

whether you can handle something

and just doing it, makes for the best

days.

Editor: What qualities would you need

to develop to become even better in

your event? Why?

Meghan: A quality that would help me in

my events is to be more fearless. I

like to think of myself as someone

who doesn’t fear much, but there is

always a time in a race where you

know it’s going to hurt and you fear it

a little bit. To get past that is easier

said then done, but it’s definitely

something that makes an amazing run-

ner and can be continuously worked

on.

Editor: How do you think competing in

track prepares you for life? Why?

Meghan: Competing in track prepares me

for life in so many ways. It challenges

me not only physically but also men-

tally. There will be many challenges

throughout my life and I will be more

prepared for how to face those chal-

lenges. It teaches us how to set a goal

and achieve it.

Meghan Janssen—Midwest

Sports Sprout



Track—Minnetonka, MN


Sports Sprout



NAME Mary Stewart Wilson

James Island HS

Charleston, SC

Coach David Lee


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Mary Stewart Wilson

Sports Sprout





Mary: For me my biggest accomplish-

ment would have to be our 4 by 800 re-

lay winning 4A state this year. Not only

was the majority of our team young (one

7th grader, a freshman, and one senior),

but we all ran smart races with tough

competition. The fact that I could share

this accomplishment with three other

teammates made it that much more re-

warding.

Editor: Have you taken any risks while

competing? What was it, and was it

worth taking?

Mary: This past winter three other

teammates and I trained for and complet-

ed the Charleston half-marathon. This

was a risk because we had to increase

our mileage significantly and coming off

an injury from the previous year I was

worried about the effects of this. It was

definitely worth it though because we all

had an awesome season and we are

much stronger now.



that person? Why?

Mary: I really admire the runner Mary

Cain because even though she opted to

go professional in her sport, she is still in

college getting her degree. The fact that

she is balancing her studies and her life

as a professional runner for Nike is im-

pressive.


your competition?

Mary: I do not really have any specific

pre-race rituals aside from a good warm

up and a positive atti-

tude. I make sure to

get plenty of sleep in

the nights leading up to

competition and obvi-

ously hydrating and

eating right.

Editor: What kind of

goals do you have

for the next track

season? Why?

Mary: Next track season will be my last

year competing at the high school lev-

el so I really want to make the most

of it. Right now I'm not concentrated

on specific times to meet or races to

win, but I want the focus to be on

having fun and enjoying my senior

year.




Mary Stewart Wilson—South

Sports Sprout



Mary: I think a large part of running is

taking care of your body outside of

the track. Getting enough sleep and

allowing enough time for your mus-

cles to recover after runs is important.

I also make sure to get runs in on my

own if I can't make it to practice that

day.




Mary: I think I need to work on increas-

ing my mileage during the off season

and maybe incorporating more cross

training like swimming and biking to

my training. This would help prevent

injuries and help my body adjust to

the extra running that happens when

competing at the next level.




Mary: Last year I had to deal with bad

shin splints throughout my track sea-

son. I biked a lot towards the end of

the season and struggled with racing. I

made it to state but because I had not

run a lot the month before I did not

race to my full potential. This was dif-

ficult and upsetting, but I when I was

healthy again I came back with a

strong cross country season. A large

part of the sport is dealing with inju-

ries and coming back from them.


successful in your sport, and why?

Mary: I think being successful in track and

field is more than winning

races, which is why it

takes more than just

training to be successful.

There is no point in com-

peting if you aren't enjoy-

ing the sport. To be suc-

cessful you have to love

what you do because it

takes enormous dedica-

tion and time. It helps to

have awesome teammates and coach-

es who become a second family of

sorts.

Editor: Do you think competing in track is

a good way of preparing you and your

teammates for life? Why?

Mary: Competing in track has brought me

so many experiences I would not

have had otherwise. Competing in any

sport teaches work ethic and the im-

portance of teammates. It teaches you

responsibility and respect for yourself

and your competitors, which is im-

portant to carry on with you in life.

Track—James Island, SC


Sports Sprout



NAME Brenna Rohnkohl

Faith Lutheran HS

Las Vegas, NV

Coach Dan Kober


Sports Sprout



Sports Sprout





Brenna: I was first interested in com-

peting in track when my school was offering

it in middle school. I have always liked run-

ning and people on my soccer teams told me

I was quick enough for it and to give it a try.



Brenna: My biggest accomplishment

was competing in my open 400m last

year at the state finals and finishing in the

top 5 because it gave my confidence a

boost.




Brenna: As hard and difficult as they

are, the 300m repeats are my favorite be-

cause I feel as if they help with the 400m

race. Based on the times of the 300 it can

be determined where my weakest area is

to work on that.



that person? Why?

Brenna: Sanya Richards Ross is proba-

bly my favorite because of her incredible

400m dash records. She is an incredible

athlete with multiple sub 50 400s. I love

watching her run.





Brenna: Ahead of event days I drink

lots of water and make sure that all the

meals I eat are as healthy as possible. On

the day of the event I try not to think of

the competition

because I get

nervous. Until

the meet I keep

myself busy with

homework. Once

at the meet I just

focus on getting

a good warm-up

and listen to mu-

sic to calm my-

self.



Brenna: Just keep getting better. This past

track season was a little rough for me

and knocked my confidence off a bit.

I’m just planning on getting my confi-

dence back up and improving my run

times.

Brenna Rohnkohl—West

Sports Sprout






Brenna: I try to work hard in practice be-

cause that’s where the progress is

made. I strive to meet or beat my cur-

rent times.




Brenna: Again, confidence is a big factor.

Gaining confidence in myself to be-

lieve I can do it and to push myself

harder would take me to the next lev-

el.



Brenna: My body can do more than I

think it can. When I’m running, I can

go harder and faster than I think I can.




Brenna: My biggest obstacle at this point

in my competitions was my knee sur-

gery in 8th grade. Now I see that it

made me stronger because of the de-

sire to get back and be better than

before.

Editor: What

qualities

would you

need to de-

velop to be-

come even

better in

your event?

Why?

Brenna: I need

strength,

mental

strength for

when my mind is telling me no or to

stop because I feel tired. Strength

would tell me to keep going because I

can be tired later.



Brenna: It gives you discipline, you have

to work hard and you should not give

up on yourself but accomplish your

goals instead.

Track—Faith Lutheran, NV


Sports Sprout



NAME Erin Morrison

Parkland HS

Winston-Salem, NC

Coach Ricardo Hughes


Sports Sprout



Text

about

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Sports Sprout





Erin: When I moved to Winston-

Salem, my father used to run for a team

called the Road Runners, when we moved

back the team changed its name to Tri City

Relays. He told me he was positive that I

would be good in this sport. When I ran my

first race, the 400m, I saw the excitement in

his eyes even though I finished third that day.

I loved seeing him thrilled about me running.

Hearing my dad and my mother cheer me on

always kept me interested because they nev-

er cared if I won or not, they just loved see-

ing me run.



Erin: My biggest accomplishment in

track was being able to compete and

make it to New Balance Nationals in an

individual event every year. This is such a

great accomplishment for me because not

everyone has an opportunity to compete

on the national level and I was given that

chance to compete on the level which I

worked hard for.




Erin: My favorite drills are A, B, and C

drills. I also love doing Running A’s be-

cause it allows me to use my fast twitch

muscles. A, B, and C drill helps me with

all of the events I do because, they help

me with my turnover speed.



that person? Why?

Erin: My favorite athlete is Sanya Rich-

ards-Ross. I admire her because she is so

passionate about

this sport. Unlike

other major athletes

Sanya Richards-Ross

went to college and

completed college

at the University of

Texas. Knowing this

about her made me

admire her even

more. She just

shows that track is

very important in her

life, but getting an education is as well

because you can’t run forever. Track can

be taken away from you due to injuries,

but a degree last forever. Richards-Ross

is just one of those people who succeed-

ed in both track and school.





Erin Morrison—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout



Erin: Three days before a big meet I

start eating healthy such as pasta and

a lot of water. I also blast some music

just to take the focus away from actu-

ally running the race and winning but,

going out there and enjoying the race.

This helps me focus on just getting

through the day.



Erin: This coming track season I would

like to go sub fifty three in the 400m.

I also would love to make it individu-

ally to conference. This is a very im-

portant task because it not only puts

me in a great position to medal at

conference, it also shows my college

coaches that I wasn’t a waste of time

for them and that I can actually help

the team.




Erin: I do a lot of over distance which

helps out with my stamina for the

400m. Turnover work as well as

technique also helps me with the last

100m of the 400m. I realized last

track season I didn’t have enough

wind to finish my races, so that is a

major part of my training. My form al-

so wasn’t where it should be so that’s

another reason why I really push my-

self to work on my technique.




Erin: I need to become mentally strong in

order to move on to the next level. I

feel like that’s my biggest down fall,

as well as my

technique. Being

mentally strong

will prepare me

for new competi-

tion this upcom-

ing season. My

technique will al-

so help me get

better results for

my races.

Editor: What was

the best advice you were ever given?

Why?

Erin: My mom and dad told me that I

should always have fun and sports-

manship is the key to all success.

They told me this because enjoying

the race would always keep me moti-

vated to run. Having great sportsman-

ship also was said to set me apart

from other athletes. Them giving me

this advice allowed me to make it to

the next level.

Track—Parkland, NC

Sports Sprout






Erin: This past indoor season I hurt my

Achilles. It was my last year in high

school and after running the U.S.

number two time in the 500m I had

to sit out for a month and a half. I did-

n’t come back until two weeks before

indoor nationals. I knew this was a

major setback, but it allowed me to

work even harder. I went above and

beyond in every practice and with the

help of my teammates they gave me

the motivation to keep working hard.

My coaches also helped me out to-

wards getting back to what I was be-

fore I got hurt.

Editor: What qualities

would you need to

develop to become

even better in your

event? Why?

Erin: I need to develop

my stamina as well

as my technique to

become a better

400m runner. This

would help me get

to my goal as well as

progress to the next.

Having a lot of stam-

ina is one of the things that I lack

from other athletes so this makes it a

really good quality.



Erin: Track gives me the discipline I need

and the motivation to go after some-

thing I want. With track everybody

wants to win and only the people

who are disciplined and motivated be-

come winners. It’s just like that with

life. Track gave me an opportunity to

have a fun and fulfilling life because

running track is paying for my educa-

tion.

Erin Morrison—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout



Track—Parkland, NC


Sports Sprout



NAME James Gregoire

South Burlington HS

Burlington, VT

Coach Geoff Bennett


Sports Sprout



Text

about

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Sports Sprout



Editor: When, and how did you start


James: Back in elementary school I

really liked running around the track with

some of my friends – three of which are now

on the varsity cross country and track teams.

We kept it up through middle school and

high school and are incredibly glad to have

gotten into it so early.

Editor: What is something unique that

you find about your event in track and

field? Why?

James: I tend to think that the people

who like distance running are very hard-

working people and usually enjoy track

more than other event groups do.

Editor: What is your favorite event on

the track? Why? Have you tried any

other events?

James: My favorite event is the 800m,

since it’s fast but it still requires a great

deal of endurance. For me, just two laps

on an outdoor track is much easier to

think about than the distance of some of

the longer events. I’ve tried many dis-

tance events, but I’m not quite sure

where my specialty lies.

Editor: How do you get prepared for a

meet?

James: I listen to some tunes – relax-

ing music the night before and on the ride

to the meet, but when I am about to race

I like to crank some faster and more ex-

citing music. I jog around quite a bit hours

before my real warm-up so I can get used

to the feeling of the course or track, and I

stretch and foam roll to make sure my

body isn’t feeling any soreness. I usually

try not to be too serious, and I’ll joke

around with my teammates so I can loos-

en up.



James Gregoire—Northeast

Sports Sprout



James: My goals for college cross

country and track include contributing

points for my team each season and

getting PRs in every event I focus on.




James: My teammates and I do a lot of

race simulation practices that prepare

us really well for competition. We

also do lengthy warm-ups and cool-

downs every day to keeps us healthy

and in good shape.



James: Try not to stress out about any-

thing too much, because you’ll pro-

duce better results if you relax.




James: I was put in a really bad situation

by the nasty shin pain I had near the

end of my senior cross country sea-

son, and I was able to overcome it

with a lot of time spent recovering –

icing, foam rolling, taping, etc. This

injury was especially frustrating to

deal with because of the negative im-

pact it had on my performances, but I

was happy to finally get past it during

my indoor track season.

Editor: Do you think competing in track

is a good way of preparing you and

your teammates for life? Why?

James: It defi-

nitely is.

Track has

helped me

develop an

incredible

work ethic

– you can’t

be a suc-

cessful

distance

runner

without it.

It has also

taught me

the importance of working with others

in order to achieve both team-

oriented and individual goals.

Track—South Burlington, VT


Sports Sprout



NAME Rashad Medaris

Pike HS

Indianapolis, IN

Coach De Dee Nathan


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout





Rashad: Actually, I didn't start com-

peting in track and field until my senior year

of high school. All my life until then I always

played baseball. During my senior season of

football, Coach Lloyd, the track coach, no-

ticed my speed on a few long runs I had dur-

ing the season and started talking to me

about running sprints.

Editor: What is it that makes your event

in track and field so unique? Why?

Rashad: My event is the 200 meters.

To me it's that race that shows the com-

bination of speed, strength and finesse.

You have to have the speed at the right

time because of the lanes, the strength to

fight off your opponents and the finesse

to mentality beat your them out of a race

that's coming down to tenths.


ing the workouts? Why?

Rashad: Stretching is one of my favor-

ites because it's so beneficial to every-

thing. And also strides.



that person? Why?

Rashad: I admire a few guys in differ-

ent sports. Recently I've watched the St.

Louis Rams WR Tavon Austin because of

his speed and size. I'm actually taller than

him, but the combination of his speed and

heart in college made me look at my abil-

ity to work just as hard as he did to get

to the next level.

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?

Rashad:

I try to stay hy-

drated as much as

possible. Also, men-

tally I think about the

importance of my

event when it comes to helping the team

win overall. I think about doing my very

best to win because it helps the team.

Editor: What goals would you like to

achieve next season? What would it

take to achieve them?

Rashad: My goal for next season is to get

bigger and stronger. I definitely can

see that the stronger I get the faster

I've become over the years. I'm on

scholarship to play D1 football this fall

and will also be exploring the oppor-

Rashad Medaris—Midwest

Sports Sprout



tunity of running indoor track at the

college level. One of my goals is to

get strong enough to run a sub 21.00

within the next two years. I've only

run a total of six 200-meter races in

my life and that included the State

Championship. I definitely believe with

more training and dedication I can be

faster then a 21.85 hand time and

22.04 auto time.




Rashad: I believe for me right now it's

strength conditioning and nutrition. If

I'm able to enhance both areas I hon-

estly believe the results on the track

and the football field will turn a lot of

heads.

Editor: How are you able to stay focus

throughout the completion in your

event? Why this is important?

Rashad: I try to stay focused by under-

standing that my event can help us

win the overall meet. It's important to

maintain that focus by thinking about

your race step by step, without focus

your mind will start doubting your

ability.




Rashad: Growing up being undersized

seemed to be an obstacle at first, es-

pecially playing football, but my speed

made up for that and became a prob-

lem for the opponents at times.

Editor: What qualities would

you need to develop to

become even better in your

event? Why?

Rashad: Maintain and strength-

en the will to win. Physical-

ly I believe once my

strength and speed is de-

fined and at my bodies max level I

think my athletic abilities will be very

helpful to my participation in college

sports at the next level.

Editor: In your own words, please de-

scribe how a coach has helped you to

achieve your goals this past season?

Rashad: My track coach was a huge part

of my success this past season. Out-

side of his training techniques the way

he trained me mentally to understand

my opponents and my strategy to

winning a race. My athleticism was

enhanced to another level through

Coach Lloyd at Pike High school.

Track—Pike, IN


Sports Sprout



NAME Austin Corley

Adrian HS

Adrian, MO

Coach Matt Cochran

Derrick White

Kell HS

Marietta, GA

Coach Guy Clarke


Sports Sprout



Text

about

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Sports Sprout





Derrick: I started competing at the age

of 8. I was first put into track because my

mom thought I’d enjoy it.



Derrick: The nickname for my event is

“A Man’s Race” because it takes so much

out of you while running it.



other events?

Derrick: My favorite event is the

4x100m relay because it gets the crowd

hype. I’ve also competed in ever running

under the 1600m and 300m hurdles.



that person? Why?

Derrick: My favorite athlete is Lebron

James because of his dedication and will

to win.


track meet?

Derrick: I start the day before with an

ice bath to relax my muscles, after that

I’ll stretch multiple times. I find ways to

clear my mind so I’m only focused on the

meet.




Derrick: One goal I have for next season

is to drop my 400m time by two sec-

onds.




Derrick White—South

Sports Sprout



Derrick: A key workout I do is power

climbs because it helps with explo-

sion and my start out of the block.


ment in your event? Why?

Derrick: My biggest accomplishment hap-

pened at regionals last year when I

ran a 50.82 in the 400m.



Derrick: “Never quit.” That helped me

fight through any difficult challenge

that would come my way.

Editor: Do you recall a difficult situa-

tion or an obstacle you overcame?

What was it, and how did you do

it?

Derrick: I fractured my hip junior year

during my region championship

football game. I was playing cor-

nerback and jumped for an inter-

ception and in the process I fell

on the receiver’s cleat.

Editor: What do you think it takes to

be successful in your sport? Why?

Derrick: To be successful in track you

have to be dedicated hard working

and willing to compete.

Editor: Do you think competing in track

is a good way of preparing you and

your teammates for life? Why?

Derrick: Yes, because it teaches you to

be tough and to work hard for what

you want.

Track—Kell, GA


Sports Sprout



NAME Lane Inwards

Rocky Mountain HS

San Jose, CA

Coach Tobias McLeod


Sports Sprout



Text

about

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Sports Sprout



Editor: What is something unique that

you find about your event in track and

field? Why?

Lane: Something unique I find about

track is there is no perfect level, you can

always improve and it is 100% up to you

to do that.



other events?

Lane: My favorite event is either the

3200 or the 4x4 relay. After trying any-

thing from a 400 up I typically find myself

liking these two events the best. The

3200 I really like because of the length,

it’s just as hard mentally as it is physical-

ly, and that is something not everyone

can do and it give you no room for error.

The 4x4 is not one of my main events,

but it’s always a blast when I am on it.

The last event of the race makes it excit-

ing and there is just something I enjoy

about taking the handoff then taking off.



that person? Why?

Lane: Choosing just one favorite ath-

lete is tough, but my favorite overall is

probably Steve Prefontaine. He was so

fun to watch and I still love watching his

races online. He was so gusty and stub-

born, and he always put on a great race.


meet?

Lane: I’m not one with any huge pre-

race rituals. I always make sure to eat

well and get lots of water in me, but I

don’t have a special thing that I do every

time. Just

keep focused.

Editor: What

kind of

goals do

you have

for the

next sea-

son? Why?

Lane: Next

track sea-

son I am

not sure

exactly what events I will be running

because I am going to continue at the

collegiate level, but I would really like

to be running top 3 for my event and

hit all varsity standards.




Lane Inwards—West

Sports Sprout



Lane: A big thing I focus on in my

training is forcing myself to always hit

pace, my coach gives me them for a

reason, and I just trust his training.

Also you have to know your limits; I

think and do not push if it isn’t worth

it.

Editor: What would you do if, you were

told that you were selected as the

best high school athlete of all time?

Why?

Lane: If I were selected as the best high

school athlete of all time I would

probably just be speechless. I put in

lots of hard work so if it paid off to

that extent, that would be something

special.



Lane: Between family, teammates and

coaches, I have been given lots of

great advice over the years. A piece of

advice that always sticks with me and

I try to share with others is just to

always keep going. If something

doesn’t go as planned you cannot get

caught up with that event. You have

to get past it and overcome whatever

it is that happened. Positivity and hap-

piness get you far in life I believe.




Lane: The summer going into my junior

year, I was running really well. I was

finally running with the top guys and

then on August 3, I broke my leg. A

car rolled

down an

embankment

and broke

my Tibia and

Fibula in

half. This

was the big-

gest obsta-

cle I have

ever had to

overcome.

My family

and friends

kept me positive and I had lots of

physical therapy, learning to walk

again. That grew into running again. It

was a very slow process and it took

me a while to get back with it, but

what it came down to was not letting

what I love doing end because of an

accident. I had to start all over, but I

didn’t give up, and I eventually got

back to where I left off. Running the

sixth fastest time in the state for the

3200 right now.

Track—Rocky Mountain, ID


Sports Sprout



NAME Jarel Shaw

Pike HS

Indianapolis, IN

Coach De Dee Nathan


Sports Sprout



Text

about

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Sports Sprout





Jarel: What makes my event in track

and field so unique is that it’s quick and

precise. It's a show of wonderful power,

sprinting, and athleticism amongst men

and women. It's exciting and a thrilling

spectacle to watch.


ing the workouts? Why?

Jarel: My favorite drills during the

workouts are High Knees, Butt Kicks and

Lunges. Those workout drills are of great

importance in improving your form. They

are also helpful in finding errors in a per-

son's form and allows them to fix it.


track meet? Is there a specific routine

that you use a day before or morning

of the meet to get ready for it?

Jarel: When I prepare for a track

meet, the day before I slow everything

down. I take things slow to help my mind

relax through the day. I make sure that I

don’t get frustrated in any way to mess

up my performance. I also try not to think

about my meet. But if I do, I picture my-

self crossing the finish line and being hap-

py. During the meet I do my drills and I

stretch, while listening to music. My mu-

sic helps me to get as relaxed as possible

to be ready.




Jarel: My goals for this season are to

break my school's record, which is

10.65 and again be the fastest boy in

my grade. I would like to win the

state championship in my individual

event. I would also like to win a team

state title. I don’t want to be a good

runner. I want to be a Great runner.

To achieve my goal, I have to be more

mentally and physically prepared for

my meets and be harder

on myself when it comes

to my workouts. I want

to push myself harder

than I did last year. I will

always have a person

next to me to race to

the finish line, but it is

more important to me to

beat the clock and beat

myself from last season.




Jarel: One thing I currently do in my

training that is key for me is walking

through my race. Walking through my

race helps me visualize what is going

on and what I feel in certain parts in

my race. If I know of any error I can

make a mental note to change it. I can

understand how my body responds to

each step I take.

Editor: How are you able to stay focused

throughout your event? Why this is

important?

Jarel Shaw—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout



Jarel: I am able to focus throughout

the completion of my event with mu-

sic or simply stepping away from peo-

ple and clearing my mind. This is im-

portant because having a clouded and

stressful mind doesn't help me run

the race I want to run. Having my

mind relaxed allows to me to step

into my blocks with no fear, no prob-

lems, and no doubts. Just myself run-

ning as I choose.




Jarel: A difficult obstacle I had to

overcome was realizing that I wasn't

like the rest. I had to be a leader. Ever

since 7th grade when I first ran, peo-

ple have wanted to follow me and

hang with me. I wasn’t very receptive

to what was going on. It took me

awhile to think of myself more and

step up to being a leader. To over-

come it I just accepted that I was

more than what some people thought

of me and even what I thought of my-

self.

Editor: What qualities would you need

to develop to become even better in

your event? Why?

Jarel: The qualities I would need to

develop to become better in my race

is a better killer instinct and a fast

turnover in my legs. With a killer in-

stinct in my race it will allow me to

be more aggressive in workouts and

races so I will be able to bring forth

more power. Faster turnover in my

legs will allow me to get myself in the

race quicker as I come out the blocks.

Editor: In your own words, please de-

scribe how a coach has helped you to

achieve your goals this past season?

Jarel: A coach has helped me achieve

my goals by realizing that I am more

than just a one dimensional person

and has given me room

and time to grow as a

young man. Instead of tell-

ing me to stop my other

activities, a coach has

asked that I continue with

what I’m doing and to

make priorities in what I’m

trying to accomplish. A

coach has also helped me

let go of personal issues

by teaching me ways of forgiveness.

He pushed me to let go of some deep

anger inside, so I could be clear in my

mind.

Track—Pike, IN


Sports Sprout



NAME Todd Heinkle

South Doyle HS

Doyle, NH

Coach Jim Cantorello


Sports Sprout



Sports Sprout



Editor: When did you start playing foot-

ball? What made you want to play?

Todd: I started playing for a peewee

team my dad coached. He won a state cham-

pionship when he was in high school and al-

ways made it sound like a lot of fun.

Editor: How would you describe a good

football team?

Todd: A good football team is made

up of 11 guys who are ready to go to war

with you and take care of their business

individually for the overall success of the

team.

Editor: What’s your favorite drill that you

go through in practice? How do you

think it benefits players at your posi-

tion?

Todd: Practicing my routes is the

most important thing. As a wide receiver

you have to know what routes to run and

have a full understanding of the playbook

in order to be successful.



person? Why?

Todd: As a big New York Giants fan I

have to say O’Dell Beckham, Jr. He has

more talent than any wide receiver I have

ever seen and he destroyed every de-

fense he saw in his rookie season.



sport? Why?

Todd: In football you are nothing

without your team. A lot of wide receiv-

ers and cornerback like to think that it’s

all them because they’re usually going up

1-on-1 with a

guy, but with-

out everyone

completing

their assign-

ment the

quarterback

would never

be able to

get me the

ball.

Editor: How

important

is

strength and conditioning to you?

Can you describe how it has changed

your game?

Todd: I’ll be the first to admit I need to

do more in terms of putting on size,

but it’s something I’ve been working

on since last season ended and I’ve

been able to add about 15 pounds of

bulk to help with my stamina, strength

and explosiveness.

Todd Heinkle—Northeast

Sports Sprout





keys to your success? How have they

made you a better player?

Todd: You just have to go out and play

hard. Football is that one sport where

an injury can really do a lot of damage

to you and end your career early, so

you have to be grateful everyday you

get to play.




ing?

Todd: During our warm up coach will

usually play some old rap songs, we

get loosened up every time he starts

singing to Snoop Dogg or 2Pac cause

it reminds us we’re going out there

not just to win, but to have fun.



why?

Todd: Size isn’t everything. Just because

you’re a smaller guy doesn’t mean you

can’t produce on the field. Keep

working hard and you’ll get bigger.




Todd: In a game against our district rivals

last season I dropped the first couple

balls that were thrown to me, they

were easy catches to make. My coach

called me over and told me I needed

to loosen up and move on to the next

play. On our next set of downs I

caught a 70 yard touchdown pass.

Editor: Do you think playing football pre-

pares you and your teammates for

life? Why?

Todd: Of course, football is all about

your attitude and work ethic. You may

be the best player, but if you can’t

agree with the coach on how he

wants to do things then you’re bound

for the bench.

Football—South Doyle, NH


Sports Sprout



NAME


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Text

about

player

Chad Foley

Highlands HS

Rapids City, IA

Coach Kurt McConnell

Sports Sprout





Chad: My dad was a Cornhusker back

in their heyday and I always loved the game.

I’ve been throwing a football since I was

about 2 years old.


football team?

Chad: A good football team is built

up of players who have become a family,

chemistry to me has always been one of

the most important things in football, a

long with strong leadership.




tion?

Chad: I love working out in the weight

room. I think it’s really important in build-

ing strength and control for when I need

to throw the football.



person? Why?

Chad: My all time favorite is Brett Fa-

vre, I grew up watching him and no mat-

ter how much people thought his career

was over he was always able to come

back and prove them wrong.



sport? Why?

Chad: There

would have been

absolutely no suc-

cess if it wasn’t for

the work and dedi-

cation that our

team put in to have

a great season.

Editor: What are

one or two things you currently do in

your training that are keys to your

success? How have they made you a

better player?

Chad: I think people take for granted

what a good diet can do. Eating right

can transform the way you feel and

play on the field.




ing?

Chad: Trust in my blockers. I was lucky

to play behind the line I did, they

made it easy and never really had me

worrying about getting laid out by de-

fenders.

Chad Foley—Midwest

Sports Sprout





why?

Chad: “No fear” is what my dad always

tells me before I play. You have to be

fearless on every down or that could

be the one that you get beat on.




Chad: During a playoff game I had no

open receivers and decided to run the

gap into the open field. I slid in for the

first down but I rolled my ankle when

a defender came crashing down on

me. I didn’t know if I’d get to come

back in the game again, but the trainer

taped it up and I got to go back out

there. I ended up sneaking in a touch-

down at the 4-yard line later on in the

game.



life? Why?

Chad: Definitely, football is a team sport

where each player has an individual

assignment to execute the teams

overall game plan. It requires trust

that each one of those guys will get it

right every time and I have to do my

part as well for us to be successful.

Editor: Were there any games last sea-

son that particularly stuck out in your

mind or are exciting to think about?

Why?

Chad: The playoff game I mentioned earli-

er. My ankle hurt so bad and was re-

ally swollen. We had to wait until af-

ter halftime for the swelling to go

down before I could come back in.

Our team never lost site of our goal

and when I ran in that touchdown, it

was totally worth the pain.

Football—Highlands, IA


Sports Sprout



NAME Desmond Jones

Cedar Forest HS

Buffalo, AR

Coach Jack Klingenberg


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout





Desmond: Football’s always been my

favorite sport; I just love how physical the

game is.


football team?

Desmond: A good football team has

to be able to run the ball and be strong

in the trenches. If you can’t do that you’ll

never be able to put up enough yards to

do anything.

Editor: What’s your favorite drill that

you go through in practice? How do

you think it benefits players at your

position?

Desmond: I think the zig zag runs that

we do in practice help with my hip flexi-

bility and have definitely increased my

control and get quicker on my cuts. We

line up 3 guys to the left and right of me

and I run a zig zag down the line into

them and try to keep my balance while

they try to strip the ball from me.



person? Why?

Desmond: All time, Emmitt Smith. I

know he was before my team and I can’t

really remember him, but my family is all

about the Cowboys and I’ve watched

documentaries and highlights of him. He

wasn’t the fastest or the strongest back,

but his balance was amazing, no one

could knock him off his feet. Nothing will

compare to his work ethic on the field.

Editor: In what

ways did

your team-

mates con-

tribute to

your success

in the sport?

Why?

Desmond: I

couldn’t do it

without my

teammates. You

got to have

good blockers if

you want to be

a good back. If there’s no holes for you

to go through you’re going to get

stopped every time.

Editor: How important is strength and

conditioning to you? Can you de-

scribe how it has changed your game?

Desmond: Strength is everything in foot-

ball. If you can overpower the man in

front of you, everything will get easier

from there.

Desmond Jones—South

Sports Sprout






ing?

Desmond: I like to tune everything out

and listen to music. Just focus on the

game plan and how best I can execute

what our coach wants.



why?

Desmond: I would say stick with it, but

don’t forget about an

education. My parents

never let me forget

that football can be

taken away from you,

but an education lasts

a lifetime.

Editor: Do you think

playing football pre-

pares you and your

teammates for life?

Why?

Desmond: Without a

doubt. Just like in a

job, you have your

own assignment that

you have to take care

of. If you can’t get it

done then the whole

team is at stake.

Editor: Were there any games last sea-

son that particularly stuck out in your

mind or are exciting to think about?

Why?

Desmond: This was my senior year and

to look back on all that our team ac-

complished throughout my high

school career was amazing, but foot-

ball’s about having a short memory.

I’m just ready to move on to college

ball this fall.

Football—Cedar Forest, AR


Sports Sprout



NAME Randy McLaughlin

Campbell HS

Campbell, ID

Coach Lance Ballmer


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Randy McLaughlin

Sports Sprout





Randy: I didn’t start playing until mid-

dle school. Before that it was always soccer,

but I really like the idea of getting to tackle

people and our soccer season was changed

from fall to spring so that I could participate

in both at school.




tion?

Randy: Monkey rolls are fun and help

with getting you more instinctive on when

to make your tackles. They help you

learn to keep your composure when the

chaos starts after the whistle.



person? Why?

Randy: JJ Watt. That dude is a straight

up beast and every time he’s out there he

makes it seem like Houston’s got 13 de-

fenders.



sport? Why?

Randy: I play middle linebacker, which

is compared to being the quarterback of

the defense. Like the quarterback I

wouldn’t have any success if it weren’t

for the guys surrounding me. They’re my

family and got us as far as we did last

season.

Editor: How important is strength and

conditioning to you? Can you de-

scribe how it has changed your game?

Randy: So

im-

portant,

especial-

ly condi-

tioning. I

know

that in

high

school

there are

a lot of

guys that

are dying

by the

fourth

quarter. You have to put yourself in

the right kind of shape to where you

can last the whole game, especially if

you’re trying to make it in college.



keys to your success? How have they

made you a better player?

Randy McLaughlin—West

Sports Sprout



Randy: I’ve started eating healthier.

That had a lot to do with how I would

feel by the fourth quarter. Instead of

being groggy and slow like the guys

that ate a big mac on the way to the

game, I still had my energy up.




ing?

Randy: At my position, you have to have

a strong football IQ. It makes it a lot

easier because you won’t be confused

when you are trying to read the of-

fense. Before the ball snaps I try to

read their offense and start putting

our players in positions for success.



why?

Randy: Study, not nearly enough people

consider the progressions of a play.

Study film of the other team, study

film of yourself. What are your weak-

nesses, what are you doing wrong,

and how do you correct that.




Randy: My sophomore season ended ear-

ly because of an ACL tear. I could

have either sat around and done noth-

ing, but I decided to do whatever I

could. I started working out more to

prevent injuries, reading up on the

game and learning as much about it as

I could. I think that helped me come

out of my injury a much better player

than before.



life? Why?

Randy: Of course,

you have to put

the work in, just

like in life.

There’s always

gonna be people

trying to be bet-

ter than you, and

unless you’re

willing to work

as hard or harder

to keep that

from happening they will be better

than you.

Football—Campbell, ID


Sports Sprout



NAME James Owens

Salem HS

Salem, AL

Coach Harry Bowles


Sports Sprout



Text

about

player

Sports Sprout




playing football?

James: I’ve been involved as long as I

can remember. It’s just kind of something

that every guy does down here.



more? What were the outcomes of

your efforts?

James: In our regional semis I caught 2

touchdowns and had 129 yards. Despite

that output we still came up short, but

just because one player has their best

game ever, it still doesn’t guarantee a win

in this sport.



James: Coach always says, “Don’t

stop when you’re tired, stop when you’re

done.” You can’t give just a little at any-

thing your life; you need to give it all you

have until the job is finished. Giving up

isn’t an option.



that person? Why?

James: Rob Gronkowski. He gives it

all he has but still hasn’t lost the ability

to have fun on the field. You can tell he

loves what he does. I’ve been trying to

incorporate some of what he does to my

own game.




James: I had a torn meniscus I got in

the first game this season that kept me

out for the

first half of

the season.

Not getting

to play for

half of my

senior year

was one of

the hardest

things I had

to experi-

ence, watch-

ing my

teammates

from the

sideline. I

worked hard in physical therapy and end-

ed up coming back earlier than expected

and we never lost again once I was back.





James Owens—Nominated Athlete

Sports Sprout



James: My family, coaches and team-

mates were constantly giving me

things to work on and look forward to

during the injury. I couldn’t have done

it without them.

Editor: Has playing your favorite sport

taught you anything about being

thankful and grateful, and why?

James: I realized how lucky I am for every

play I’m on the field. After the injury I

realized it can all end in a matter of

moments with this game. You have to

take each snap as if it were you’re

last.


playing football with your school

work?

James: I had a lot of trouble with that for

a while, but during my injury I was

taught and constantly reminded the

importance of an education. You can’t

expect to be fortunate enough to

make it pro, there are too many fac-

tors. But you can always take charge

of your education.


were ever given, and why?

James: “The best way to predict the fu-

ture is to create it.” There’s so much

that we can’t control in life, but you

can always choose where you’re going

if you work hard enough for it.



you coming back and playing football

again, and why?

James: The most challenging is knowing

that I probably won’t be getting a

scholarship now, but the fact that I

can still walk on and try to earn a

spot on a college roster is a challenge

I’m really looking forward to.

Football—Salem, AL


Sports Sprout


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t S

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rts

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Sports Sprout, Issue #5