Featured Athlete of the Week: Sean Ramey, Greencastle

Tuesday, January 2, 2018
Banner Graphic/Joey Bennett

Sean Ramey is a senior tennis player at Greencastle High School.

Banner Graphic: How long have you been playing sports, what have you learned from them and how important are they to you?

Sean Ramey: “I’ve played sports about my whole life. I started off playing soccer, but my mom introduced me to tennis at an early age and I liked it enough that I started playing it full-time in high school. I was on the varsity my last three years, and it’s been great. I couldn’t ask for a better experience, and I loved it so much I helped out with the girls’ team last year.”

BG: This year will include your sister (Molly), won’t it?

SR: “Yeah. I’m excited about it, and I think she is too.”

BG: What do you like about tennis the most?

SR: “Tennis is interesting, because it is individual but it is also a team sport. One of the things I hated about soccer was that it was only a team sport and you couldn’t control everything. I like to control my surrounding as much as I can, and tennis gives me a chance to do that. In tennis you are just one of five spots, so you are there cheering on your teammates as well.”

BG: You were the winner of the Putnam County Community Foundation’s Lilly Endowment Scholarship, so you’re obviously a great student. How have your schooling and tennis helped each other?

SR: “Tennis has helped me with my studies. It gave me something else to focus my attention on, and was a nice stress relief. I had something else to focus on if I had homework or tests to worry about. My coaches know I’m a very analytical player, so they use math to help me succeed on the court. I have had them in lessons to use the court and break it down into different shapes and what I need to do. I try to analyze my opponent and target early in the match which side they prefer to hit it to, and keep it away from that side as much as I can. Basically ‘toy’ with them, and make them to do what they don’t want to do. It worked pretty well.”

BG: How important is the Lilly Endowment Scholarship to you?

SR: “It’s huge, and was a great surprise. I’m so thankful they chose me, and it will be greatly helpful in paying for college. It just gives me so much more freedom, and now I can focus on my studies and not have to worry about paying off student loan debt or get a job in college to help pay for it.”

BG: What are your plans for after school?

SR: “I’m going to be going to Purdue or Rose-Hulman for chemical or mechanical engineering. I won’t be trying to play tennis; I need to focus on my studies.”

BG: Have any particular classes or teachers helped you to get where you are?

SR: “I talk about how I’m a math person, and English has definitely been a class I have struggled in. Mr. [Donovan] Wheeler’s class last year helped me grow so much in my writing. It has improved so much since I was in his class. He tried to get us into that college mode where we’ll be cranking out papers. It’s been a big help, and I couldn’t have done this without him. My math teachers [Daniel Hankee and Logan Kuhne] have also helped me in my pursuit of math to get ready for engineering.”

BG: Do you have any goals for the rest of the year?

SR: “I’d like to make it out with all As. I’ve made it halfway through this year. I just want to have a nice, last semester of high school and try to not get too stressed out about it before I go off to college.”

BG: What other things do you do at school besides tennis and schoolwork?

SR: “I help out with the QuickStart youth tennis program that my mom runs. It’s for young kids who haven’t picked up a racket before, so we just get them used to how the equipment works. That’s a lot of fun. I am the vice president of Latin Club, and that’s been great. I’m in my second year of National Honor Society this year, and I’m the president of that. I’ve been working closely with Mrs. Meyer on projects and outreaches coming up soon. I’m also in Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and we meet every Friday. We have a great group of kids there, and it’s a good time. I try to go to a lot of sporting events to support our athletes, part of me trying to enjoy my high school career and be in the moment and have fun with it.”

BG: What kinds of things do you do out of school?

SR: “I am involved with the GCC youth group, and we meet Sunday nights and talk with our youth leaders. It’s kind of like FCA. I’ve made a lot of friends and the leaders there are fantastic. I have been in Boy Scouts since I was five years old. I just got my Eagle Scout award this summer. That was a huge accomplishment. That was a huge weight off my shoulders. We refurbished a shelter at the park, and we got it all ship-shape for him. That was a great experience.”

BG: What is something you have never done before but would like to do someday?

SR: “I have a fear of heights, so maybe trying to conquer that with rock climbing. My physics class talks about rock climbing, so maybe I could kill two birds with one stone and go with them on an outing.”

BG: What are your favorite and least favorite foods?

SR: “I like Chinese food, especially from Number One Chinese in Greencastle. I have that after every away tennis match. I don’t like anything that is too sour or two sweet.”

BG: What are your favorites in movies, TV or music?

SR: “In movies, it’s any Marvel Comics or Star Wars films. I’m a huge geek when it comes to science fiction. I have seen the latest Star Wars movie several times; it’s my favorite one. In music, I don’t have a specific genre that I fit into. It’s just kind of whatever I enjoy the beat of. Before tennis matches I try to listen to something with a fast beat to get pumped up. ‘Clean rap’ is something I like for that. I love ‘Friends’, ‘Big Bang Theory’ and ‘Scorpion’.”

BG: What your overall Greencastle experience been like?

SR: “I’ll definitely miss Greencastle. There are so many opportunities to thrive and do well. The academics are great, the sports are great. It’s just a great place. Small schools are the best-kept secret. Having more opportunities at Greencastle is great.”

BG: Do you think you’ll live around here after college, or do you have plans to live elsewhere?

SR: “I don’t know if I’ll come back to Putnam County or not, but I will probably be in Indiana somewhere. I don’t mind the cold, so I’ll probably stick around here.”

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