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FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Alaina Chew, North Putnam
Alaina is a senior at North Putnam and participates in three sports, cross country, swimming and track.
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Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them?
Alaina Chew: “Sports are really important to me because I’ve learned a lot about managing my time, especially trying to balance the student-athlete line. There have been times where I’ve had to cut practice short in order to get homework done and it’s a balance that’s going to be beneficial for the rest of my life.”
BG: Talk about your sports.
AC: “I started in cross country a long time ago. We formed a running club in elementary school and I was recruited by my teacher. Swimming before sixth grade because my friends were doing it and I stuck it out. Track started in fifth grade and stuck with it ever since.”
BG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you in sports?
AC: “Probably my sixth grade year, my coach threw me in a distance event long before I was designated a distance swimmer. I cut the race 50 yards short because I saw the girls that won it and stopped. Everyone was yelling at me to keep going and I eventually finished the race in last.”
BG: What does your game day routine look like?
AC: “If it’s a school day, I go to school, then go to our team dinner, which is sandwiches, fruit and stuff like that. Then I usually listen to music, get ready and swim. On the weekends, I get up far earlier than I need to, force myself to get something to eat because of nerves, get to school, get on the bus and go.”
BG: Some kids have parents that also happen to be their coaches. Fewer still have a parent who is also an administrator everyone in the school building knows. Has that been helpful, a hindrance or has it had much affect at all during school?
AC: “There’s a give and take, pros, and cons. If I forget something at the school, I can always ask to go in to go grab a book or what it is I’m missing. Overall, it’s not as bad as people might think.”
BG: Do you have any favorite college/pro sports teams or athletes you follow?
AC: “I really like IU basketball. Other than that, I like the Olympic athletes and follow some of the club events they do.”
BG: What else do you do at school besides things involving sports?
AC: “I do a lot, sometimes spreading myself too thin. I’ve been in FFA since middle school, PIE Coalition since freshman and a student representative as a junior. This year, I started my own community service organization for mentoring elementary schoolers with senior high school students, called Cougar Power.”
BG: What do you like to do outside of school and sports?
AC: “In the summer, I really like swimming and had a job as a lifeguard last summer, which was a lot of fun. I like to hike, read, watch movies and stuff like that.”
BG: What are your favorites in movies, books, TV and music?
AC: “I like the older ‘Star Wars’ trilogy, which is really good. TV just depends. ‘The Office’ and ‘Friends’ are good. Music just depends.”
BG: Are you a person that wants to watch TV shows and movies, stream something from YouTube, Twitch, TikTok etc. or something else (gaming, reading, etc.)?
AC: “My brother would definitely want us to play board games but, individually, I would want to isolate myself on those days and go the Hulu or Netflix route with TikTok on in the background.”
BG: What is something you have never done before that you would like to do someday?
AC: “I have always thought that skiing or snowboarding would be cool but every time I mention it to my parents, they’ve always said we should wait until swim season is over in case you get hurt and so it gets put off until the next year.”
BG: What is your biggest fear?
AC: “Getting hurt so bad that whatever is hurt doesn’t heal and I can’t be as active as I am now.”
BG: You’ve been placed in charge of making dinner. What’s on the menu?
AC: “I would do something like a taco bar, pasta or barbecue pulled chicken.”
BG: Do you have any pets?
AC: “We have a dog, Ella, who we got when I was four. My brother has a cat, Buddy which he got a few years ago. We also have a lot of goats.”
BG: If your house were on fire, all living things were already out and you have your keys, cell phone, wallet/purse etc., what is one thing you would go back and get?
AC: “A couple of years, ago, my grandma gave me a photo album with a bunch of pictures from when I was born up until present. I had a lot of fun writing down them dates and the memories of those pictures.”
BG: If you were to describe your personality in one word, what would that word be and why?
AC: “Ambitious. There are a lot of words to go with that but that’s the best word because I work hard in school, sports and try to help out in my community as much as possible.”
BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?
AC: “Last spring break, we took a school trip to Italy, Spain, Monaco and France. That was a lot of fun, getting to see all the different places. You can see them in pictures but it’s so different seeing them in person, along with the history of all those locations.”
BG: What was your favorite school field trip?
AC: “This year, we took a government trip to the state house, getting to talk with state supreme court judges and took a tour, which was super cool. The building is beautiful and I definitely wouldn’t have thought that before.”
BG: How important is support from your family and classmates to your success?
AC: “It has been majorly important, especially with applying to colleges and still maintaining grades and sports. The support from my family and friends has been amazing and I’m so thankful for all of that.”
BG: Describe your overall school experience both academically and athletically.
AC: “Academically, it’s been good. I’ve had a pretty successful four years but there will always be times you look back and feel you could have done something different. I’m proud of what I’ve done. Athletically, especially in swimming, I feel like I’ve been peaking this year.”
BG: If your school was to offer a class it currently doesn’t, what would you want to see taught?
AC: “We do offer a class kind of like this but I plan to go into marketing, so a class that introduces that and gets your foot into the business world would be nice.”
BG: What are your plans for after high school, and what career are you headed toward?
AC: “I plan to go to Indiana University, majoring in marketing and possibly minoring in media advertising. I’d like to be on a creative team for marketing in a corporate setting.”
BG: Is it difficult to keep up with your school work being an athlete?
AC: “There are nights when you come back with no homework and nights where you come home wondering how you’re going to get all of the work done. The lessons sports have taught me in time management have been important, especially this past year, filling out college applications and all that.”
BG: Which particular classes and teachers have helped you the most in high school?
AC: “I’ve had a lot of helpful teachers but Mr. Morgan, my first AP teacher during sophomore year, in particular helped me learn to think a different way. Ms. Lippencott, who I have for math first period, is always so energetic all the time.”
BG: In the future, once you’ve established yourself, if you had your choice, would you want to live somewhere more remote, such as in the mountains or the countryside, somewhere more flashy like down on the beach or in the big city or in the neighborhood?
AC: “A couple of years ago, we took a trip to Colorado and the first time I was really in the mountains. I fell in love with it instantly and it made me happy, so if I had a choice, I would live there. I might not get great reception but if I could work remotely, I’d definitely do that in a cabin.”
BG: Do you think high school has gone fast, and are you going to miss it?
AC: “Looking back, it has definitely gone faster than I anticipated it, especially with freshman year being cut short due to COVID. I don’t regret a minute of it and as I get closer to the end of this year, I keep thinking I’ll miss it more than I think I will but there are also moments where I think, nope, not going to miss it.”