FEATURED ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Emilee Henninger, North Putnam

Emilee Henninger (No. 31 in dark uniform) is a senior at North Putnam, and is currently participating on the basketball team. She played soccer in the fall, earning all-Western Indiana Conference honors, and plans to resume her softball career in the spring.

Banner Graphic/Joey Bennett

Banner Graphic: What do you like best about sports?

Emilee Henninger: “I like best coming together as a team. You really bond with the girls, and I have gained some of my best friends at school through sports. It teaches you mental toughness to keep going.”

BG: Is it difficult to keep up with your studies while playing so many sports?

EH: “You push through it, because you enjoy playing the sports so much. It’s all worth it in the end, even if you have to stay up until midnight once in a while to get it all done.”

BG: The soccer team did well in the fall. That has to be one of your career highlights, doesn’t it?

EH: “Definitely. We finished 10-3 overall and were third in the conference, which was awesome. We beat Greencastle, which was a huge milestone for us, and we accomplished so much as a team. It was a great way to end my senior year [of soccer].”

BG: So you’re going to play softball again because you don’t want sports to end after basketball?

EH: “Yeah, I just need something to keep me busy. I haven’t played for a few years, but I’ve been practicing when I can to get ready for it. I think they’ll probably stick me in the outfield, but that’s OK.”

BG: What other kinds of things do you like to do besides school and sports?

EH: “I like to watch ‘Grey’s Anatomy’. I like medical things, and Patrick Dempsey. I spend times with my friends and family, and sometimes will go see a movie with my dad.”

BG: What are your plans after high school?

EH: “I’m going to be a teacher, so I’m going to study education. I’m looking at Anderson, but I’m not sure yet.”

BG: What level do you want to teach?

EH: “I want to teach early elementary, and minor in special education.”

BG: How did you get interested in that?

EH: “I take four classes a day here at North Putnam, and the rest of the day I do an internship at the elementary school in third grade. I just love it there, and the kids are great. That has really opened my eyes to what I want to do.”