Menu
FEATURED ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Caleb Duncan, North Putnam
Caleb Duncan is a senior at North Putnam who competes in cross country, soccer, basketball and track. If he could find a way to do more than four sports, he would.
Banner Graphic: What have sports meant to you, and what do you think you have learned from them?
Caleb Duncan: “Friendships have been created, and I love competing. I love showing everybody what I can do. I put a lot of emotion into sports.
BG: How hard is it to play four sports, especially two in the fall season?
CD: “I don’t know how I manage it honestly, especially with the advanced classes I take. I go ask teachers for help when I need it, and I just push myself. In the fall, I practice cross country before school and soccer is after school.”
BG: Do you like any of the sports more than the others?
CD: “Basketball stands out to me, I just love the environment. In the beginning of the season, I would get really hyped up but coach told me I had to settle down a little bit, and after that I started scoring more. I have to be smarter with my fouls. We definitely haven’t played our best yet, and we’re working to get there. We are so much better than we have been playing.”
BG: What other things do you do at school?
CD: “I’m in the SALT group, with student athlete leadership, and we try to get as many fans out to the games as possible. I’m in student council, and I do PIE (prevention intervention education) and teen court.”
BG: What are you plans for after high school?
CD: “I want to go to college somewhere and study public relations. I don’t know if I want to play sports in college or not. I’d like to get a job someday with a college or pro sports team. I just want to be connected with people. I love meeting new people and talking to people.”
BG: What do you do when you’re not at school?
CD: “I like to hang out with my friends and stay home and play with my little brothers.
BG: What is it like having a houseful of kids?
CD: “I love it, honestly. I’m the middle child of nine. I feel bad for people with only one brother or sister, or someone who is an only child. That’s all I had to do growing up was play with my brothers and sisters. They taught me how to be better and how to share. The oldest kid in our family is 26 and there is one who is very young.”
BG: What are your favorites in music, TV and movies?
CD: “My family is very religious and very much into music. Music and worship are both very big with us. We listen to everything, and try to enjoy it. We love dancing and making people happy. My mom is from Haiti, and music and dancing are in our culture. My favorite TV shows are reality shows. I like seeing how people react to how life is going for them. My favorite movie is ‘The Proposal’. It’s a romantic-type movie, and I love it.”
BG: What kinds of classes are you taking that have helped you at North Putnam?
CD: “I love all the math classes I’ve taken. Mrs. Spencer, Meier and Lippencott have all helped me how to be a better student and how to react to certain situations.”
BG: What are your favorite and least favorite foods?
CD: “My favorite would be potato salad, and my least favorite would be olives.”
BG: How has your overall North Putnam experience gone?
CD: “It’s been rough at times. I had a rough time my freshman year, not taking it too seriously. I got my first C+ ever in my sophomore year, and my mom was not happy about that at all. I just kept going on from there. I wouldn’t be doing anything without Mrs. Neal, my English teacher. She’s been great with helping me to get my scholarship applications in on time. I’ll miss it here, but I’ll be coming back a lot to watch my younger siblings play sports. As a Duncan, I want to leave my mark at this school like my older siblings did.””
BG: What goals do you have for the rest of the year?
CD: “I want to definitely win county and sectional in basketball, and I want to advance to the regional in two events in track.”
BG: If you were to describe your personality in one word, what would that be?
CD: “It would be adaptable. Just by the groups of people I’ve ever hung out with. I can make them more comfortable being around me.”