FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Brayden Monnett, North Putnam

Friday, February 24, 2023
Brayden Monnett
Banner Graphic/TRENT SCOTT

Brayden is a senior at North Putnam and participates in three sports, cross country, basketball and baseball.

———

Banner Graphic: How important are sports to you, and what have you learned from them?

Brayden Monnett: “Sports are important to me. I grew up playing sports, played year-round sports since I was five or six years old, have met a lot of friends and I love competing. Coaches have taught me a lot of things, such as being very responsible and encouraging. I was always a little more toward the top or advanced in sports when I was little, so coaches encouraged me to encourage my teammates and help the other guys while still pushing myself.”

BG: Talk about you sports.

BM: “Cross country is something I started in fifth grade because my friends did it and one of my teachers asked me if I would. I’ve run ever since then and fell in love with it. I’ve run with all my friends in middle school and high school. It’s a hard sport but I love it. Basketball has always been my favorite sport since I was little. High school changed it for me as it became the best thing. Baseball is something I’ve played since I was little. I’ve played travel ball and my dad has always been one of my coaches since elementary school. High school baseball has been fun.”

BG: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you in sports?

BM: “Freshman year, on JV, we were playing again Edgewood and their sixth man was playing JV. We were playing full-court press toward the end of the game. I came up to press him and he crossed me up pretty bad. Not a lot of people saw it because it was JV but I remember that moment.”

BG: What does your game day routine look like?

BM: “I wake up, shower and eat breakfast; I usually don’t eat unless it’s game day. I come to school and drink tons of water during the day but also a couple of Monster energy drinks. I usually try to eat a lot after school, but not a lot of junk food, then either get on the bus or go to the school and get ready for the game.”

BG: Being a sole senior on a varsity squad is a bit different, especially being the only four-year player with coach Brooks. How has that worked out this season?

BM: “If coach Brooks needs something or is questionable about a gameplan or anything, I’m the first guys he comes to most of the time. We talk a lot. I’ve been a leader to the younger guys and tried to push them to get better every day the same way they do to us. It’s been different as, the past few years, we’ve had a lot of seniors, so it’s a lot more weight on me but I feel like I’ve handled it well.”

BG: Do you have any favorite college/pro sports teams or athletes you follow?

BM: “My favorite college team is Purdue by far. I don’t really watch MLB that much and don’t follow cross country that much but in the NBA, the Sacramento Kings are my favorite team and De’Aaron Fox is my favorite player. I’ve liked him since he was at Kentucky.”

BG: What else do you do at school besides things involving sports?

BM: “I’m in NHS, 4-H, with this year being my 10th year; I show swine. Other than that, I usually stay after school sometimes and support other events that are going on, whether at home or sometimes going to travel.”

BG: What do you like to do outside of school and sports?

BM: “I like to hang out with my friends a lot. I still love to compete with them, even outside of school, whether it’s video games like Fortnite or sports outside of school.”

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

BM: “I like to listen to rap a lot with artists like Lil’ Baby, 21Savage and others. I don’t really watch a lot of TV; I watch a lot of YouTube series like Overtime and all that. I watch some shoe videos like Hypebeast and stuff like that.”

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.)?

BM: “Probably video games with friends. Probably Fortnite or maybe 2K.”

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

BM: “I’ve never been parasailing but we might be doing it this spring break in Panama. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do.”

BG: What is your biggest fear?

BM: “Probably my mom or dad dying.”

BG: You’ve been placed in charge of making dinner. What’s on the menu?

BM: “Probably a roasted pollo. I made one for a Spanish project and it was actually pretty good. It took about two hours to make but it would be the first thing I would go to.”

BG: Do you have any pets?

BM: “On my birthday, we got a dog, a basset hound named Copper.”

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?

BM: “I have a really nice shoe collection that I like, so I would get one pair of my Yezzy’s that I like.”

BG: If you were to describe your personality in one word, what would that word be and why?

BM: “Leader. Especially this year, being an only senior, a lot of the guys say they look up to me. My dad has always pushed me to be a leader in sports and I like to push other people to be their best in sports.”

BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?

BM: “Gulf Shores, Ala. We used to go there with my cousins for spring break. I like it. The condos are nice, the beach is there, there’s a lot of stuff to do and good food. I love the shrimp, which is my favorite food.”

BG: What was your favorite school field trip?

BM: “In second grade, we went to the Indians games. That’s probably my favorite because it was sports related.”

BG: How important is support from your family and classmates to your success?

BM: “It’s big. My mom and dad have been at every single game since I was little and, as this is my senior year, my whole family has been coming to every single event. It’s a big part of things. After the game, whether we win big, lose big or it’s a close game, they’re there, telling me what to do better, what I did good, etc. It’s always nice to hear what they have to say.”

BG: Describe your overall school experience both academically and athletically.

BM: “North Putnam is a great school to attend. Everyone is great, everyone is nice. There’s always some bad things that happen at every school but North Putnam does a good job of handling those things. Academically and athletically, everyone is treated the same. No one is treated super poor or praised over the top. I like it like that.”

BG: If your school was to offer a class it currently doesn’t, what would you want to see taught?

BM: “Mr. Chew might hate to hear this but a banking class. We have personal finance classes but not a class where we’re taught how to do stuff in the real world, things we need to learn before we’re adults.”

BG: What are your plans for after high school, and what career are you headed toward?

BM: “I plan to attend Purdue University, studying actuarial science, and look into joining an insurance company to do statistics for them.”

BG: Is it difficult to keep up with your school work being an athlete?

BM: “I don’t think so. When it comes final times, not during the winter but in the spring, we have a lot of baseball games that are away, so sometimes you have to do some things on the bus, especially if you have advanced classes. We don’t have a lot of homework, so it’s not that hard.”

BG: Which particular classes and teachers have helped you the most in high school?

BM: “AP Calculus, pre-calculus and trigonometry. Mrs. Lippencott is the best math teacher I’ve ever had and probably the best teacher. She’s really good at explaining everything, is there if you need her and has a reputation of getting around 80-85 percent of her kids through the AP tests. She’s a really good teacher.”

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?

BM: “Maybe not on the beach as, even though I like swimming, I don’t like swimming in the ocean, but I’d like to be in a big city. I’d want to stay in Indiana, so some place like Indianapolis, Carmel, Westfield, etc. where there’s a lot of people.”

BG: Do you think high school has gone fast, and are you going to miss it?

BM: “I remember my eighth grade summer, I was at the graduation party of one of my friend’s older sister and she said to enjoy high school because it’s going to go really fast. I feel like that was just a year or two ago. It’s been very fast. I’m going to miss it, my friends and sports especially. That’ll be the thing I miss most. My brother is a freshman and I’ll miss seeing him and my younger brother as well. I’ll miss it, for sure.”

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: