FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Bella Monnett, Greencastle

Bella is a senior at Greencastle and participates in two sports, soccer and tennis.

———

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

Bella Monnett: “Sports play a really big role in my life. I’ve learned a lot of valuable lessons through them. Communication and leadership are two of the biggest ones for me. I’ve been a captain for two years, so I’ve learned how to lead different people and be a team player in that way. I’ve also worked on controlling my emotions to help me lead the team.”

BG: Talk about your sports.

BM: “I’ve been playing goalkeeper for four years now in soccer. In my rec years, ages 5-10, I was playing, quit for a bit, but when we moved back to Greencastle, I started playing again as a freshman. I’ve played for four years, starting for three. I’ve been varsity in tennis for four years.”

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

BM: “My sophomore year at Monrovia, the ball bounced over my head two different times and they got goals off both of them.”

BG: What does your game day routine look like?

BM: “After school, I will go to the locker room, put my Airpods in, do my homework for a little bit, then I will get hyped up with the team. I have a very strict ritual for warmups that I do every time as well.”

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

BM: “I’ve been looking at St. Mary-of-the-Woods a lot, both the soccer and equestrian teams. As far as athletes, I watch Coco Gauff, a professional tennis player.”

BG: You’re one of a number of athletes who have a parent as a coach. On top of that, your dad (Scott Monnett) happens to also be a goalkeeper coach for DePauw, as well as a positional coach for yourself. How do you balance all three of those relationships during soccer season?

BM: “We tend to leave a lot of the playing stuff on the field. If we talk about it at home, it’s always positive, talking about plays we want to make and strategy on the field. Corrections are pretty strict but we do that on the field to keep the father-daughter relationship we have. As a goalkeeping coach, I really enjoy having him as that coach as it helps me on and off the field. I can tell him what we did in practice and he can help me improve on things, give me specific drills and have me watch film, all of which is really cool.”

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

BM: “Outside of sports, I’m in band, have been in the pit for musicals this year and in previous years, NHS, president of FCA and am in student council.”

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

BM: “I like to ride horses, do 4-H and am really involved in my club out there, where I sit on the board. I go out there at least once or twice a week to ride, more often in the summer. I work, spend time with my family and friends, am very faith-driven, so I go to church events a lot and have a dog that loves to play and go on walks.”

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

BM: “I’ve really gotten into country music lately after my boyfriend introduced me to it. As far as movies, I’m more of a rom-com person as my mom likes those movies and has gotten me into them.”

BG: Are you a person that wants to watch TV shows and movies or stream something from YouTube, Twitch, TikTok etc.?

BM: “I would go to my family, especially during tennis, as we have three or four matches a week and I’m never home.”

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

BM: “Travel a lot. We travel south a lot but not out. I’d like to go to the Grand Canyon at some point. I’ve also seen a picture of a sunset in Iceland and want to go there. I’d like to travel everywhere.”

BG: What is your biggest fear?

BM: “Heights.”

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

BM: “Tacos or burrito bowls. Those are the go-to for me.”

BG: Do you have any pets?

BM: “We have a dog, Rowan, and three cats, Panther, Socks and Connie.”

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: “As a kid, I had a stuffed animal of Thumper from ‘Bambi’ that I slept with every single night and I vowed that, from a young age, if there was ever a house fire, I’d go and get him.”

BG: A family member has hit the lottery. After everything is paid off and money is set away for the future, you’ve been asked to buy something you have always wanted to get. What are you asking for?

BM: “I don’t usually think of stuff like that because I’m grateful for what I have, but, while my parents are real big horse people as are my grandparents, if they said anything, I would want a horse farm for sure.”

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

BM: “Layered. I’m very shy on the surface. When people get to know me, I am very charismatic and outgoing. I’m a funny person when people know me but I just don’t get out of my shell unless I’m on the field. Then I’m loud and direct.”

BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?

BM: “We went to Washington, D.C., a couple of years ago. It wasn’t the city so much as the surrounding area. We stayed in a cute little town in Maryland that was so pretty. I like the mountains and everything up there.”

BG: What was your favorite school field trip?

BM: “My sophomore year, we went to McCormack’s Creek. We went into a cave and we have video of my friends and I crying because we were stuck between a couple of people while we were standing in cold water.”

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

BM: “It’s really good to have a supportive group of people around you, especially as I’m pretty high in the academic standings. Any time my family and friends support me during a period where I’m stressed or overwhelmed, having them around to talk has been very helpful to me. It’s a really good environment to have.”

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

BM: “My freshman year was wonky because of COVID, so we were in and out of school a lot. I still managed to get a good relationship with my teachers and classmates, so that was a good thing to be able to do. We then started school construction, which has left a lot of dampers in the school environment. The teachers have made the most out of it and given a really good and healthy environment for learning. There are also a lot of wise teachers who have taught me good lessons. Athletically, I’ve had a really good four years and have been fortunate to excel in a lot of sports. I’ve been surrounded by a lot of teammates that have made seasons fun.”

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

BM: “Any animal science class or animal biology. We have biology, zoology and marine biology but I’ve always been interested in an animal science class and the way they work.”

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

BM: “My plan right now is to attend St. Mary-of-the-Woods to major in equine pre-vet and minor in equine breeding and management to potentially go to vet school to be an equine vet or an equine breeder.”

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

BM: “Sometimes it definitely is difficult but, as long as I make a good schedule for myself, time management usually isn’t too hard. I do have to be aware of how much time I am spending in places, which means sacrificing some time with friends, but school has to come first and then athletics.”

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

BM: “Biology really helped me in getting my interest in animal science more out there. The teacher that has helped me the most is Mr. Williams, my Spanish teacher. He has been very supportive on the mental side of things as, between sports, school and clubs, there are times I get overwhelmed by all of it and stressed. Mr. Williams helps normalize that, has normal talks about my future and has been very helpful teacher in all of that.”

BG: In the future, once you’ve established yourself, if you had your choice, would you want to live in the mountains, on the beach or in the neighborhood?

BM: “Definitely in the country. I want to have a cow and horse farm when I grow up.”

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

BM: “Yeah. High school has gone really fast. Maybe it’s because of all of the construction and COVID and everything. My senior year is flying by. I’m going to miss seeing the people I know every day and having a supportive group around me as college is going to be a little different and a little smaller of a group. I’ll definitely miss it but I feel I’ll be on to bigger and better things.”