FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Emily Mann, Cloverdale

Emily is a senior at Cloverdale and participates in three sports, volleyball, basketball and track.

———

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

Emily Mann: “Sports are really important to me because they’ve taught me to work extremely hard. They’ve also taught me to work with everyone, even people I don’t like. It teaches you no matter what the results are, you have to keep going. Sports have also taught me I have a whole community behind me. I’ve made different connections with a lot of different people from youth to the elderly and that has made a big difference for me.”

BG: Talk about your sports.

EM: “I’ve been playing volleyball since seventh grade and track since eighth grade but started playing basketball in fifth and sixth grade. Basketball has always been my favorite sport.”

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

EM: “Within my four years of basketball, I’ve air balled four free throws. That’s been awesome. I also dribbled to North Putnam’s basket as a sophomore; I didn’t shoot it but it was stolen and they scored.”

BG: What does your game day routine look like?

EM: “Depends on if it is home or away. At home, I go to my house, eat food, come back at around 4:15 p.m. as I have to warm up my foot specifically. I then get shots up before I stretch. On away days, we stay together, eat as a team, pack my bag, do things for my foot and then we leave.”

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

EM: “Not really. I feel like a lot of female athletes watch Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers or Angel Reese but I don’t pay as much attention to college or professional sports.”

BG: Your volleyball season ended early due to injury, one that extended into the early part of the basketball season. You were also on limited minutes once you were cleared to play. How did you handle having to be patient with rehabbing the injury while also wanting to be out and playing?

EM: “It was definitely disappointing to miss the end of the volleyball season but whenever I figured out my timeline for getting healthy, I tried to stay optimistic ahead of basketball. It was easier to look ahead to basketball rather than dwell on missing the end of the volleyball season. The most challenging part was not being able to help heal my injury. It was a big waiting game. It was more about waiting for swelling to go down, how the strength and flexibility was and it was hard to not rush things.

“No matter what I did, my foot wasn’t going to get better unless it wanted to get better. Starting basketball was rough as I practice year-round, even without playing travel ball. Not getting my preseason reps in made me question how well I was going to perform this season, which was harder on me mentally more than anything. Once I got my minutes in the game, I was favoring my other foot, not playing comfortably. Looking back, I feel fortunate to have come back in a speedy time frame and, by the second or third game back, I was getting back into a groove. In the moment, it was definitely hard but I’m glad it played out the way it did.”

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

EM: “I’m an officer in our FFA chapter, a PIE rep for the PIE Coalition, president of student council and class president, part of the Lighthouse Team for Leader in Me and a Cloverdale Ambassador, along with Art Club.”

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

EM: “If I’m not busy with sports and school, I enjoy hiking a lot. It’s a fun thing that my dad and I share together. I also do art and photography. I also love thrifting.”

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

EM: “I’m in the middle of watching ‘Gilmore Girls’ and one of my favorite movies is ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.’ I enjoyed reading ‘The Great Gatsby,’ even though a lot of people say they hate reading that book. I love it and it’s one of my favorite books. I listen to a lot of music and watch TV, though I randomly get stuck on TikTok at times.”

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

EM: “First, I’d get sucked in by TikTok. I’d finally get the motivation to close that down and pull up Instagram, then check Snapchat before getting to the large amount of laundry I have to do. Then maybe I’d clean, talk to the family and go to sleep early. After I shower.”

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

EM: “I’d like to go scuba diving. Skiing is also something I want to do. Not skydiving, though.”

BG: What is your biggest fear?

EM: “I’m afraid of heights. That and dying young, but those might go hand in hand.”

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

EM: “Grilled cheese and tomato soup. If they don’t like that, they can have a baked potato or cereal.”

BG: Do you have any pets?

EM: “The family has four dogs and mine is an older dog named Dipper. I also have two barn cats named Jack and Jill.”

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?

EM: “I have a Rubbermaid three-tiered drawer filled with CDs and copies of all the film I’ve taken over the past four years. I’d grab that.”

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?

EM: “I’d travel with that money for months on end. Then I’d come back, find my husband and use the rest of the money. After I go to college.”

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

EM: “Enthusiastic. I’m full of energy all the time. That said, I feel enthusiasm can be linked to sarcasm as well. I’m putting my energy to being both kind and sarcastic, which is a love language to me, so anyone who gets my sarcasm should be grateful.”

BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?

EM: “I had the opportunity to go with South Putnam on EF Tours last year. We went to Paris, Normandy and London. With my family, we went on a trip to Yellowstone, which was a good experience as well.”

BG: What was your favorite school field trip?

EM: “This year, we took a trip to a meat processing plant. Everyone and their grandparents know I grew up on a farm and I raise animals, so seeing what happens between when we load them on a trailer and when we get them back in packages was very interesting.”

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

EM: “It’s super important. If my family isn’t behind me on decisions, it automatically eliminates them from being a decision. I’m a very indecisive person individually, so I rely on my support system a lot. My family does nothing but give me advice and wisdom, showers me with love and reassures me that what I’m doing is good. If I didn’t have a good support system, I wouldn’t be the athlete or student I am today. I always try to reflect back on who has impacted me in my life and show gratitude to them.”

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

EM: “I’ve loved my academic and athletes experience at Cloverdale. I’ve never once questioned if I should or shouldn’t be here. I love all my teachers and peers. I love the teams I’ve played for. Cloverdale embodies my personal standards and it’s the right fit for me. I’ve always been happy here, even when I was little.”

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

EM: “Maybe a theater class. I’m not good at acting and haven’t been in any plays. Something like that would be interesting. And funny, too.”

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

EM: “I’ve applied and am awaiting a reply from Purdue University. I hope to graduate from there with a bachelor’s of science in environmental science with a minor in wildlife. Whenever I graduate, I hope to become a national park ranger and combine my love with hiking and being outdoors with an occupation I enjoy. Hopefully that’s the right one.”

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

EM: “Yes. Being an athlete is time-consuming, especially if you’re bought in and want to be a solid contributor to your team. That takes a lot of time and school work needs time. Time is something I always need.”

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

EM: “I give all my credit to Mrs. Hoffman, who led me to my occupation or my career interest. I always loved math and hated English and science in middle school but, once I got to high school, I did a complete 180. I love science, fell in love with chemistry and as a sophomore, took an AP environmental science class as a junior and an ACP chemistry class this year. Science has always intrigued me and Mrs. Hoffman has not only challenged my mind but also has challenged my career interest.”

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?

EM: “Definitely a rural setting in the woods. If I ever worked out west or in the mountains, I’d enjoy that the most. I want my kids to have the same childhood I had, being able to roam and explore in a safe area. Nature and wildlife have played such a large part in my life and I want them to have that experience as well. I really want to have my own land, home and animals. I’d be terrible in a neighborhood, being nosy and loud. I love people but I want my own space, too.”

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

EM: “High school has definitely gone fast. It feels like just yesterday, we were in the middle of quarantine as an incoming freshman and now, I’m close to graduating. It’s going fast and it’s going to be bittersweet but I’m also super excited to go to college and find my own way in life while living alone. I definitely think I’m going to miss the people the most, all my coaches, mentors and teachers, my family and all my friends. That said, I’m excited to graduate and ready to go.”