FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Kolby Harcourt, South Putnam

Kolby is a senior at South Putnam and participates in two sports, football and wrestling

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

Kolby Harcourt: “Definitely something I’ve learned is accountability, responsibility and being on time. I’ve learned all these things from sports over the years.”

BG: Talk about your sports.

KH: “We had a pretty good football season. We had a lot of good seniors playing and while we had a tough loss to Greencastle, we stuck it out and had a good season as a group. I had a good group of friends on the team and will definitely miss playing with them. Against Lutheran at the end of the season, we had a few turnovers but played hard and I’ll definitely miss playing with those guys. I didn’t get to wrestle last year due to injury but had a great senior season. I started off 9-1 and finished somewhere around 23-6. I got to practice with some good guys, especially Aiden (Beadles), who was a team captain, and Keenan (Mowery-Shields), a really good underclassman.”

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

KH: “Making errors during an important game, whether it was running through the wrong gap or shooting the wrong moves.”

BG: What does your game day routine look like?

KH: “I get up around seven and try to get going. I eat a really good breakfast, go to school, lift hard during third hour and work hard at Crown as part of our ICE program and Area 30. During football, I’d get some light food before the game; during wrestling, I avoid that if I’m close on weight. After that, I get myself physically and mentally ready to go.”

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

KH: “I watch all football, though I wish the Colts had a little better to the finish to season. I am cheering on the 49ers in the Super Bowl.”

BG: In football, as a junior, you were a starting linebacker on defense throughout the year. Before your senior season, the coaching staff asked you to be the lead running back, which meant forgoing playing defense much of the year. How did you handle that?

KH: “I was playing linebacker all throughout high school and filled in at running back a little as a sub during my sophomore year. I started at linebacker as a junior and Aiden and I formed a good bond. As a senior, I was ready to do whatever the team and coaches needed me to do to win, though when they said they wanted me at running back, I did laugh for a second. When I thought about it in the end, though, I felt like it could work and I ended up with some very good numbers. I did it for the team and the seniors next to me, to help out in any way possible.”

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

KH: “I mainly do sports. I go to school, get good grades and go to work. This year, I’ve cut back a little bit on working with the middle school wrestling team and go to basketball games when I can.”

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

KH: “I like working on ATVs and four-wheelers. I also go hunting and shoot my bow. I’m much more an outdoor guy than indoor.”

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

KH: “I like movies with Kevin Hart and Adam Sandlers in them. Those are my go-to movies.”

BG: Are you a person who wants to watch TV shows and movies or stream something from YouTube, Twitch, TikTok etc. or do something else with your free time?

KH: “I’d probably clean my room, which has been known to get neglected at times. I’d also do some laundry before watching TV and spend time with the family.”

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

KH: “Probably travel. I’d like to go to a few different places, visit Canada and really travel the world.”

BG: What is your biggest fear?

KH: “Not knowing what comes what next.”

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

KH: “Probably an omelet. I’d make some sausage, bacon or ham, add in some green peppers and onion and some cheese.”

BG: Do you have any pets?

KH: “I have a dog, Wolf, who is a 12-year old German Shepherd, and a cat that roams around the house named Persistence.”

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?

KH: “Well, everything I’d go back in for is replaceable, so I’d probably grab my computer.”

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?

KH: “I’d take myself to the dealership and get a new truck or a daily-style car to drive everyday.”

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

KH: “Determined. If I get started on something and it gives me fits, I’m determined to problem solve and get it done.”

BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?

KH: “I’ve taken trips to the northern Upper Peninsula, going for a few days before coming home.”

BG: What was your favorite school field trip?

KH: “The Indians game we took in middle school. That was my favorite.”

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

KH: “Family is the most important to me. My classmates a little less so. I’m a more family-based person, so their support is very important to have.”

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

KH: “It’s been great. Middle school flew by and high school academics has always had something to learn. Coming in as a freshman, it was an eye-opening experience playing varsity sports, but overall, I’ve had a very successful career at South Putnam.”

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

KH: “Probably a financing class. A class teaching about money, investments, a focus on how to work with your money after takes are taken out, when and where to save and other topics.”

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

KH: “I plan to be a part-time student at Ivy Tech, working on an associates degree, likely in general studies, while working toward a business degree. I will also be working full time, trying to work in an excavation company.”

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

KH: “No it is not. With the ICE program, I only have two class periods and a third period of lifting. Working and sports haven’t impacted me too much as it’s easy to get work in two classes done.”

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

KH: “My English teacher, Mr. Clark, has been a big help. Mr. Lupinski, my geometry teacher, and Mr. Welti, one of my history teachers, have also definitely made an impact on me.”

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?

KH: “I’d stay local, somewhere around Putnam County, in a rural setting, somewhere where I have cornfields as neighbors.”

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

KH: “High school has definitely gone fast I’ve enjoyed the shared experiences I’ve had with friends but I’m definitely not going to miss it. It’s a been there, done that thing.”