FEATURED SENIOR ATHLETE: Samie Hoops, North Putnam

Samie is a senior at North Putnam and participates in two sports, basketball and track.

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

Samie Hoops: “Sports are something I really enjoy doing and give me an outlet to get away from the world in a way. It’s calming, I can go do them and have fun while not worrying about other things. It’s taught me a lot of skills like leadership, self-dependence through skiing and responsibility, especially with getting to practice on time.”

BG: Talk about your sports.

SH: “I started playing basketball when I was in third grade. We’ve been fortunate to have the coaches we have had in high school, even if they haven’t stayed for very long. The coaches here have been really good and brought difference characteristics to the table. To me, coach Haworth saw me as a little freshman with potential and gave me that boost of confidence. Coach Franklin encouraged everyone and did a good job of incorporating the JV into practices so it wasn’t so varsity/JV split, which was really nice. I like the different styles we played. With coach Haworth, we played really fast, though we did have a very different palette of girls then. With coach Franklin, we played fast and with coach Lawrence, he was very-play oriented because we wanted to get better looks. He also worked in the JV a lot as well. I did softball until my knee injury; I won’t have time to play this year because of the time commitment needed for that and for skiing. I plan to run track this spring instead.”

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

SH: “Chipping my tooth at practice. I’ve done that twice playing basketball; the second time was on New Years, so I couldn’t eat corned beef and cabbage because I couldn’t chew.”

BG: What does your game day routine look like?

SH: “We come to the media center to eat after school. I get dressed then go to the trainer’s office and do compression boots for 30-40 minutes. I listen to music while doing that, then do some warmup shots, switching between free throws, threes and jumpers before coming back to the locker room.”

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

SH: “In skiing, there is a girl named Brittany Greenwood who went through a similar injury as me. She is a pro skier and I’ve talked to her about a lot of things about that. She has been a big supporter of skiing and basketball and has kept up a little bit with basketball. Every once and a while, we’ll text and she’ll ask how my knee is going.”

BG: Your knee injury occurred during 2022-23 basketball season and the rehab took long enough that this season began before you were fully cleared to participate. What did those you worked with, both coaches and trainers, tell you about being patient and not rushing things?

SH: “The physical therapist I had during my recovery attended my signing. He was such a big part of my recovery and something he said is on my phone background: ‘Don’t lose sight of the end goal.’ I had said later on that we had a basketball game over the weekend and asked whether or not it would be worth playing or when I could start playing 3-on-3 instead of shooting free throws and he would remind me to remember the end goal, which was that I wanted to go to college for skiing and not basketball. Basketball is what I wanted to do right now but the end goal was four years of collegiate skiing. That was a big part of it. My coaches were always supportive too. There would be some days where, after we ran a lot, something I wasn’t used to doing, I would have to sit out for a few reps and they were OK with that, telling me they wanted me for this game in the future, not for a Tuesday practice.”

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

SH: “I am a part of FCA, NHS, student council, Pep Club, Key Cub and Cougar Power.”

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

SH: “I like to spend time with friends and family, especially since I’m going to go to college so far away; I’m trying to soak in as much time with my family and dogs before I go away. My favorite thing is to go on little weekend trips to places like Avon with Rose (Haste) to go shopping and get food.”

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

SH: “I’m not picky about my music, though I do like country music and before games, I like rap music. I’m always down for a good romcom movie.”

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?

SH: “I’d check my phone and social media I’d text my parents and then my friends, checking to see who is doing what and whose mom is making dinner. I’d check social media to see what was going on and then get on the TV and chill out while I have extra time.”

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

SH: “I want to go skydiving. It does take away a little bit from my dad’s profession as a pilot as he doesn’t see the value of jumping out of a working plane.”

BG: What is your biggest fear?

SH: “Stinkbugs. It’s weird. When they die, they crunch and they smell bad. They always crawl in my life jacket when they’re outside and when I find them, I lose it because I can feel them crunch around. I’m not a fan.”

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

SH: “Definitely breakfast for dinner. I’m 100 percent making pancakes, bacon, sausage and fried eggs.”

BG: Do you have any pets?

SH: “I have two dogs, one named Trucco, which is Italian for trick; we were trying for a fun name. The other one’s name is Ben.”

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?

SH: “I’d get my nice Nike shoes. My dunks.”

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?

SH: “It’s probably cliche but I’d by a bunch of land to later build a lake and house on. Then I could use the boat I already have on the water.”

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

SH: “Determined. I don’t like having things unfinished; I want to get things done so I have to do other things I want to do. My rehab is part of that because, honestly, I wasn’t supposed to come back for basketball until maybe sectionals. I’m not patient, so I want to get things done.”

BG: What has been your favorite place to visit?

SH: “Florida. We have a condo we always go to and it’s nice to be in a home away from home. We know where everything is at, so it’s not a vacation spot. We have our own space and we can go to a more vacation-like spot or just relax.”

BG: What was your favorite school field trip?

SH: “The Polar Plunge. Our field trip in eighth grade was canceled due to COVID, but the Polar Plunge is fun.”

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

SH: “It’s really important to me. Not only do I like having the support but also the backup and people to talk to. It was important to have that support system when I was hurt because it was hard to go to games, sitting there watching while I couldn’t do anything. It was also important as I was coming back, having a huge community around me to enjoy it with me.”

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

SH: “It’s been really good academically. Athletically, it’s been harder some years than others but that’s what you get when you have three different coaches in three different years. There’s been challenges there. I would recommend North Putnam in the end.”

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

SH: “A CPR class. You can use that for a lot of things.”

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

SH: “I’m going to the University of Louisiana-Monroe for water skiing. I plan to major in nursing, minor in exercise science and become an orthopedic nurse.”

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

SH: “No, but I’ve learned how to study as an athlete. I’ve learned time management skills. Some people use that time management to know that they can do work later but I know what time practice is, when I’ll get home and when I need to go to bed the night before the next game. I’ve always made friendships studying and the coaches are also there for you in the long run if you need anything.”

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

SH: “Ms. Lippencott. She has made math very easy when it really isn’t that easy. She’s always encouraging and asks about how things are. I wasn’t at school the first week as I was with my brother at nationals and she asked what my post-secondary plans were. She was writing them down on our seating chart but it’s cool because she cares about us.”

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?

SH: “I would like to be in-between a town and the mountains or a beach. I just don’t want to hear the town. Especially with a lake, I’d need a lot of space and cover.”

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

SH: “It’s gone pretty fast. I’ll definitely miss the friendships I’ve made and the people that have helped me get through high school but I’m excited for the next chapter.”