Athletes invest a lot of time and effort to become the best that they can be. They spend a lot of hours working to hone their skills to be ready for competition. So it is always rewarding to see all this hard work pay off. Sadie Hockersmith says that her favorite moment was experiencing this with her teammates.
“The highlight for me was winning our way to compete in the Class 3A regional championship in 2024,” she said. “This was making history for the Lone Grove Lady Longhorns. That game was the first regional championship game since 1984 and only the fourth time in school history. I was very proud to be a part of that achievement.”
Hockersmith is a junior at Lone Grove High School, where she is involved in a number of things, including playing basketball and golf, a member of the Student Council, National Honor Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the Chickasaw Nation Chikasha Pehlichi Ikbi Leadership Program.
“ ”Along with all the work and dedication, there have also been people in Sadie’s life that have helped shape her into the person she is today.
“My mom has most definitely made the biggest impact on me,” she stated. “She is my biggest supporter and continuously pushes me to exceed my best whether it’s on the court, academically, or as a person in general. She’s always been there for those 2 hour drives to train, late night practices, and summers full of tournaments. Philip Black, my Algebra and Trigonometry teacher has been a big influence in my education since freshman year. He creates a sense of excitement around learning as well as being vocal about his faith, which has impacted my spiritual walk with God.”
Being a successful high school athlete takes more than just practice and working on your sports, you also have to be a solid student in the classroom. And though it can be tough to get it all done at times, Sadie says that having your priorities in order is the key,” she said. “To balance my academics with my activities, I prioritize and organize my work constantly. I tend to be a procrastinator so time management is a must for me! I constantly mentally challenge myself to hit the goals I set for myself as a student athlete. It also helps that I stay in communication with both my teachers and coaches, so they are aware of my commitments to school and sports.”
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