Every Normal West athlete and coach has a certain professional athlete that they grew up admiring. No matter what sport, each and every person has someone that they look up to for that particular sport. When asked, Normal West athletes and coaches knew right away who their most influential role model is.

Senior baseball player Zach Schwarz says that his favorite athlete is Carmelo Anthony. “I like the way he plays, his shot’s smooth, and he gets buckets.”

Senior baseball player Cody Rogers says that his favorite athlete is Andrew McCutchen. “The reason why I like him is because he has a superstar quality. He takes the field with pride and goes and does work. He gets things done and I admire him for that.”

Senior football player Jamal Cobb says that his favorite athlete is Muhammad Ali. “He is very resilient and a man of action. If he believed he could do something, he went and did it. He was always 100% confident and a great role model.”

Senior basketball and soccer player Natalie Freeman says that her favorite athlete is Hope Solo. “She doesn’t care what other people think about her and she is a really good athlete and soccer player.”

Senior basketball and soccer player Abby Thompson says that her favorite athlete is Alex Morgan. “She is perfect at her sport and she has the perfect body. She is an amazing soccer player and my role model.”

Junior basketball player Richard Simpkins says that his favorite athlete is Kobe Bryant. “He has incredible ambition, he is a humble basketball player, and the greatest of all time.”

Business teacher and former basketball player Mr. Matthews says that his favorite athlete is Tom Watson. “I know him and I think he’s a really nice guy. He’s an outstanding golfer.”

One of the most common answers to this question is Michael Jordan. Three of the ten answered Michael Jordan; Senior Alexis Albright, Social Studies teacher Mr. Hess, and Business teacher Mr. Burgess all answered that Jordan was their favorite all time athlete. Alexis Albright says, “I like Michael Jordan because he has a great story. He didn’t make the high school basketball team but he turned out to be the greatest basketball player there is.” Mr. Hess says, “I grew up with him playing in college and for the Chicago Bulls. The way he played the game, his commitment, his leadership on and off the court made me feel like the Bulls could do anything.” Mr. Burgess says, “He is the greatest basketball player of all time and he was my childhood idol growing up.”

Whether you’re a basketball, baseball, or football fan there is an athlete in the game that inspires you to be great and motivates you to do your best in everything you do.