This month’s Athlete of the Month is freshman Andrew Booths.  Booths is a dual-sport athlete that participates in both indoor track and field along with freshmen basketball.  Participating in two sports is no small feat, so we sat down to catch up with Booths to learn more about how he balances the sports.

Q1:  How long have you been competitively running and playing basketball?

A1:  I have been running for 5 years starting in middle school and I started playing basketball in first grade, so I’ve competed for 8 years.

Q2:  What’s it like being on both teams?

A2:  I have found that, through participating in both the basketball and indoor track teams, I have learned greatly how to manage my time.  I have to find time to run, play basketball, and still keep my grades up every single day.  These sports have also allowed me to make many new friends.  I like to be friendly with all of my teammates which makes me really enjoy being on the team[s].

Q3:  How has participating in these sports impacted your life?

A3:  Being a part of both of these teams have helped me to become a better person.  High school sports teams teach you how you need to act when you are grown up.  It has really gotten me involved in the school.  Being on these teams representing the school makes me feel like I am really representing the Carlisle community.

Q4:  What is your favorite aspect of running?

A4:  Realizing that everything that I accomplish is because of my effort I put in in training will really pay off and if I don’t do good, that’s on me and no one else. In running, there are no excuses for not executing.

Q5:  What is your favorite aspect of basketball?

A5:  I am able to play another sport between my main sports seasons.  Basketball isn’t my main focus but being able to be on the team and be a contributor makes me feel good about it.

Q6:  How has it been different playing sports in high school then middle school?

A6:  In high school, it’s more involved whereas middle school not as much.  Our practices in high school are more intense than middle school practices. The competition is also a lot more intense because you could be participating against kids 3 years older than you, where in middle school you’re competing against only a year older than you when you’re the youngest.