The athlete of the week at Sparkman High School has to be an overachiever, an optimist, and a diligent person. They need to be able to balance their school work with their athletic work. To become Athlete of the Week, you can’t just be passionate about your sport; you have to be willing to make sacrifices and be a leader for others.
Malik Athey, a sophomore at Sparkman High School, participates in multiple sports, including track & field and football. While pursuing both fields of play, he also manages to keep an A average in his classes. His peers also view him as a genuine guy.
Sophomore Lily Benefield said, “He’s such a nice guy, and he always has a good attitude towards everything he does. I really hope he achieves everything that he wishes for in life.”
Sometimes we don’t wanna try new things or something that would be beneficial to us. That’s what parents are for; they’re here to push us and make us try new things. Even Malik’s parents had to push him into the sport he loves to this day.
Malik said, “When I was younger, my parents forced me to play football because I kept throwing stuff in the house. Ever since then, my love for football has grown.”
Most athletes look up to someone, whether it’s their parents, friends, or coaches. Some people need that one person to look up to, so that they can follow their footsteps and become the person they want to be in life. Like everyone else, Malik has a person he looks up to as well.
Malik said, “I look up to coach Jones because he gives good advice, he’s a good motivator and he’s positive and helpful to all his players.”
Everyone has a dream or vision of what they want to do with their life, whether it’s going to college to get a degree or pursuing something away from school. Malik absolutely knows where he wants to go in life.
Malik said, “I have wanted to go to the University of Alabama ever since I was a kid. It is my dream to go to the league, but if I don’t make it, I want to become a football coach like Coach Jones.”
