What does it take to be a great athlete? Hayden Castillo says that it takes dedication, discipline, hard work, being able to take correction, being humble, and focusing on yourself and your team instead of what anyone else thinks. Hayden is a sophomore at Altus High School. She participates in basketball, volleyball, track, and National Honor Society. The highest moment in her athletic career so far was when she was named Newcomer of the Year.
Her biggest positive impact has been God. “Having faith and trusting in Him has gotten me through all of the highs and lows,” she says. Hayden’s biggest role model is Grace Lyons. She says that it’s because “I strive to live and play for the Lord as she does.” Her favorite subject in school is math, because she likes to figure out how to solve the problem that she’s given. Her favorite teacher is Mrs. Latham. “She’s my favorite teacher because she has always been there to support me and makes sure that I’m ok,” Hayden says.
Hayden has been awarded Newcomer of the Year, 3rd team All-District, sportsmanship leadership award, defensive player of the year, and All-District honorable mention. Her favorite sports moment has been when her and her team went to the playoffs at regional finals last year. In her free time, she likes to spend time with friends and family, help coach her brothers basketball team, watch football and basketball, watch shows, and play with her brothers.
Hayden has been involved with sports since she was five years old. Her grandpa has been the one to really nurture her love of sports; coaching when she was younger and later taking her to all of her practices and events.
Her favorite part about participating in sports is the bond that she’s made with her teammates and seeing the progress that she’s made as an athlete. Sports have taught her hard work, discipline, trusting the process, how to deal with pressure, and how to deal with losing and failing. Her plans after high school are to go to college and play basketball at the collegiate level while studying in the medical field.
Hayden’s advice to her fellow athletes is not to get overwhelmed with everything else going on around you, just work hard and trust the process and play for that little kid that you were when you first figured out that you loved the sport.
By Ariel Casida
