By Colin Anderson
Madison Symons, Freshman
Coeur d’Alene High School
Coeur d’Alene’s Madison Symons stands out in many ways. At 6-feet tall, she’s easy to spot on the basketball and volleyball courts. Her play during her freshman season was also something that caught the eye of many around the league. We asked Madison about her early accomplishments and some of her goals as she continues her high school career.
Q. What are some of the accomplishments you are most proud of?
A. I was honored to be awarded Co-Player of the Year for high school basketball alongside Brooklyn Rewers. I play AAU volleyball for Renovators Volleyball Club and AAU basketball for the Northwest Blazers. I have been blessed with an amazing AAU basketball team where we won the West Coast National Championship twice. I am proud to say that I currently have a 4.313 (GPA) in school because of the great learning environment I am in.
Q. What is your plan for college/school in the future? Do you plan to play sports in college?
A. I plan to attend a college where I can have the opportunity to pursue my love of sports. I am working to go to a four-year college to do this, and hopefully play high level sports.
Q. What are some of your career interests and why?
A. I want to get into the medical field for my future after sports. My plan currently is to be an OBGYN because I really enjoy people, and the thought of helping them build a healthy family fills me with joy. Although I would love to do this job, if I was blessed with the opportunity to play professionally somewhere, either here or overseas, that would be a dream.
Q. What is it about basketball that you enjoy the most?
A. The part about basketball that I enjoy the most is the competition part of the game. I love to win and I will not settle for anything less, which helps me get my drive in and out of practice. Losing is not in my blood, so I have learned to put the competitiveness into pushing myself harder in practice. The basketball court is where I can be myself, and the real me shines through because my competitiveness isn’t out of place. I love competitions and although it is not always a positive, I find a way to make everything in my life the most important competition; whether it is from family card games to winning a championship, it is what I love to do.
Q. What is one life lesson you have learned from a coach or through your involvement in sports?
A. Something that I have struggled with in my career is knowing when to criticize myself and knowing when to be proud of what I have accomplished. My coaches have helped me realize that the biggest opponent to my success is me—and only me. If I am not rooting for myself, nobody else will. Understanding this concept has been hard for me, but all of my amazing coaches, trainers and parents have helped me through the process. They have also taught me many life lessons on leadership, how to be a positive leader and help each individual with their needs, hard-work, attitude and overall how to be a strong person in this world.