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The Journal & Courier sports department is proud to present the 26th annual Student-Athlete of the Year awards.
Seeger's Paul Ragan and Faith Christian's Olivia Barber were chosen by members of the sports department from a list of candidates from the 28 high schools in the Lafayette area.
The selections were based on a student-athlete's athletic and academic achievements, along with community activities. The winners were asked to write about what high school athletics meant to them.
Barber competed in volleyball at Faith Christian. She was a two-time all-state selection after helping lead the Eagles to consecutive state finals appearances and was an Indiana Class 1A/2A all-star north team representative while also serving with the Chick-Fil-A Leadership Academy, 4-H and with community service projects, including the Isaiah 117 House Fundraiser and a mission trip to Mexico.
Barber ranked first in her class with a 4.28 grade-point average while also earning a general studies associate's degree from Ivy Tech with a 4.0 GPA. Barber will continue her academic and athletic careers at Indiana University East where she plans to study pre-occupational therapy.
Here is her letter on winning this honor.
When asked to talk about what high school sports means to me, it was important for me to look back on where I started and compare it to where I am now.
Starting out, I had a couple of dreams and goals, but none of them could have come close to the things that I haveaccomplished. The dream of winning a state championship is not one that I will ever fulfill as a player, but it is also not one that I ever thought I would come close to.
Beginning my sophomore year at a new school and in a new program was the first time that the words “state champions” even became an idea for me. That year, we ended up losing in the regional championship, but the goal of a state championship did not leave my mind. After our amazing run, my junior year, ending in our first state loss, winning was not only a dream, but something that actually seemed possible.
The next morning, I made a countdown on my phone until the next state championship, Nov. 8, 2025. From then on, every practice, every workout, every rep was done with that date in mind.
Graduating our two outsides meant that there was a lot of doubt, and I had to step into a new leadership role and a new position on the team. A lot of times, it was hard to remember why I even did it at all. Thankfully, I had my teammates and my coaches to remind me of my real purpose.
In any situation where you have a long term goal, it can be hard to stay consistent. There were some times where I would feel silly because it seemed so far away and other times where I would feel stressed because it felt like I did not have enough time.
In these moments of fear in doubt, I became so focused on the end result itself that I forgot the reason that I wanted itat all. This motivation is something that our coach would bring up a lot in practice. Why is this day circled on all of our calendars? Why do we keep showing up to practice every day? Why do we stack our schedule, even if it might add losses to our record?
And to answer all of this, Coach constantly reminded us that this thing that we were working towards was not for ourselves. Yes, the blue medal might look nice around our necks, but the big microphone that will be in front of us is what is most important. When we say “big microphone” in our gym, we are not talking about the shining moment that gives us the glory.
It’s about the moment where someone asks us how we got there and we get to give the glory to the One that deserves it all.
The reason that high school volleyball has been so important to me is because I have the chance to play for something bigger with people who share my same goal. Getting to openly play for my Creator and worship Him in the way we do it is the reason why I and my team have been able to be so successful.
I have played in a lot of high-stress situations in my career, but when you play for something besides yourself, it takes away all that pressure to perform and allows you to play at an even higher intensity. In moments when I felt down or lost on the court, all I could do was look to the one that placed me there in that specific moment and thank Him for giving me the opportunity to be there at all. Jesus has been my strength through all of it, and I am so thankful for all of the ways He has guided me and will continue to guide me through this sport.
Because of volleyball and God’s hand in my life, I met the people who led me to transfer schools, I learned countless lessons about humility, and I have been given many opportunities like this one to share God’s glory.
While I never fulfilled my dreams of being a state champion, I am proud to have had this opportunity to share God’s glory above all else.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Faith Christian's Olivia Barber wins female Journal & Courier Student Athlete of the Year
Continue reading...
Seeger's Paul Ragan and Faith Christian's Olivia Barber were chosen by members of the sports department from a list of candidates from the 28 high schools in the Lafayette area.
The selections were based on a student-athlete's athletic and academic achievements, along with community activities. The winners were asked to write about what high school athletics meant to them.
Barber competed in volleyball at Faith Christian. She was a two-time all-state selection after helping lead the Eagles to consecutive state finals appearances and was an Indiana Class 1A/2A all-star north team representative while also serving with the Chick-Fil-A Leadership Academy, 4-H and with community service projects, including the Isaiah 117 House Fundraiser and a mission trip to Mexico.
Barber ranked first in her class with a 4.28 grade-point average while also earning a general studies associate's degree from Ivy Tech with a 4.0 GPA. Barber will continue her academic and athletic careers at Indiana University East where she plans to study pre-occupational therapy.
Here is her letter on winning this honor.
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When asked to talk about what high school sports means to me, it was important for me to look back on where I started and compare it to where I am now.
Starting out, I had a couple of dreams and goals, but none of them could have come close to the things that I haveaccomplished. The dream of winning a state championship is not one that I will ever fulfill as a player, but it is also not one that I ever thought I would come close to.
Beginning my sophomore year at a new school and in a new program was the first time that the words “state champions” even became an idea for me. That year, we ended up losing in the regional championship, but the goal of a state championship did not leave my mind. After our amazing run, my junior year, ending in our first state loss, winning was not only a dream, but something that actually seemed possible.
The next morning, I made a countdown on my phone until the next state championship, Nov. 8, 2025. From then on, every practice, every workout, every rep was done with that date in mind.
Graduating our two outsides meant that there was a lot of doubt, and I had to step into a new leadership role and a new position on the team. A lot of times, it was hard to remember why I even did it at all. Thankfully, I had my teammates and my coaches to remind me of my real purpose.
In any situation where you have a long term goal, it can be hard to stay consistent. There were some times where I would feel silly because it seemed so far away and other times where I would feel stressed because it felt like I did not have enough time.
In these moments of fear in doubt, I became so focused on the end result itself that I forgot the reason that I wanted itat all. This motivation is something that our coach would bring up a lot in practice. Why is this day circled on all of our calendars? Why do we keep showing up to practice every day? Why do we stack our schedule, even if it might add losses to our record?
And to answer all of this, Coach constantly reminded us that this thing that we were working towards was not for ourselves. Yes, the blue medal might look nice around our necks, but the big microphone that will be in front of us is what is most important. When we say “big microphone” in our gym, we are not talking about the shining moment that gives us the glory.
It’s about the moment where someone asks us how we got there and we get to give the glory to the One that deserves it all.
The reason that high school volleyball has been so important to me is because I have the chance to play for something bigger with people who share my same goal. Getting to openly play for my Creator and worship Him in the way we do it is the reason why I and my team have been able to be so successful.
I have played in a lot of high-stress situations in my career, but when you play for something besides yourself, it takes away all that pressure to perform and allows you to play at an even higher intensity. In moments when I felt down or lost on the court, all I could do was look to the one that placed me there in that specific moment and thank Him for giving me the opportunity to be there at all. Jesus has been my strength through all of it, and I am so thankful for all of the ways He has guided me and will continue to guide me through this sport.
Because of volleyball and God’s hand in my life, I met the people who led me to transfer schools, I learned countless lessons about humility, and I have been given many opportunities like this one to share God’s glory.
While I never fulfilled my dreams of being a state champion, I am proud to have had this opportunity to share God’s glory above all else.
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Faith Christian's Olivia Barber wins female Journal & Courier Student Athlete of the Year
Continue reading...
