Ethen Neill lives by a simple maxim: “No matter how hard or difficult something is, keep your head up and power through it.”
“My dad inspires me,” the Woodward High School senior basketball player and track runner said. “All throughout my life, ups or downs, he has still tried his hardest to make sure that I had a good childhood and that I had all the supplies I needed to be the best athlete I could be. Buying me shoes, paying for me to get into camps and driving me all around Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas for AAU tournaments.”
Neill started playing because his dad played in high school. When he was young, he started in little league and couldn’t stop.
“I’ve always enjoyed the sport ever since I was young. I grew up in a very competitive household, which just led me to become a very passionate person. I hate losing a game, especially when my teammates and I push as hard as we can but still can’t come out with the win.”
Another inspiration for young Neill was former Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook.
“When I was younger, I always wanted to be able to jump like him. Watching him fly up there and dunk the ball was so fascinating to me, and recently, even at his lowest, he still finds the courage and strength to push himself to do his best while playing with the Clippers.”
That’s something to strive for. Several peers and mentors have helped Neill push himself.
“My favorite teacher has to be Mrs. Clem, my sophomore year geometry teacher. She has done so much for me throughout these years of high school, whether it was staying after school to help me with assignments, writing recommendation letters for me to send to jobs or travel ball teams,” Neill said. “[Teammate] Conner Sunderland, he has had a huge impact on me this year, always talking to me in the game, helping me with my attitude or just saying something funny in practice. We really just clicked this year.
“I want to shout out coach Gaines. She got me out of a rough spot earlier in the season when it came to my mindset and how I thought this upcoming year was going to go,” Neill added.
