Shooting Star: Athlete Spotlight
The crowd was going wild as the minutes counted down towards half time at the district basketball tournament in Platteville. John Baker dribbled the ball at the top of key before deciding to take a risky shot near the half-court line.
The ball soared through the air towards the seemingly tiny hoop. John shoots, and he scores; nothing but net! The birthday-boy just gave himself an exhilarating present.
John Baker, age 19 from Cuba City, has been involved in the Special Olympics for four years. He plays volleyball, softball and, of course, basketball. His favorite sports are softball and basketball because he likes playing team sports and working together. John also used to play baseball in the summer while growing up and enjoys spending time outdoors. His favorite professional team is the Milwaukee Brewers, and he likes Prince Fielder because he used to pitch just like Fielder. And he still likes Carlos Lee even though he was traded.
In his spare time, John likes to do all varieties of art work such as painting and drawing. His favorite things to focus on are outdoor objects and military ideas. The hardest thing for John to draw is peoples’ noses. He also has the unusual yet very interesting hobby of collecting insects. He loves to collect butterflies the most, and his favorite butterfly is the Monarch.