Indiana Player with Heart: Kenzlei Mathews

Kenzlei Mathews was nominated as a Beck’s Player with Heart for her commitment and passion on and off the mat and field. While it's difficult for her to pick one thing she loves most about high school sports, Kenzlei expressed that pride is what she loves most. There is true pride in the eyes of her parents, her community, young athletes, and even the bus driver. Representing her school and community with her friends is an honor and an emotional, rewarding feeling. Looking up and seeing the stands filled with people from her school and community is something that she cannot describe. Being able to set the stage for young athletes to dream of playing, in the same uniforms, striving for the same dreams or more, is a feeling of a whirlwind of emotions. Kenzlei competes in Western Boone High School wrestling, softball, and soccer on the varsity teams and plays travel softball with the Indiana Shockwaves. She also participates in FFA, 4-H, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the National Junior Honor Society. In her spare time, she volunteers as a mentor to local softball teams as well as other activities. Kenzlei currently works for a local horse farm, teaches, softball lessons, and, is a junior umpire for young athletes to help her parents pay for her fees and equipment. Agriculture to Kenzlei means a way of life. She said this because her father has grown up working for farmers and taught each of his kids to earn their first dollars by volunteering for local farmers. She did not know at the time just how much it was teaching her. Learning to work from sun up until sundown, walking fields, carrying heavy rocks to the cart, and just learning to work as a team to cover more ground. She applies each of the qualities taught to her through farming to everyday life. Kenzlei dreams of playing softball in college, and although undecided, she hopes to earn a medical degree possibly in sports medicine. She wants to be able to help give back to her parents, supporters, and sponsors for always helping her find a way to make her dreams happen. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.