Thursday, Dec. 11,2014 - Mason County Journal - Page B-5
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
By EMILY HANSON
emily@masoncoun com
For Tyler Speaks to have a
successful college basketball
career, he knows what he has
to do.
"I want to (play in) com-
munity college first so I can
get bigger and stronger and
then transfer to a Division I
or II school," the Shelton High
School senior said.
Speaks, 17, began play-
ing basketball in third grade
through the Shelton Parks and
Recreation Department.
He said he's stuck with the
sport for a simple reason.
"I love
it," Speaks
said. "It is
relaxing for
me and I'm
passionate
about it."
The highs
and lows
Speaks of basket-
ball drive
Speaks' passion for it, he add-
ed.
At 6 feet 4 inches tall,
Speaks is one of the tallest
Highclimbers this season, but
he said he's not strong enough
to play at a Division I or II
school yet.
"Being stronger will help
with my game and my moves,"
Speaks said. "I've been lifting
weights at 5 a.m. most morn-
ings."
Although the Shelton boys
team hasn't had much suc-
cess during the three years of
Speaks' career there, he said
he doesn't mind.
"I'm just happy to play,"
Speaks said. "The winning and
losing will come. My goal is to
play in college, so that keeps
me going."
Speaks is looking into play-
ing for Pierce College in Lake-
wood next year, but said his
dream school is playing at ei-
ther Ohio State or the Univer-
sity of Washington.
"Growing up, they've been
my two favorite teams,"
Speaks explained. "Both also
reach March Madness (the
NCAA Tournament) pretty
consistently."
Although Speaks knows he
wants to play basketball at the
college level, he said playing
professionally would be nice,
but is a stretch.
"I could maybe play over-
seas if I decide I want to," he
said.
While in college, Speaks
plans to study engineering. He
said he'll most likely go into
electrical engineering.
"I just want to help out the
community and engineering is
something I'm interested in,"
he said.
The 3.6 GPA student is
taking physics this year,
which will help give him a
base of knowledge when he
begins his engineering class-
es, he said.
When Speaks isn't in school
or playing basketball, he said
he enjoys fishing in the sum-
mer and hunting in the fall.
"This year, I shot my first
big buck," he said with a
smile. "It was a 2-by-3 black
doe."
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