Q&A with Hailey Shearer: Jamestown rising sophomore track star
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — A Q&A with Hailey Shearer, who is Jamestown High School’s rising sophomore track, XC and soccer star.
What are your personal goals within your sport?
Hailey Shearer: Get better skill-wise for soccer, and perfect my technique in running. Not only perfecting my skills and technique, but another athletic dream I have is making it to college for one of my sports.
What is your biggest challenge in your sport, and what do you do to manage this challenge?
Shearer: The biggest challenge I face is the pre-game nerves. The mental aspects of my sports can be challenging, but I always overcome by talking to someone or listening to music.
What was the best advice you were ever given?
Shearer: I would have to say that the best advice I鈥檝e received was from my sister. She said to me, 鈥淭ake a minute or so to be hard on yourself about the mistakes that you鈥檝e made and then once that minute is over, focus on how you can improve and learn from the mistakes that you鈥檝e made.鈥�
What do you love about your sport?
Shearer: With running, I love the feeling of accomplishment after finishing a race, and I also love the feeling of adrenaline rushing through my body. On the other hand, with soccer, I love how competitive I can be and the self- esteem it builds. And of course I love the teammates that make the sport you do ten times better!
Do you have a pregame ritual you follow?
Shearer: Other then doing a basic warmup before a meet or a game, I mainly chill out, which just includes listening to music, stretching, and snacking.
What do you like to do outside of your sport?
Shearer: I like to hang out with my friends as much as possible, read, scroll on social media, and watch TV.
What has being a member of a team taught you?
Shearer: Being a part of something that鈥檚 bigger than myself has taught me how to build confidence, discipline, grit, and to accept losing gracefully.
What is the best piece of advice you received from a coach or mentor?
Shearer: Some of the best pieces of advice I鈥檝e been given are progress comes with patience, make sure to listen to your body, and don鈥檛 take these moments for granted because they all could be taken away from you within minutes.
Describe a mistake you made while competing and how you overcame it.
Shearer: Mistakes are made many times when I compete in soccer or XC/track , but there is one recognizable mistake that comes to mind. Way back when I first started club soccer, I can remember that it must鈥檝e been one of my first games and I played defense. This girl sped past me so quick, she scored and I remember thinking that I just let the whole team down because this girl scored on behalf of my part. But thanks to having a supportive team they let me know that if one person messed up, the whole teamed messed up. It鈥檚 a team effort. Since then, I’ve overcome my mistakes with support, having confidence, and realizing these are learning points more then 鈥渕istakes.鈥�
Anything else you鈥檇 like to add?
Shearer: When I lose my motivation or I am not feeling well at what I鈥檓 doing, I always like to remember this quote by H. Jackson Brown, 鈥淟ife doesn鈥檛 require that we be the best, only that we try our best.鈥� The quote just helps me stay focused on how it鈥檚 the effort that we put in that can make us achieve higher goals even when we get tired.
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