Lamar athlete TJ Ansley interviewed with VYPE to discuss his life.
VYPE: What are your personal goals for the year?
My goal for this year is to do my part to help my team to make it back to state and win. The past two years we have been there and left feeling unsatisfied. So I am ready to do anything to help my team.
VYPE: What is the most fun you have had in the last year?
The most fun I’ve had in the last year was playing on the field with my two big brothers. They are my role models and we’re great leaders and mentors to me. Now that they have graduated I try my best to be as good to my little brother as they were to me.
VYPE: Who is your favorite teacher from any grade, and why?
My favorite teacher was Coach Johnson, he made his lessons memorable through his active lectures where he would get on tables and do about anything to make us remember them. He is a great coach and he pushed us to levels we didn’t know we had and introduced us to weightlifting.
VYPE: What is your favorite athletic memory?
My favorite athletic memory was when we beat Seneca in the semifinal game after we lost to them in regular season. There was a lot of animosity between us after the first game and we got a chance to prove ourselves in the second game.
VYPE: What teammate has left the biggest impression on you and why?
The teammate that has left the biggest impression on me was Alex Livingston. He was an upperclassman who took me under his wing to the point that I was called, “his son.” He helped me in the weight room and in life, he was a great example for me to follow, in morals and in life. I was truly blessed to have him in my life.
VYPE: What is your favorite part of being on this team?
My favorite part of being on this team is the connection we have with each other. We probably spend more time with each other than we do with our families. Through summer camp we spend a lot of time talking and bonding under the bleachers. I like this team because we don’t learn just about football, we learn real life lessons about hard work and to do things that we don’t want to do. We learn to sacrifice for something greater than ourselves.
VYPE: You can pick any place for a summer vacation. Where do you go, and who do you take with you?
I would go to the Colorado mountains and take my family with me. I have four brothers, a sister, and parents who support me in everything I do. They are the best family anyone could ask for and I thank God for them.
VYPE: If we gave you $500 and you had to spend it in the next 24 hours, what would you spend it on?
I would fill my truck with gas and with the remaining five bucks I’d buy a lemonade.
VYPE: Do you participate in any community service projects?
Our team has a trash pick up day where we split up in teams and are assigned streets to pick up the trash. It is a fun time where we bond together and make memories.
VYPE: What Clubs or Campus groups are you involved with and why?
I am involved in FCA which is a great time to get together with other Christians and worship the Lord. It is a great blessing we have to be able to gather freely and learn about God.
VYPE: Are you involved in academic excellence activities such as the National Honor Society, Student Council, or other academic clubs?
I am not involved with NHS yet because they don’t induct people till the end of junior year.
