Palisade Senior, Fred Moore, is the male athlete of the week brought to you by Palisade Dino Mart. Moore plays basketball and has been playing for about 10 years. He was first introduced to the sport by family and close friends. “My dad always played basketball with me and a lot of my friends did in elementary school,” said Moore. “My dad was also the coach of my rec league team and got me into it.” Being halfway through the season, Moore shared his thoughts. “I would say that it is going pretty good. We are a young team, but overall we have been growing a lot since the beginning of the season and I think we have good things to come in the future.”

Being an athlete in high school isn’t always easy. “Basketball definitely takes up a lot of my time,” said Moore. With experience over the years, Moore has learned how to manage life as a student athlete. “Over the weekends I try to get as much work done as I can so that I don’t have to stress about it during the next week.” Moore has mastered life as a student athlete because of his love for basketball. He does what it takes to do what he enjoys. “Being on the team, hanging out with my friends, going on travel trips and having good connections with the coaches and players are some of my favorite things about basketball.” Outside of sports and school, Moore enjoys being outdoors. “I like mountain biking, which I just recently got into,” said Moore. “Camping has also been a big interest of mine recently.” 

From the beginning, Moore’s dad has been a big part of his life inside of basketball. His dad is someone who he looks up to and someone he is inspired by. “He won state twice when he was in high school and he always talks about his experiences with it. He was also the smallest guy on his team, which is something I admire.” This inspiration has encouraged Moore to achieve high standards of his own. “Last year I got academic all state,” said Moore. “Sophomore year we won league. I wasn’t on varsity much, but just the memories of being around that team and seeing the accomplishment was awesome.” As a Senior, many memories and bonds will be missed by Moore and the team. “Being with the team and messing around with my friends and teammates is something I will miss, as well as playing basketball in general. I am going to miss the home games and playing for the crowd.” 

Moore’s dedication to his sport, school life, and his aspiration to connect with his teammates demonstrates what a hard working player he is, as well as what a great teammate and role model he is. Congratulations Fred Moore on athlete of the week!