Palisade Sophomore, Haley Ammons, is one out of two female Athletes of the Week brought to you by Palisade Dino Mart. Ammons plays tennis, where she is currently playing at the 1doubles sport with her partner, Palisade Junior, Sydney Maurer. “I have been playing for about four years now,” said Ammons. “It has been a really big sport in my family. My cousins play it and now my mom, aunt, and uncle play it. It is just a family thing.” Ammons has truly developed a bond with the sport. “I think that it is just overall a really fun sport,” said Ammons. “It distracts me from school and stuff like that, which I think is really nice. You can also learn a lot of things from it, like with the mental and confidence side of it. It has really helped me with every aspect of my life. Plus I will be able to play it my whole life.” 

Ammons has been inspired by others to grow in tennis. “I look up to a lot of my teammates. I look up to how good everyone is and how pretty they look playing it,” said Ammons. “Someone famous that I look up to is Coco Gauff. She is like 20 years old and has won about seven titles, which is crazy to me. She is just a powerful player, and being so young and good is just mind blowing.” This inspiration has helped Ammons succeed in her sport. “I have seen growth, especially in my confidence when I am playing,” said Ammons. “From last season to this season, I have put in a lot of work into tennis in the off-season. I was able to improve a lot and grow in my skills. On the mental side last year I was always in my head, and this year I have for the most part gotten better at that.” Ammons diligence and commitment to her sport proves her hard work ethic and determination. Congratulations Haley Ammons on Athlete of the Week!