Athlete Showcase: Nile’s Tayton Stevens
Published 8:27 am Friday, April 13, 2018
Tayton Stevens is a senior on the Niles baseball team.
What has been one of your greatest accomplishments as an athlete?
TS: One of biggest accomplishments as an athlete is winning regionals.
What has been one of your biggest disappointments as an athlete?
TS: One of my biggest disappointments as an athlete is not making a run in the state tournament junior year after making it to quarterfinals the previous year.
Who is a “hero” in your life and why?
TS: My parents are my heroes because they have given up so much to give me and my brother a great life.
When are you the most nervous while you are competing?
TS: I am most nervous when the game is close.
Describe an embarrassing athletic moment.
TS: My most embarrassing moment was when I slipped and fell while pitching.
How do you tend to work out/train when by yourself?
TS: When I train on my own, I do a Driveline program to strengthen my arm and I hit balls off a tee to work on hitting balls all over all around the plate.
What other sport would you like to compete in if you were not playing yours?
TS: If I wasn’t playing baseball, I wouldn’t want to play any other sport.
Why are sports an important part of a high school experience?
TS: Sports are important in your high school experience because they help you learn to handle failure and that the only way to get through it is to keep going and work hard.
How would you give away $50,000?
TS: If I had $50,000, I would give my parents back all the money they’ve spent of me for sports and then I would donate the rest to baseball organizations in Niles.
If you could be the head coach of a team for a year, what team would you choose?
TS: I would be the head coach for the Chicago Cubs.
If I did not play sports, I would…?
TS: Work year-round and play video games more often.
What is the most challenging thing for you to do in your sport?
TS: The most challenging thing for me to do is to stay calm when I mess up.
If you could change one rule about your sport, what would it be?
TS: I would change that your batting lineup doesn’t have to be made up of the people playing the field.
What is the best compliment you have ever received?
TS: The best compliment I have received is that I’m a great example of a student-athlete.
What was the scariest thing you have had to do? Are you glad you did it?
TS: The scariest thing I have done is moving up an age group when I was younger, but I’m glad I did it because it helped me get better.
What was the last thing you saw someone do that really impressed you?
TS: Tate Brawley, who played at Niles, making a play that put him in SportsCenter Top 10.
What is your favorite hobby? Why?
TS: My favorite hobby is to play Fortnite of my Xbox One because it allows me to relax but it also allows me to keep my competitiveness.
Choose one word to describe yourself:
TS: Determined.