Athletes in the Spotlight

By Colin Anderson | Photo By Amy Waddington

Kendall Pickford, Senior Lake City High School

Anyone who has found success at their craft, be it in academics, athletics, or their career, will more often than not attribute hard work as one of the major factors in helping them reach that success. For those who strive for perfection and enjoy competition on every level, finding time to enjoy their successes is something that doesn’t always come easy. “One of the biggest challenges in basketball is not being so hard on myself after a tough loss. Losing a basketball game never gets easier, but it has taught me how to keep working hard and improve in the next game,” admitted Lake City High School senior Kendall Pickford.

Kendall has pushed herself extremely hard since a very young age. She’s set several school records including 3-pointers made this season and is a multi-time All-League selection. While she loves the competitive side of basketball, she has learned to also take time and enjoy the benefits of her hard work. “Another lesson I have learned is to have fun with what you are doing. It makes it more enjoyable and makes the outcome even more rewarding.”

While she’s made a name for herself based on her individual statistics, she also very much appreciates the team aspect of basketball. “There are many ways that you can help your team succeed other than just scoring, and that is one of the cool things about it. Competition is important to me because it makes the sport fun and pushes you to give all-out effort,” she explained.

Kendall works hard in the classroom too, maintaining a high GPA and being honored as an Idaho Top Scholar student. Both her academic and athletic skills helped her land a scholarship offer from Arizona Christian University, where she will enroll this fall to further her schooling and playing career.

As someone who's been influenced by many great coaches, she can see herself following in the footsteps of those she’s looked up to. “Coaching has always been a dream of mine because I want to stick around basketball for as long as I can! Coaches have a huge impact on individuals, and I hope to someday be that person players can look up to.”

As she wraps up her final season and senior year at Lake City, Kendall will remember the many lessons the game has taught her as she moves forward into the next chapter of her life. “What I have learned from basketball is to give effort in everything you do.

Whether it’s in the classroom or on the court, you should maximize your effort to do the best that you can.”