North Central College has many student-athletes on its campus, but something people might not know about them is how they began their careers or even how they got into sports in the first place. Here’s a look at a few of these student-athletes’ stories.
First up is Milia Harris, ’20, a hurdler and sprinter for the women’s track and field team who hails from Rockford, Ill. She started running when she was about 6 years old. As a child, Harris competed in several sports, including soccer, tumbling, basketball, boxing and competitive cheer.
While she enjoyed all of those sports growing up, there was something special about running that made her remain committed to track & field all the way to college. “The adrenaline rushes I get when competing don’t compare to the other sports,” said Harris.
Her first time competing in track was a competition in Rockford, which she had been signed up for by her parents. After that, she began to run every year. Some of her childhood sports icons were Kobe Bryant, Usain Bolt and Lolo Jones.
“Seeing them be successful made me want to be successful and made me want to work harder after I saw them compete,” she said. Harris also relies on her intrinsic motivation for competing, saying “my self-judgment is what motivates me the most.”
Next up is Sharmore Clarke, ’21, a starting lineman for the football team and native of Oak Park, Ill. Clarke also started playing sports when he was about 6 years old, and like Harris, he played a wide variety before settling on his favorites: cricket, soccer, basketball and baseball.
Clarke’s first time competing in organized sports was at age 11: “It was hard and a transition and really a learning curve, but I got used to it quick and it was fun.” He didn’t start playing football until the age of 13 and shortly thereafter took it more seriously.
“Junior year was when I decided that football was the sport that I wanted to pursue,” said Clarke. He found that it was the best option for him because he felt “that I was good at it and that I had the potential to be great if I put in the time during the off-season.”
Clarke had tons of icons in his life for sports, such as LeBron James, Tom Brady, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. He really loved, and still loves, to watch his sports icons perform. “They taught me how to be strong and not to give up and to put in the effort and you will get what you deserve,” he said. Clarke is humble on and off the field and that is mainly due to the way he was raised. He has a strong passion and motivation for football and in life: “Motivation is to be the best at my position and also be a leader on and off the field as well.”
Terreon Hopkins, ’21, from Willowbrook, Ill., is part of the men’s basketball team. Hopkins started to play sports when he was 3 years old, beginning with baseball. He played baseball all the way until he was in sixth grade. After that, he started to play basketball, which he says was much more enjoyable because it is a “fast-paced game, more flashy plays and exciting.”
Hopkins’ first time competing in organized basketball was in eighth grade. “I liked it, but it was hard the first time and I didn’t have the experience that people had from playing basketball since they were 3, 4 or even 5 years old, but it was fun and a learning experience,” he said.
Hopkins has many basketball icons, saying, “I like scoring guards so Allen Iverson, Baron Davis and Tim Hardaway Jr. from the old school, but now I watch Kyrie (Irving) of course, Russ (Westbrook) and Dame Lillard.” Most of those players are leaders and great people as well, which is one thing he loves about them. His motivation is also powerful and great: “My motivation is my mom and my future. My mom works hard to provide for me and my family. My future is my motivation because if you work hard now then it will pay off in the end.”
The final athlete is Charlie Burr, ’21, a member of the baseball team and native of Grayslake, Ill. Burr started to play sports when he was 4 years old. He played baseball, hockey and football growing up. He started to show an interest in baseball a little more than all of the other sports, mainly because he was really good at it and it was the best sport to him.
A big influence on him favoring baseball was his older brother who also played baseball. He started to compete in organized sports at an early age, explaining that in “middle school I started to join travel teams and play competitively and that’s when I improved a lot.”
Some icons that Burr looked up to growing up include Sammy Sosa, Brett Favre and especially Alex Rodriguez. “I used to sit down at my desk when I was younger with a baseball card of Alex Rodriguez and I used to try to make my signature look like his, still doesn’t though,” he said.
He looks at these guys not only for sports but also for how they conducted themselves outside of their sport. “I’ve seen a lot of interviews with… Brett Favre, mainly he was a man and a tough guy, he wasn’t a quitter and more of a go-getter and really that mindset of being a winner,” Burr said.
Burr stays humble and really appreciates everything that he has and is able to do. “Not a lot of people get the opportunity to play college baseball or sports in general and I just play every pitch and every play like it’s my last and really I don’t take anything for granted and really just appreciate it that I am able to play,” he said.
