By Zoe Foose
As a senior, sports editor Joey Pickel keeps himself busy. Pickel, who devotes countless hours each day to watching and playing sports, is entering his fourth and final year on staff; however, the easygoing, football-loving senior hopes to take his career in journalism beyond the reach of high school newspaper.
Though Pickel is a football fanatic who enjoys keeping up with the entirety of the NFL, when asked to choose a favorite team, his answer was undoubtedly the Green Bay Packers.
“The Green Bay Packers have always been my favorite team. My dad grew up in Wisconsin and if you’re from Wisconsin you’re a diehard Packers fan from the day you are born,” Pickel said.
With the Packers as his favorite team, it is only fitting that Pickel’s all-time favorite athlete is the Packer’s Donald Driver.
“When I was around three or four, the first and most vivid memory I have of the Packers is when a receiver by the name of Donald Driver won the Turkey award on Thanksgiving. He’s been my favorite since then; not a lot of people know of him, but I love him to death. I met him once. He’s a real nice guy,” Pickel said.
Throughout his life, Pickel has met numerous athletes — from star quarterback Aaron Rodgers in an elevator, to retired NBA player Kareem Abdul Jabbar at an autograph show. Pickel’s dream of becoming a sports journalist is evident in that he actively seeks out opportunities to meet and talk with professional athletes.
Though it may seem that Pickel’s life is consumed only by school and sports, he enjoys hanging out with friends and his dog Sparky, whom he describes as his spirit animal.
“My dog [Sparky] is a shih-poo, which is a shih tzu mixed with a poodle. He’s about 30 lbs, and he’s pretty awesome. He’s white and grey, and I got him when I was six years old on Christmas. Since we got to grow up together, I feel like we know each other well,” Pickel said.
When asked why he joined The Sentry, Pickel referenced his middle school journalism experience.
“I joined The Sentry because I took journalism in middle school, and though I thought it was cool, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pursue it as a career. I joined the class freshman year to kind of just test the water, and what I learned from The Sentry is that I really enjoy journalism when you can write about something that you’re passionate about,” Pickel said.
For Pickel, what started off as an excuse to not take a language in middle school, stemmed into a strong passion to pursue a career in creative writing or sports journalism. The Sentry appreciates Pickel for all of his hard work these past four years, and cannot wait to see what he accomplishes in the future.
By Joey Pickel
There are no better words to describe second-year junior reporter Zoe Foose than “renaissance woman.” She goes out of her way at least once a week to drive almost an hour to ride horses in Manassas, tries her best to volunteer as much as possible at a therapeutic horseback riding center, has ambitions of becoming a lawyer and actively gives back to the homeless. She is a plain and simple “renaissance woman.”
When asked the age-old question about her favorite sport, Foose gave an answer that one may not have expected.
“[Horseback riding] really is my favorite…. I’ve just had a really special place in my heart for [it], and a lot of my friends do it, so it’s a lot of fun for me,” Foose said.
It is abundantly clear that riding horses is a passion Foose has had for years. She described that, for the last decade, she has been working on a specific style of horseback riding.
“For the past ten years I’ve been riding English … which is basically just jumping, dressage and cross country,” Foose said.
Foose’s dedication to the sport shined even brighter when she described her rigorous training regiment. When combining that with a 45-minute drive from her house to the stables, it is safe to say she is obsessed with the sport.
“In the summer I get to go out there everyday…. I really value my time a lot and feel some sort of weight lifted off my shoulders when I drive into the driveway and step out and smell that smell,” Foose said.
Riding horses provides an escape for Foose. It gives her a place where she can go for a few hours, and get away from all of her everyday problems. It is, most definitely, her happy place.
“I’ve had a lot of family [health] trouble the past few years … but whenever I go to the barn, I seem to forget everything that’s going on and I only focus on myself and my horse. So it’s really relaxing and nice to get out there,” Foose said.
When she is not riding horses, you can still expect to see Foose at the barn. Other than simply riding the horses, she also likes to volunteer and help with therapeutic horseback riding sessions.
“In the past, I’ve volunteered at a therapeutic horseback riding place because I’ve been horseback riding for my entire life so I try to do anything I can to be around horses. So when I found that opportunity, I’ve been volunteering there for two years,” Foose said.
When asked to describe how therapeutic horseback riding works, Foose answered with a detailed and interesting response.
“It can be to help with mobility…. It’s mostly therapeutic where it’s like anxiety, it can help with depression…. A lot of teenagers with Down Syndrome came because it’s more of a sensory thing where they can pet the horse,” Foose said.
If one thing is clear about Foose, it is that she likes to make a positive impact on people’s lives. Whether that impact comes from simple acts of kindness to the less fortunate, or spending her precious time with those who need help, she will do it. Everyone at The Sentry is lucky to have this horse-lover on staff, and cannot wait to see what she will bring this year.
