Introducing our WXXV Student Athlete of the Week, West Harrison’s Abbie Hancock!

Well it’s spring break for many of our schools here on the gulf coast, but one softball team isn’t getting much of a break at all as their preparing for district play, and that’s the typical tempo for their shortstop, who doesn’t really know what a break is as she plays three sports and is dedicated to serving her community. Get to know our very busy WXXV Student Athlete of the Week, West Harrison’s Abbie Hancock!

If you’ve ever been around West Harrison’s athletic department, then you’d recognize the name Abbie Hancock.Hancock is a senior tri-sport athlete who excels in softball, soccer, and volleyball and she’s truly mastered how to do it all.

“I just like it because it’s only a certain amount of time until you go to the next sport and I feel like they’re all connected at some point and I just like to play all three,” said Abbie Hancock. “When August starts it’s volleyball season but it’s preseason for soccer so I’ll just go to soccer and we’ll run and do the things but then I’ll play volleyball, and when volleyball ends that’s when soccer starts and I usually go to softball sometimes and preseason for soccer because it’s preseason for both and then after soccer I’ll go to softball and then that’s it. Then it just keeps going and going!”

It only makes sense that she loves the sports and the positions that keep her the most busy which includes shortstop, libero, and center midfielder.

“I just like it because there’s not a lot of thinking about it because you’re always running around so you can’t think about anything that you’re doing and you’re just moving the whole time. Being in the middle of the field you can do a lot. You can help on offense and on defense and I think my team relies on me a lot and I like that they can count on me. I like playing shortstop because I get to play a leadership role in the infield and outfield and I can help my teammates out. I think that’s why I love both of them because I’m in the center of both of them and I like that my team can trust me to do these things,” said Hancock.

Whether she’s on a field or a court, Hancock is going to give it her all. She doesn’t just participate for fun, but she challenges herself to be the best. Hancock has been named to the all district soccer and volleyball team for all four years, was named the defensive player of the year for softball and volleyball,  and she played in all-star games for all three sports.

As if she wasn’t already impressive enough, she works just as hard in the classroom as well. Hancock currently has a 4.3 gpa, has a 28 on her act, is ranked second in her class, and is involved in four different honor societies. She says the reason she gives everything her all and wants to always do her best is because of her family.

“My parents have a lot to do with that because they always want me to do good in everything, in school and in sports, so I think that has helped a lot and both of my sisters always played sports too and they’ve always done their best and that makes me want to do better,” Hancock said.

Hancock is also thankful for West Harrison high school and the coaches for pushing her to be the best version of herself.

“I want to thank the coaches like Coach Rogers, my sister who is my soccer coach, Coach Hancock, and Coach V, my volleyball coach. I just want to thank them because they really have made me the person I am and I wouldn’t be the athlete I am without them,” said Hancock. “This school has done a lot for me and I think it really made me into the person I am today and it just makes me want to work even harder when I get to college and it has taught me a lot.”

Speaking of college, after receiving the Joe Paul Leadership Scholarship and an academic scholarship, Hancock will be attending the University of Southern Mississippi majoring in accounting.