Christopher Plants

Christopher Plants, sophomore, believes that many doors are open for him to pursue things he’s interested in later on in life, such as nursing, interior design or being an artist. Some doors offer different sized opportunities.

“I play racquetball, and I get a lot of strange looks when I walk onto the court because I have to duck to walk through the doors to get into the gym,” Plants said. “[Having to do it] is weird, and getting strange looks used to bother me, but I’ve gotten over it and have learned to relieve my stresses and burdens while playing.”

This learning began in sixth grade, which is when Plants said he fell in love with racquetball after watching his three older siblings play. He isn’t concerned with the amount of time he spends practicing after school because, in his eyes, it’s more than just a sport — it’s a family.

“We always hang out together,” Plants said. “We get together before and after matches, and we always just have a lot of fun. We’re extremely supportive of one another, and, even if [someone loses], it’s still alright because of our team bond and friendships.”
Although Plants devotes a sizable portion of his free time after school to racquetball practice, he said his interest in home improvement is more important on Sundays. After attending church, Plants said he and his dad spend Sunday afternoons visiting open houses around Kirkwood.

“[My dad and I] normally go to open houses as our after-church activity,” Plants said. “We’ll laugh at the different design features, and sometimes we just enjoy thinking about what we could do differently in the house. We go because we both enjoy looking at the houses, so it’s a way that our relationship [is strengthened] by our connection through a shared interest.”

Whether playing racquetball, going to church or visiting open houses, Plants tries to characterize himself differently than a stranger might because of his height. He tries to live by the simple principle of being happy.

“I think that always being happy — if I’m being honest — helps you feel better,” Plants said. “A lot of people characterize me as the tall kid and don’t actually get to know me, [so being happy] helps me deal with whatever pressure is on me and helps me strive to be greater.”