Owen Millikan

Freshman year changed his athletic plans and schedule in a way that he had never imagined. For Owen Millikan, senior, his forced shift of focus from basketball to volleyball came as a blessing in disguise.

“I got cut [from the basketball team] freshman year, so I just decided to not tryout again any year afterward,” Millikan said. “When I was younger, I was pushed in the direction [of basketball], so it was kind of like the first thing that I knew [because] I’ve just been tall all my life. [When I got cut], playing freshman volleyball opened up [the sport] for me.”

On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, Millikan now works out after school in order to perform well during his club volleyball seasons and to prepare for the approaching spring high school season. Although he does not always want to workout, his excitement for the high school season ultimately compels him to fit it into his schedule.

“I’m friends with a lot of the kids I play with at KHS,” Millikan said. “It’s a lot more fun for me because it’s naturally more fun to play with your friends, and it just feels like it’s a faster game.”

Millikan, however, also emphasizes that his personality transcends volleyball, basketball and his 6-foot-7 inch frame. While he believes his height makes him more identifiable, he thinks that it may also make people forget that he, along with other tall students, are just ordinary teenagers.

“People recognize you, which is a good thing, but it sometimes gets to the point that no one knows anything else about you except that you’re tall,” Millikan said. “I normally go home and relax for a little while before doing homework, just as [other people] do. There should be a general expectation for everyone to find what makes you happy [and do it].”