By Derrick Smith

The physical work that athletes put in over the course of their careers will play a big role in how successful they are. And while the physical work is important, Robert Perot says that having the right attitude and mentality are just as important.
“I believe that if you tell yourself that you’re not going to be good at something, then you won’t be,” he said. “But if you tell yourself you’re going to be good at it, then you have a 100 percent better chance of being good. For me to become the player that I am today, it has taken a lot of patience to get my turn to play and then a lot of hard work to show that I wanted to be there. It has also taken having the right motivation. For me, that is having the will to be better. I feel like there is not really a point to playing if you don’t want to keep getting better.”

Perot is a senior at Waynoka High School, and he says that throughout his life, he has had several people that have helped him along the way to become the person that he is today. 

“My grandma has been a major influence on my life,” he said. “She always keeps fighting and working hard even when she has failed. Also, Sam Sharkey is one of my good friends and a teammate that I battle against in practice. We don’t battle in a bad way, but instead in a way that helps both of us be better.”

Playing football, basketball, and baseball for the Railroaders, Perot and his teammates face many different schools during competition. But he says that there are a couple that he enjoys going up against the most.
“Cherokee or Timberlake would have to be the schools that I enjoy beating the most,” he said. “It is because they are the two teams where one year can be different than the next year the most.”

Along with sports, Perot is a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Greenhouse. When he has down time, he enjoys checking out his top person to follow on social media.

“Comedian Kevin Hart is my favorite person to follow,” he said. “He is hilarious and posts funny stuff.”