By MIKE INGLETT

An athlete’s life can be influenced by a variety of people, whether it is a family member, teacher, or professional athlete. Although these people can be very important in your life, Woodward senior Taelen Laird turns his eyes upon one person to guide him in the right direction.  

“Jesus Christ is the biggest role model in my life,” Taelen said. “Jesus sets a perfect example on how we should live our lives.”

With the perfect role model in Taelen’s corner, he prepares himself to be the best athlete he can be. Being an athlete is something that Taelen takes to heart and he knows that in order to reach the goals he has laid out for himself, he has to be willing to sacrifice all he can. 

Taelen put the work in and was named an Oklahoma Coaches Association Class 4A West All-Star as a wide receiver in football. With football season behind, he begins to focus on his senior year of baseball.

Taelen has been playing baseball since he was four years old.

“I didn’t play all that serious travel ball, just little league locally. I wanted to have fun,” he said.

One of his favorite things about baseball is being able to steal bases. “I’ve always been pretty quick and love the thrill of stealing bases,” Taelen said.

When asked about his teammates, love is in the air. “It’s all love on this team,” he said. “Everyone talks and laughs with each other which makes it enjoyable to be around them day in and day out.” The teammates that he plays alongside have also been important to the success that Taelen has experienced.

In the little spare time Taelen has, he enjoys putting extra time in the weightroom and hanging out with friends and family. Watching college sports is also on his radar when he has time.

As Taelen enters his senior year at Woodward, it is apparent that he will make a huge  impact in the lives of his teammates and peers through his passion and dedication for the game of baseball and life itself.