High school athletes serve as representatives for their school whenever they put on the uniform. Deer Creek’s Kaleb Trussell says that he enjoys being able to show his Antlers pride.

“To represent my school while playing a sport that I truly love makes me proud,” he said. “It’s always important to be involved in a community and when I play on the field, I feel like I’m in the heart of a growing sport, especially in Oklahoma.”

Trussell, a senior, is a midfielder for the Deer Creek soccer team. Along with soccer, he volunteers his time to help with the special education classes at Deer Creek.

“I enjoy helping the kids learn in areas they struggle in and getting to know all of the students.”

Throughout his athletic career, Kaleb has worked hard to reach his full potential. He also knows that you have to be prepared for some bumps in the road along the way.

“To be successful in sports, it takes a lot of hard work and dedication,” he said. “It’s not always going to go as planned, but with dedication, you will always be successful.”

The support system that he has surrounded himself with has also allowed him to be successful. He says that if it was not for these people, he would not be where he is today.

“I would say my parents are my biggest motivators,” he stated. “They’re always the most honest and supportive people in my life. More influential people in my life are my coaches and even teammates; they show me ways to improve my life not only as a player but as a person. I would say a teacher who has had a huge impact on my life is Nicholas Pettit, he has been someone who has fought for me and always given me plenty of opportunities to prove myself.”

Trussell says that a challenge he had to face allowed him to grow more as a person.

“A huge highlight moment for my career was coming back from tearing my ACL,” he said. “It was a hard struggle to get back to fully fit and took a lot of hours but the ultimate payoff was worth it.”