Ella Hare grew up in Macomb — lived here her whole life, lives out in the country past the edge of town where there are no neighbors, which she says she likes. Her dad drives to Springfield and back for road construction work. Both sides of the family are here. This has always been home.

She's a senior now, and the last few months have had that specific weight senior year carries. Her volleyball season ended early — a cut that hurt, because she takes her sports seriously. Basketball has carried her through. "The teammates on that team just bring me joy," she said. "Especially this year."

She played both sports through high school and found different things in each of them. Volleyball, she said, is a discipline — mental and physical in equal measure. It's fast and demanding, and when something goes wrong, the team circles up, claps, resets, and goes again. She loves that about it. She loves competitive things generally. On the bus rides to away games, there's laughter and joking around. Then, as they get close to the gym, something shifts — music goes on, the talking quiets, and they walk in ready. She noticed that. She's that kind of observer.

Which is exactly what she's been practicing from the bench this basketball season. She can't always play, so she watches. And she coaches. Her friend Jordan is one of the fastest players on the floor — so fast she can't always stop before a layup, so the ball bounces off the backboard instead of going in. "I was like, slow down. Two feet. And she's like, no. I'm like, no, just listen." Ella laughed, telling it. She's already figured out that coaching is partly about getting people to slow down long enough to hear you.

Sports management is what she's thinking about for college — probably starting at John Wood Community College or Southeastern, then going from there. She's drawn to the organizational side of things: having a schedule, making sure everyone knows where they stand, making the whole thing run. "I like being in charge," she said. "And I like doing my own thing, kind of." She'd want to work at the college level eventually, where the players are all in, and the competition is real. High school is great, she said, but college would be more fun — at that higher level of competing.

She got an unexpected push in a different direction this year. She didn't like English in junior high. Didn't like reading. Then she got to high school and into Ms. Selders' class, and something clicked. Selders taught her things that have stayed with her — she's had her freshman, junior, and now senior year. "I enjoy English now," Ella said, sounding a little surprised at herself. "I didn't like reading ever, but now I do read some." Mr. Keane made her list, too — funny, present, and a good person. And Mr. Fulkerson, the administrator, she can joke around with and be serious with in the same conversation.

Her parents push her, she said. Not toward any particular destination — toward having options. They're her biggest support system.

Her dad has a line he's said to her for years: don't compare yourself to other people. It won't get you far. She admitted she didn't fully land on it until junior year. "I can't compare myself to other people. I have to do me."

She has three younger siblings at home — Finley in third grade, Emily in kindergarten, and baby Henry, just turned one. Finley and Emily play Y-ball. Ella and her dad go to their games when they can and coach from the sidelines, quietly: hey, do this instead of this. Not yelling — just helping. Henry, her dad says, is going to be the best point guard out there. Ella just says: he's the only boy in the family, so.