Q&A WITH SHELBY HIBBERT: Bishop Connolly junior steps into the Sports Spotlight

NAME: Shelby Hibbert

SCHOOL/YEAR OF GRADUATION: Bishop Connolly/2020

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: Shelbyhibbert

SPORTS: Soccer & basketball; maybe tennis if I make the team

The name Hibbert has become synonymous with Bishop Connolly High School athletics. Way back when, in the 1980s, Shelby's father Curt was a superb soccer player at Connolly, as was her uncle, Todd Hibbert. These days, the elder Hibberts are the varsity soccer coaches at the school, with Curt for this past season switching from boys' soccer to girls' soccer while Todd switched from the girl's team to the boys'. Confusing? Trust me, it was for a while to us here in the sports department. The coaching switch allowed Curt quality non-at-home time with his daughter. Shelby was Connolly's talented and courageous goalkeeper and a Herald News all scholastic. For the winter, she played basketball where dad was an assistant coach. Looking to broaden her horizons, Shelby, an honor student from Tiverton, this spring plans to try out for the tennis team. Learn more about her in this Q&A.

Herald News: What person, living or dead, do you most admire and why?

Shelby Hibbert: My mom because she’s hard working and supportive.

HN: Who is your favorite professional athlete and why?

SH: Hope Solo because she was the first soccer player I looked up to.

HN: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

SH: Hopefully out of college with a good job.

HN: What has been your biggest moment as a high school athlete?

SH: Scoring 27 points in a basketball game against Sacred Heart. We won 30-27.

HN: When not playing high school sports, how do you spend your time?

SH: With my family.

HN: If you were the principal of your school, what one change would you make?

SH: A new gym floor or soccer field.

HN: What do you hope people will say about you when your playing days are over?

SH: I hope they say that I wasn’t just a good athlete but a good role model, team player and hard worker.

HN: What is your favorite subject in school and why?

SH: Religion because I have a great teacher.

HN: If you won a million dollars, what would be your first purchase?

SH: My college tuition.

HN: Tell us something most people don't know about you.

SH: I’m deathly afraid of bugs.

HN: What is your favorite dinner meal?

SH: My dad’s homemade hamburgers.

HN: What is your favorite book?

SH: I don’t love to read but if I did I would read Harry Potter because I loved the movies.   

HN: What is your favorite video game?

SH: I don’t play video games.

HN: How long could you function without your smart phone?

SH: A week.

HN: Whom in this world would you most like to hit in the face with a pie?

SH: My teammate, Hannah Anselmo, for funny reasons. She’s awesome but she deserves it.

Email Greg Sullivan at gsullivan@heraldnews.com. Follow him @GregSullivanHN.