Today's post is written by Jr. Shooting Guard Afton Baldwin:
My name is Afton Baldwin and I am a junior here at Missouri Southern. I am an elementary education major from Nevada, Missouri. I have lived in Nevada my whole life and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. It's the perfect place for me. I have two wonderful parents, Mark and Penny Baldwin and three siblings, Bridget (22), Austin (18), and Carolyne (10). We have seven pets (two dogs and five cats). I am very close to my family and enjoy going home and seeing them.
I went to Nevada High School where I played basketball for Brent Bartlett. He is a great coach. He taught me how to play the game of basketball and I really enjoyed playing for him.Out of high school I chose to continue my playing career at Crowder College in Neosho, Missouri. I chose to go there mainly because it was only an hour and 15 minutes from home.
Another reason I chose Crowder was because my sister, Bridget, went to school there for two years on a softball scholarship and she really enjoyed it. I also really liked being on a campus small enough to walk everywhere. Finally, I really enjoyed the people at Crowder. Playing for Coach Tina Robbins was a great experience and one I am very thankful for.
As my sophomore year at Crowder got into full swing I realized that I was serious enough about basketball that I wanted to continue playing at the next level. My desire to stay close to home had not changed and I was looking for a great program that was within a couple hours of home. I chose to come to Missouri Southern just a few weeks before school started and I'm so glad that I did!! I used to come to the basketball camps here at Southern when I was in high school (from my freshman-senior year). As a result, I've been familiar with the basketball program here at Southern for quite awhile.
Coming to Southern is one of the best decisions I have ever made. This is definitely the hardest I've ever worked on the basketball floor. Our practices are tough, but I enjoy seeing the daily improvement. Our coaches really push us toward excellence everyday we step onto the court. I feel very lucky to be a part of this team and I'm excited to see how well we do this year!
Until next time…It’s a GREAT day to be a LION!!
Afton Baldwin
Jr. Shooting Guard
Nevada, MO
