Holbrook Phelan — 3-Sport Star

Holbrook Phelan is a junior and already a varsity star in three sports, including the Witches girls basketball team that and into the quarterfinals of the MIAA Div. 2 North tournament this week.

Phelan, 17, said she loves to watch basketball and the NCAA March Madness tournament, doesn't care too much for TV, and is good at chemistry. Her parents are Cindy and John Phelan.

Salem Patch had a chance to chat with Phelan to ask her about sports, school and where her first name came from.

Salem Patch: You play soccer and basketball and lacrosse. If you could only choose one, which one would be your favorite and why?

Holbrook Phelan: My favorite sport to play would hands down be soccer. I feel like of all the sports I play, that's the one I know the best and the one I've played for the longest. It was the first sport I ever played and it has always been my favorite. My favorite sport to watch though is basketball. It's so much more interesting to watch and I love the NCAA college tournament and March Madness.

SP: Who is your favorite athlete?

HP: Nate Robinson. The energy he brings to the floor even though he is the smallest guy on the court is inspiring.

SP: Do you have a role model?

HP: My mom. She's always been so strong that I always look up to her and what she has accomplished.

SP: What is your favorite subject in school? Who is your favorite teacher?

HP: My favorite subject in school would be chemistry. I love the sciences because they just come so naturally for me. I just like being good at something. My favorite teacher is Ms. Factor, my psychology teacher. She's so down-to-earth and has this sense of humor that's just like mine.

SP: Do you have any favorite TV shows, movies, or books?

HP: My favorite TV show would be Modern Family, so funny. It's good, appropriate humor. For movies, I love the Departed, Good Will Hunting, and The Town. I really like watching movies that take place in Boston and I love Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.

SP: If you had to give something up, what would it be?

HP: TV. Out of all the electronics I use it's the one I use the least and would miss the least.

SP: If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?

HP: Spain. I'm fluent in Spanish and really want to go to Spain and visit all the different regions with their varying dialects. It would be amazing.

SP: What advice would you give to young girls who want to play sports at a high level?

HP: I would just say to be confident in yourself. Everybody makes mistakes every game, but it's how you adjust and don't repeat your mistakes that really matters. You can miss ten shots in a row and it doesn't matter as long as you have the confidence to make sure your next ten go in. You can't score if you don't shoot, so have the confidence to not let mistakes get you down.

SP: Do you know what you'd like to do when you graduate?

HP: This is a scary question that I feel like I'm getting asked more and more frequently nowadays. It's hard to know at seventeen what I want to do with the rest of my life. I'm planning on attending college and am leaning towards a career in the sciences and engineering. That's about as far as I've gotten as to figuring that one out.

SP: Holbrook is a unique name. Do you have any nicknames?

HP: Holbrook is a family name. Both my brother (Griffin) and I have last names as first names from different people in my family. My friends call me "Holbs" and "Holbie." My dad pretty much calls me HP. Some people even call me cookie, because when I was younger my mom would call me Holbrookie cookie.