At the age of only three, freshman Brittney Probst found herself dribbling down both the basketball court and the soccer pitch. It’s been over a decade since Brittney’s parents first signed her up for classes at the Y, and her love for basketball and soccer have grown exponentially since.

In her first year of high school, she made the JV team, and she was even given the chance to play with varsity for a few games. Though she’s been playing basketball for over ten years, joining a high school team changed a lot for her. While Brittney was required to work harder and be tougher, she made new friends, many of which shared her passion for basketball.

“[I love] getting to meet all the girls in our school that I wasn’t friends with,” Brittney said. “I’m not someone who just wants to do it myself. I’m always thinking about and looking for who I want to pass to.”

Throughout her basketball career, Brittney’s older sister, graduating senior Bree Probst, has served as an inspiration to her. As a vital member of this year’s varsity team, Bree’s success encouraged Brittney to keep working hard to improve. Because the sisters share the same position, Bree has always been able to help her sister attain the most success that she can.

“I got to play up with varsity for a couple of games,” Brittney said, “and I thought that it was really cool to be able to play with [Bree]. She inspired me to be a better team leader. We always go to the Y together and work on what we need to [improve] on. I think it’s helped me improve working on my defense because she’s really good at defending. She’s helped me work to try to get to that level.”

Even above her passion for basketball, Brittney holds great pride in her love for soccer. Though her talent for both sports blossomed around the same time and place, Brittney found herself more drawn to soccer than basketball. Since the beginning, she’s been blessed with teammates and coaches that support her, and this has been a defining factor of her passion and success.

“I actually began with soccer a little bit before basketball,” Brittney said. “I started with some really great coaches; actually, he was one of my friend’s grandpas. I just kind of thought it was really fun, and I had a lot of good players to compete with.”

While being committed to two very different sports can be burdening at times, Brittney is always able to pull through. Right now, she considers soccer her main sport, with much of her time invested in practice. Brittney isn’t a member of an FHC soccer team, but her goals right now including advancing through the Midwest United club soccer league.

“[When I play soccer], I really don’t have to worry about anything else,” Brittney said. “I can just go to soccer practice and not worry about or anything. I feel focused when I need to be I like to work hard and improve to keep getting better.”

Though she isn’t a part of an FHC team, club soccer is a huge commitment in itself. Luckily, the atmosphere of Brittney’s Midwest United is a positive one, and the supportive vibe given off by each team member pushes Brittney even harder. With players of many ages, Brittney is able to find guidance from the older players, as well as help younger players also get better.

“My team always supports me,” Brittney said. “We’re all really close, and we don’t just hang out on the soccer field. We all hang out outside, and we’re just really positive. No one yells at each other or anything.”

Throughout Brittney’s journey through basketball and soccer, her family have always been there to encourage her. While her older sister has been there to provide guidance and help her with both sports and school work, her younger sister is always able to help Brittney destress and have fun. Above all, Brittney’s parents have served as a major support system throughout her whole career. As she continues into her next seasons of basketball and soccer, it’s easy for Brittney to take comfort in the fact that her family will always be there to support her.

“My parents have supported me a lot,” Brittney said. “They travel with me because my team travels a lot, especially to other states. They push me through all the hard parts and want me to work harder. Really, they just want me to keep improving.”