As Jessie Slaybaugh leans over to lace up her white sneakers, you may notice that among the green accents and Nike swoosh her last name is embroidered on the shoe’s tongue. What you can’t see, though, is hidden below the surface. Scribed in pen in a yellow crease on the bottom of the left shoe is written “Drive” and on the right “Cinderella Story,” each followed with a heart.
“Because that is what this year is for me,” said the 17-year-old Whitefish High School senior.
Raised by parents Sherri and Kevin, who both also played basketball for Whitefish, Slaybaugh grew up on Bulldog basketball.
“I always wanted to play at Whitefish,” she said. “I had dreamt about it since I was little.”
Now, after three years on varsity – two as a starter – Slaybaugh finds herself in a unique position: She is the only senior.
“A lot of people think I’m being cheated but I don’t,” she said. “It’s been a blessing. I got to be a part of something that’s going to be bigger down the road.”
“People expect me to score points but that’s not the player I am,” she said. “My main goal is to help these girls get better and get them the experience.”
And it’s her teammates who are helping her in return.
“We’re still looking to compete at divisionals. But it takes all of us working as a team,” she said. “They know this is my last chance as a senior and I think they respect me for that.”