Basketball player Hayden Ourant, ’16, leads the exciting life of a college student.
Ourant is from Newark, Ohio, which isn’t too far from his home here at Wittenberg; it’s about 33 miles east of Columbus. He lives close to the Longaberger Headquarters, close enough, in fact, that he can see the basket building from his window.
When the semester started, Ourant moved here to Witt. While he’s here, he has the challenge of balancing class, basketball, and social involvement.
His average day starts around 7:30 a.m., with a nice breakfast and plenty of coffee. He attends classes and goes out of his way to meet fellow Wittenberg students. Meeting new people and socializing with new friends are among his favorite things to do.
The basketball season is approaching, and he is ready. He plays at least five pickup games during the week, and he tries to run five times a week, alongside lifting six times.
He really likes basketball, but his favorite sport — when not in season — is football. He actually played for the team here at Wittenberg his freshman year. He shows his support for football by supporting the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hockey is also a sport that he enjoys, as well as the Blue Jackets; he even attended their first ever postseason game. His enjoyment for hockey extends all the way to his bucket list: “I want to be in the front row at a hockey game, arms spread wide, the glass wall shattering all over me as I catch a player.” He can only show support while he’s on campus, however, by watching them on TV, and that’s along with all of the other things he does.
He has a pretty busy week between classes and taking care of himself. Ourant is a very competitive person, which drives him to stay in shape. Playing games such as sand volleyball, golf, and Frisbee golf all interest him. At home he, has a nightly tradition of beating Isaac Mallory, ’16, on “FIFA 14,” and he is extremely proud of this. When he’s not on the court or in the gym, Ourant is in the classroom.
Ourant is majoring in early childhood education and special education. He has an interest in educating the future generations and helping people. Ourant is also involved on campus with the Ethics in Action club, and he works at the HPER center.
Ourant is an approachable kind of guy. He really enjoys his life here at Wittenberg, whether it’s playing basketball, watching other sports, or, in general, being involved on campus. He has to balance quite a few things, but he has fun while doing it. If you happen to see Ourant walking around campus, don’t be afraid to go up and say “hi;” he will be happy to talk to you.
