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Triple Play Triple Threat -- Matt Kinderman, Xavier

05/13/2015, 4:30pm CDT
By Mark Miller

Name: Matt Kinderman

School: Xavier

Grade: Senior

Football Honors: A two-time first-team all-Eastern Valley Conference and all-Region wide receiver for coach Dave Hinkens and the Hawks ... First-team all-state wide receiver as a senior ... Hauled in 154 receptions for 2,325 yards and 28 touchdowns as a junior and senior ... Helped Xavier to a 20-4 record over the past two seasons ... Team captain as a senior ... Second-team all-league pick as a defensive back in 2014.

Basketball Honors: Helped Xavier to a 24-4 record under coach Matt Klarner and a runner-up finish to Brown Deer in the WIAA Division 3 State Tournament ... Athletic 6-foot-0 forward who averaged 13.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game as a senior ... Two-time second-team all-league performer in the Eastern Valley Conference.

Track & Field Honors: Member of the WIAA Division 2 state champion 4x100 relay team as a junior ... Selected as the team Most Valuable Performer as a junior ... A member of the 4x200 relay team that set a school record and finished third at state during junior year.  

Favorite Sport: "My favorite sport is football. I like how one player can't take over the game. It is a team sport and everything has to be balanced. Everyone has to work together to win."

Best Part of High School Sports: "I think the best part of high school sports is seeing the before and after results of the teams I have been on. It seems like every season is a similar story. We assemble on day one as an ordinary group of guys not very comfortable with each other. At the end of the season, we have become a family that would do anything for the guy next to them. We have grown not only in a social aspect, but also we are achieving peak performance through unselfish team play. I have been blessed with incredible teammates that have gotten me to numerous big-time games and became my best friends at the same time. On top of that, when the school and community get involved, they create an atmosphere that just can't be found anywhere else."

Best Advice From a High School Coach: "How you do small things is how you do all things from coach Jim Zuleger in football. He always taught us to do the little things right and then he could trust us with the big things. He was a fantastic coach and taught me many important life lessons."

Most Memorable Moment in High School Sports: "I will never forget the playoff run our basketball team had this year. The WIAA State Tournament was incredible, but more specifically, the last game I played as a Hawk. As time was ticking down in the fourth quarter, I scored the last points of my basketball career; it just so happened to be a slam dunk at the Kohl Center in the state championship game. I will never forget the roar of the crowd and that incredible feeling bursting through my body."

Best Part of Playing Three Sports: "Playing three sports has so many positives. I think the best part is being a part of so many different teams, games, friendships and experiences. With every team comes different camaraderie and inside jokes. Every season has brought new memories that I will always cherish."

Toughest Part of Playing Three Sports: "I think the toughest part of playing three sports is transitioning between seasons. There isn't much of a break all year. It's really hard going from peak performance in one sport to starting a completely different sport you haven't done in eight months."

Favorite Opponent: "My favorite team to play against in any sport is easily Freedom, our biggest rival. It doesn't matter what season or what sport because we always compete the hardest against Freedom. I have competed for four years in football, basketball and track against Freedom, but nothing will beat the basketball games against Freedom my senior year. Those games perfectly define the reason why I play high school sports. There was nothing but pure pride shown by both teams and, of course, all the games went right down to the wire."

Favorite Professional Team: Green Bay Packers

Favorite Professional Athlete: Jordy Nelson

Favorite College Team: Wisconsin Badgers

Cumulative GPA: 3.5

Toughest Individual You've Competed Against: "The toughest athlete I've competed against is Collin Hofacker. It is quite fitting seeing as though he is from Freedom. We have guarded each other in football, basketball and ran against each other in track. It is an incredibly competitive but fun rivalry. I have nothing but respect for Collin. Not  only is he an incredible athlete who gives it his all every day, but he is classy as well."

Most Admired High School Teammate: "This is pretty easy seeing as though I used to be the teammate of Matt Ferris in football and basketball. He is the friend, student, athlete and person that every guy could dream of being. He literally has too many accolades to list, but they would string across academics, football, basketball, baseball, clubs and probably other things as well."

College Plans: "I am attending UW-La Crosse next year. I am majoring in athletic training and also playing football."

Activities Outside of Sports: Salvation Army bell ringing, Autism football camps, Special Olympics basketball, 150 service hours in high school.

I Find it Relaxing to: "Hang out with friends, go wakeboarding, boating and playing video games."

Favorite TV show: The Office

Favorite Movie: Warrior

Favorite Musical Artists: "I don't really have a favorite artist. I pretty much like all music except for country."

Favorite Subject: Chemistry

Favorite Restaurant: "JD's Drive In in Appleton. It has to be the most underrated fast-food restuarant."

Favorite Website: www.WisSports.net

Other Family Members: Mike, father; Mary, mother; older sister, Danielle; older brothers, Jeremy and James.

(If you'd like to nominate a senior three-sport athlete from Wisconsin for the Triple Play Triple Threat feature, please contact Mark Miller at wbnews@charter.net).

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