Bailea Marley is recognized as Sandhills Sentinel student-athlete for September.
Bailea is a junior at North Moore High School in Robbins and a two-sport athlete. She plays center and forward in basketball and is finishing tennis season.
Looking for a way to move forward on the court and in life, she always looks to push the bounds of where she can and can not go. Bailea uses that mentality in basketball and tennis.
“The thing I like about basketball is that you are on the court with five people,” said Bailea. Those are the people who have your back, and you have to depend on each other, and it creates a family. The thing I like about tennis is if you’re not doing well as a team, as an individual, you can still hold your own.”
Excelling on the court is not the only thing Bailea is about. She is an A student and is on the distinguished list, carrying a 4.42 GPA and taking classes at Sandhills Community College.
Bailea has taken two Spanish courses and is studying American history and music appreciation at Sandhills. She will be taking American History 2 and psychology later this month.
Bailea also plays trombone in marching, jazz, and concert band. She is a member of Random Acts of Kindness, BETA, and works part-time. She is also a Bennett Baptist TRAP (Teens Reaching All People) Youth Group member.
“We will be going to the crisis pregnancy center to clean and decorate for Christmas,” said Bailea. “We help with Samaritan’s Purse and do different things around the community.”
Bailea also finds time to read. “I am a massive reader; you put a book in my hand, and I will go to town,” added Bailea. She loves The Hunger Games; her favorite is A Court of Thorns and Roses. She also likes spending time with her younger sister, who also attends North Moore.
Bailea plans to attend two years at Sandhills before transferring to UNCW. She wants to play tennis in college. She plans to become a trauma nurse. Bailea dreams of entering ministry and working as a nurse in undeveloped countries.
Bailea gives thanks to her tennis coach, Tami Little. “I go very hard at things, and I’m very persistent,” said Bailea. “When we were playing Seaforth, I was hanging with my opponent, but I could never finish. When I came off the court, she was there and knew how I felt because she is the same way. Every time I have let myself or my team down, she is there to pick me back up.”
~Article and photo by Sandhills Sentinel reporter Curtis Self.
