Wednesday, Oct. 08, 2008

Kangaroo likes to get down and dirty

By Melissa Winn

mwinn@star-telegram.com

Kangaroo senior Russell Hale spends his weekends getting dirty.

So it may come as a surprise that this same football player and Motocross enthusiast won a lyric contest. It certainly did to him.

"I didn’t expect any of this to happen; I just wrote a song as part of the assignment," Hale said. "I came into school one day this year and one of the teachers came up to me and congratulated me about it. I didn’t know what she was talking about because I hadn’t heard yet."

Hale said the song lyrics were part of a junior English class assignment. He said he knew his teacher, Shannon Houchin, was going to be submitting the assignments to the Blue Nose Edutainment contest.

"She planned to enter all of them but she took the ones she thought were the best and put them on top of the pile and mine was on top," Hale said.

Hale said it took him only 20 minutes to write and that his inspiration was "getting a good grade." For his efforts, Hale won an Apple iPod Shuffle which he received a couple of weeks ago.

When he’s not writing or playing linebacker for the Roos, Hale said he is heavily involved with Motocross..

"My dad started me and my brother when we were 3- and 4-years-old," he said. "We’ve only been taking it serious now for about five years but it’s my thing. I love to do it."

Hale said one of the things he likes about it is that there’s risk involved every time he goes out on the track.

"I’ve gotten hurt a few times and I love to have a reality check every now and then," he said. "Football is like you know you’re going to get hit and you know something’s going to get banged or bruised. Motocross is my way of getting out there doing what I like to do."

He added that he likes the control the individuality of the sport gives him, which is different than the team aspect of football.

"I like having it all on my shoulders; it makes me want to try harder and give a little extra," he said.

Hale said he plans to make it a career, if he can.

"I am actually hoping to go pro in about a year," he said. "That would make my life."

To be considered professional in Motocross, Hale said riders only have to be 16, which he is.

"There’s not really any rules as to when you can go pro, you just have to get up to speed," he said. "I really hope that I can do something with it."

Hale said he tries to practice at least twice a week and that the sport has grown by leaps and bounds the past few years. He said he’s on his fifth bike and that he’s even talked a few friends into buying some of his old ones.

"Everybody in school knows what it is whereas two years ago I’d say something and nobody knew what it was," he said. "Everybody’s starting to go and watch races and watch it on TV, look it up on the Internet. I think it’s awesome."

Hale doesn’t have any solid college plans but said he may go to Weatherford College while racing.