Number Five

I copied this from the Shelburne News. My cousin is famous!!

Introducing Sydney Bouchard by Sheri Duff

Sydney Bouchard has basketball running through her veins. It's in her blood. As she puts it, her mom, Becky, and dad, Bob, were standout basketball players at Rice Memorial High School in their day. Becky held many state high school records and is a Hall of Fame basketball player at Rice, she is also the first woman in the state of Vermont to obtain a full four-year athletic collegiate scholarship to St. Michael's College (SMC), currently holds a record in their 1,000 Point Club, and was inducted to its Hall of Fame in 1992. Bob was also a standout player at Champlain College before transferring to SMC. Even her uncle and grandfather are part of the tradition. Her uncle set a record for the most bench minutes ever played by a Rice player, and her grandfather played basketball at Cathedral High School (Rice's previous name) and at the University of Vermont. Today Bouchard is the Rice basketball star.Born in Burlington, Vt. on Aug. 6, 1992, Bouchard and her family briefly lived in Williston before moving to Shelburne. In addition to her parents, her family includes older sister Jillian, a freshman at Bentley University, and a black Labrador retriever named Gracie.Bouchard reminisces about picking up a basketball for the first time. "It must have been at a St. Mike's game. I used to attend a lot of the games with my mom when I was fairly young." And she clearly remembers playing recreational basketball while attending the Shelburne Community School. With a combination of skills gleaned from a variety of organizations, including Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) basketball, mini metro, middle school, and Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) traveling teams, Bouchard credits last year's stint with AAU team Next Level for making her more competitive in all phases of the game. Her head coach Tim Rice concurs, "As many teams have learned this year, Sydney is a threat to score from anywhere. She is a clutch shooter from the floor, and from the line. With her improved footwork and defense this year, she has become extremely proficient at shutting down opposing players without fouling." To emphasize his point coach Rice is at the ready with Bouchard's personal statistics. "She has already racked up 140 points or nearly eight points a game, 58 rebounds, 18 assists, five blocks, and 28 steals this season."A three-year varsity basketball player Bouchard admits to a game day ritual. While driving to every game Bouchard and a teammate must listen to the song "Replay" by Iyaz, an American singer and rapper. Not one to knock a ritual that seems to be working, the team is 13-6 on the season with one game to go before playoffs.In addition to playing basketball Bouchard enjoys playing golf and water skiing for fun, is involved in Peer Ministry, a service organization at Rice, the French club, is a student ambassador, and is a two-year varsity field hockey player.During our conversation, Bouchard recalls her greatest achievement to date. "When I was a junior at Rice we played Stowe, the reigning D-III field hockey state champions for the past eight years, in the championship game at the University of Vermont and finally beat them! She added, "In fact, we beat them two years running. And now we are the reigning D-III field hockey state champions. That was the best."Bouchard shares that she "absolutely loves Rice High School," and echoes her friend Willy Dowling's sentiments regarding their favorite class: AP government and politics taught by their beloved teacher, and Shelburne resident, Lloyd Hulburd.This 17-year-old athlete is still considering her options for next year. Recruited for both basketball and field hockey, Bouchard has some tough decisions ahead of her. Her first priority "...is to go to the best college possible. For me, that includes Emerson and Bates College where I could play basketball, or St. Michael's College and St. Lawrence University where I might play field hockey." For now, Bouchard is simply waiting until she hears from all the schools where she applied. Until then, this shooting star will just have to be content to hang her star in the constellation of family legacies.