It’s tough enough to play three sports in high school, be a team captain, and pull down straight As. That’s the tightrope Trigg County High School senior Lance Breckel is walking and like the stars of the circus, making it look easy.
Lance was a defender on Trigg’s district champion soccer team in the fall and a current starter on the basketball team. In the spring, he’ll play baseball, completing the Wildcat trifecta.
An experience last summer transformed Lance the leader as much as Lance the athlete. He was selected for the Governor’s Scholars Program, handpicked among the state’s best and brightest for a summer on a college campus. For Lance, it was Morehead State University.
“I learned about how to be a leader and how to step up in a leadership role,” he said. “I also learned how to take charge when you are in a group and make sure everything is running smoothly – really how to lead a group.”
That trait is why you normally see Lance wearing the captain’s ‘C’ on his uniform.
But GSP was more than just leadership.
“I was involved in a lot of sports clubs there. I did pickleball. I played tennis, basketball, soccer, and ultimate frisbee,” he said, adding the whole experience gave him the sense of community he feels at Trigg County.
“When you’re at GSP, it’s like you’re in your own little world. There are 350 of you and you are in your own little bubble, everybody’s new. It’s just a good experience to learn how to meet people, how to be a part of something big, and a good learning experience.”
Growing up the son of a coach, Lance has learned how to take criticism, coaching, and learning from others. His mother Amy was Trigg County’s girls’ basketball coach from 2004-13– when Lance was born and later shooting basketball on the side goals during practice – and his father Jay was interim baseball coach in 2023.
“Coaching really helps me stay on track if I’m messing up. I have a lot of good coaches, but yeah, my parents are always there to get me back on track if I start veering off track. It’s good to have the support system that I do.”
Lance is a straight-A student and a member of Teen Court and Trigg County Youth Leadership as well as clubs such as DECA, TSA, Beta, and STLP.
Lance hopes to use his leadership skills and GSP experience to attend Murray State University and at some point, enter into a pre-law track.
