By Joshua Nishimoto
Ethan Butler On the Ball and Off: A Dynamic Leader, Player and Competitor
Ethan Butler has left his mark on Sandpoint High School. As a multi-disciplined student-athlete, Ethan successfully played both baseball and basketball for the entirety of his Sandpoint High School career.
He has not only been a starting player at the varsity level since his freshman year, but he has also earned multiple All-League honors, helped lead the baseball team to back-to-back IEL Championships, back-to-back state tournament appearances, and helped lead the team to its first state tournament wins in 15 years, while performing other duties as team captain for both sports his senior year.
“To me, that is one of my best accomplishments,” Ethan said. “Being a team captain has allowed me to mentor the underclassmen and help them grow, which allows me to grow as well.”
With a passion for wildlife that was instilled in him at an early age, and a special love for baseball, Ethan has decided to pursue both as he says goodbye to Sandpoint High School and hello to post-secondary education.
“My main career interest is wildlife management,” he said. “I want to be able to help preserve and enhance the forests and bodies of water, so they are around for future generations.”
Whether it’s his love for wildlife or sports, Ethan’s passion for both speaks volumes. Even when he suffered a torn labrum during his sophomore year and was sidelined for the entirety of that season from both baseball and basketball, Butler didn’t give up. He did everything he could to get back into the game.
“I have worked hard to rehab my shoulder and come back to where I was before the injury,” he said. “After this season of playing baseball, it feels healthy and I am able to compete.”
Hard work is something that Ethan is accustomed to. Whether working hard on recovery from injury or working hard to accomplish his goals, some of his biggest lessons have come from the sports he loves.
“Everything you want is on the other side of hard work,” he said. “In all sports, there is a big commitment of time from the player and their family in order to excel and for the athlete to push themselves to improve each day. There are no shortcuts in sports, and if you want to be the best you can be, it takes time, a lot of hard work and perseverance.”
“He is a leader, a competitor, and an outstanding teammate,” said Head Coach Chase Tigert. “He has left his footprint on the SHS baseball program, and his contributions are going to be felt for years to come. I'm so proud of him and everything he has accomplished throughout his high school career—both in the classroom and on the field.”