Big Country FCA 2022 Female Athlete of the Year: Payton Potts, Aspermont High School

The Big Country FCA Rex Fleming Female Athlete of the Year Award is sponsored by Mr. Brandon Mascorro and wife Dr. Whitney Mascorro. We are grateful for their continued support of the FCA ministry.

Big Country FCA congratulates Aspermont High School senior and FCA leader Payton Potts as the recipient of the 2022 Rex Fleming Memorial Female Athlete of the Year award.

Payton has been a key leader in the resurgence of the FCA program at Aspermont High School through the Christians in Action lunch huddle meetings. She led a charge to get more students to attend these huddles sponsored by local churches, and this year the meetings have seen a 50 percent increase in participation. Many of the guest speakers and local preachers have commended her for inspiring this change by always being willing to speak up and answer questions, lead a prayer, and offer her own testimony of how her faith has been tested through sports and how sports held her faith in really hard times.

Payton is a team player through and through. As a new student to Aspermont this year, she has initiated spirit days and theme nights for every sport throughout the year. She has modeled yelling for your team in moments of victory and struggle. Multiple Aspermont alumni commented it was the most energetic and positive they had seen a student body in years.

On the court, Payton plays with passion. She is truly the first to celebrate the actions of a teammate and to help up an opponent when they get knocked down. She values the assist more than the score and is not afraid to do anything to help her team.

Payton tore her ACL for the third time in June of 2021 but made a personal choice to not have it surgically repaired until after her senior sports season. She was disciplined to take care of herself before and after games, never complain, and never ask for shortcuts or ways out of work because of the injury. She is in the gym working to improve and does not mind spending that time on her own to get better. She played volleyball for the first time ever as a senior and made the all-district team because of this commitment to improve. 

Coaches, teachers, and administrators do not have any issues with Payton in the classroom or the playing field. She is quick to volunteer to help, is respectful of authority, and a great teammate. She makes the freshman feel valued to the team and builds the confidence of the upper classman. Referees and opposing coaches often compliment her on court demeanor and her friendliness and respect in interactions before and after the game.

Payton is an exceptional student who will complete an associates of science degree with 67 college hours from South Plains College two weeks prior to graduating high school. She has above a 100 GPA and strives to make the best grades possible in school. Payton is the president of the AHS Hornet Council and has led in weekly volunteering at the local food bank, a community clean-up, and other student led morale events.

Payton is a two-time all-district basketball player, the district MVP for basketball, and all-district in volleyball. Payton has advanced to the regional track meet the past two seasons, and she is also a three-time NCA All American Cheerleader and captain of her basketball and cheerleading squad. 

Payton is the kind of kid coaches want on their team. She understands what it takes to be successful in competition but also understands the importance of handling herself with dignity, compassion, sportsmanship, and in a Christ-like manner. She is a resilient young lady who has overcome the death of a close family member, a devastating injury, and a change of schools in the last 18 months of her life. She knows that all opportunities she has been given are because of her faith in Christ and the things she has learned from being a competitive athlete. She carries herself with class on and off the court and challenges those around her to do the same. She makes a positive impact in all of those around her while silently pushing them to be better in all ways. She has been a successful athlete on the basketball and volleyball court, on the track, and on the softball field. Most importantly, she has been a successful ambassador for Christ and handle adversity and struggles with a resounding faith in the path that has been laid before her.

The Big Country Fellowship of Christian Athletes is honored to recognized Payton Potts as the 2022 Rex Fleming Memorial Female Athlete of the Year. FCA serves communities spread across a 37-county area including Abilene, the Concho Valley, the Brownwood area and Cross Timbers/Stephenville area. 

The Rex Fleming Memorial Female Athlete of the Year Award is named in honor of Rex Fleming, a vibrant young man who in 2012 took his final breath at 10 years old after a two-year battle with cancer.

Some might say that Rex lost his battle with cancer, but that’s not the case. Cancer may have taken his earthly body, but it never touched his heart nor his soul. Those always belonged to God, just as Rex does.