Overweg Implements Planning On, off the Court for Springport

By Jeff Steers
JTV Sports

(January 22, 2023 8:00 AM) The same attention to detail that Springport High School basketball player Maddux Overweg uses on the court carries over in real life.

Consider the achievement by the SHS junior. 

She is a 4.0 student at the high school.

Overweg competes in five sports – basketball, volleyball, cross country, track and field, and soccer.

She is helping lead Springport to the top in girls’ basketball with a 10-1 record heading into action this weekend.

And she is a four-time grand champion at various fairs in the area.

Yes, she is that busy, especially in the summer months with travel basketball, chores in the morning on the farm, and working with her animals. 

“Farming is a big part of who I am,” Overweg said. “My mom says raising pigs for who is like bodybuilding for pigs.

“To raise a grand champion you have to have the right mixture of food (up to 30 additives), exercise to tone the pig, take care of their skin and hair, and moisturize them with lotion.”

Overweg has won three grand championships for pigs at the Jackson County Fair and one at the Eaton County Fair. 

“There isn’t a lot of time for beach and boat days during the summer months,” Overweg said. “Working on a farm teaches you work ethic, strength, and mental toughness.”

Those characteristics are helping Overweg lead the Spartans to a successful season. Her sister, Ryann, was the leader of the pack for Springport the past few seasons. Overweg is now the star of the show … reluctantly.

“I am a pass first point guard,” Overweg said. “Other girls have really stepped up this season and we are going to be really good for a while.

“I really don’t think of myself as the star … it’s a team sport.”

Overweg is averaging 20 points, seven assists, seven steals, and five rebounds per game for the Spartans. 

The defensive pressure by the Spartans makes getting the ball past half court to set up on offense difficult.

“You watch the eyes of the player (with the basketball), and she will tell you where the ball is going,” Overweg said. “We can’t always control our offense, the calls or other things, but we can control our effort and defense.”

The junior is a 4.0 student at Springport and would like to become a doctor or work in the medical field. She would also like to coach basketball, something she already does. 

Overweg is the coach of a sixth grade basketball team at Springport.

“Our coach always says I am the coach on the floor so not much is different (on the sidelines),” she said. “Hopefully coaching basketball is something I can do the rest of my life.”