by By Dan Ninham
Sheridan Flauger, 17, is a member of the Oneida Tribe and she is Turtle clan. She is a senior at Pulaski High School in Pulaski, WI. Her parents are Sherry and Dan Flauger.
“Some of my athletic achievements include being named one of the team captains for my high school basketball team,” said Sheridan. “I made 2nd team all conference in the FRCC. My team and I won the regional and made it to the sectional finals. I was on the Junior Nation all-star team fours years in a row and the 2020 Northern Indigenous All State Team. Lastly, I am verbally committed to UW Parkside to further my education and athletic career.”
“I believe in working hard as an individual to improve my skills and education,” said Sheridan. “I will be a valuable asset when my team or job needs me. This is just as all of our ancestors worked together to survive.”
“Jim Doell was one of my coaches for AAU and my math teacher in elementary school,” said Sheridan. “While being in his class I went from a below-average math student to one of the top students in my class. As a player he has helped build confidence and understand my role as a point guard. He truly made me a better student and athlete.”
“Doug Mcelrone is also one of my coaches,” said Sheridan. “He recently became the head coach at my high school and it is the best thing that could’ve happened. I started the year nervous and hesitant because I wasn’t completely comfortable with the role I had as a leader. He explained to me that my role was the most important and that I needed to become a better communicator and leader. As the year went on I became that leader and helped my team win a regional championship.”
“Mark Demerath is the coach that I’ve known the longest,” said Sheridan. “He recruited me as a fifth grader to play for the Green Bay Purple Aces. I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for him. He genuinely cared about me and that’s what I loved most about him. He would take time out of his day to work with me because he loved coaching and he cares about his players. I definitely enjoyed having him as a coach.”
“Sheridan was a great person on and off the court,” said Mark Demerath. “I told her education came first and she has done that so getting to play basketball at the next level was icing on the cake. Being part of Purple Aces was more than just wins and losses and it was about friendship, respect, leadership and teamwork that Sheridan excelled at. She has a great reputation within the team because she was a great leader and was willing to go out of her way to help anybody. When a kid got down she was always there to pick them up and somehow always brought a smile to their face. She worked hard on her game but also asked what she could do to make the team better. After she signed with Parkside she said she remembered to ask the coach what do I need to work on. That is why she will do great at the next level.”
“I was given the nickname Peanut as a kid because of my size,” said Sheridan. “My size affected me in many positive ways and negative. On the negative side, I was always being pushed around and people often told me that I would never be able to play college basketball. That didn’t stop me though because there were many positives to being small. I was always quicker than everyone else and could be very sneaky in the paint by tipping balls out or even grabbing rebounds out of nowhere.”
“Conor DuBoyce is one of the coaches I had when I was a little younger,” said Sheridan. “At that age I didn’t really know what sport I was going to continue because none of the coaches I had before him really pushed me or even saw much potential because of my size. Conor knew what I was capable of and pushed me to the max. He knew when to have fun and when it was time to grind. He didn’t care about my size and knew that I could still do many things. He taught me how to use my size to my advantage with speed and side-to-side quickness. I couldn’t have asked for anything better at that age.”
“When they say it’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog they are talking about Sheridan ‘Peanut’ Flauger,” said Conor DuBoyce, Mishicot HS Girls Basketball Assistant Coach. “There is a lot packed into her shell and she is a tough one to crack especially out on the court.”
“Sheridan embodies everything you want in not only a player but a young women to be the face of your team and program,” said Conor.” She puts in a tremendous amount of time working on her game and academics but always finds the time to help the younger kids in the program or even her neighbors. You can often find her giving the next generation skill lessons on her hoop at home.”
“Sheridan will have great success at the next level not only as an athlete but academically as well,” said Conor. “She works hard and fully applies herself to her coursework. As far as basketball goes she is a true student of the game. In film sessions she is attentive to the finer details of the game. Sometimes it’s as if she is playing chess while everyone is playing checkers so to speak.”
“Her game will carry over to UW Parkside as it is very adaptive to the various situations. As a team first player she very easily can control the pace of the game and be a facilitator from the point. However, she can just as easily go on a quick scoring spurt when her team needs it,” added Conor.
“Many times these spurts start on the defensive end of the floor with tough hard nosed defense against bigger players,” said Conor. “My favorite memory of this was back in 6th grade coaching her and a player posted her up and scored. She looked over at me and all I said was, ‘that’s on you’, you have to work harder. She went on an 8-0 run to close the half including a steal and layup in the final seconds of the half to put her team ahead by two points.”
“She shows up early everyday ready to work and make herself and those around her better no matter the sport or setting,” added Conor.
“Sheridan has found a new home and second family at UW Parkside for the next four years and this kind and very humble player is only going to flourish more,” said Conor. “I cannot wait to watch her grow even more as person during her time at Parkside. She is the kid the average fan will overlook when they walk in the gym for warm-ups but when the game is over and her time at Parkside is done you will know her name.”
“As a coach that has been blessed to coach her, I wish I had 10 of her in various sizes,” said Conor. “She is the cornerstone of any team I would look to build around by the way she carries herself off the court. She is the perfect teammate that gets along with anyone as she sees the good in everyone and pushes them to be the best version on themselves. I look forward to the day I get to possibly coach alongside her or against her. Sheridan will make impacts on this game and the lives she touches through it for generations to come.”
“Overall, I’ve learned that size doesn’t define a person,” said Sheridan. “Everyone brings something to the table and you just have to find your strengths.”
Photo Credit: D.King of Images
