Clarke Central High School sophomore and sneaker collector Sidney Barnett poses for a photo on May 3 in Billy Henderson Stadium. Of all the shoes he’s collected, his Jordans are the most valuable. “Sometimes, (Jordans) can be really expensive, but I think they’re worth it,” Barnett said. Photo by Zoe Peterson.
Clarke Central High School sophomore Sidney Barnett shares about his roles as a both sneakerhead and an athlete, and the challenges he has faced throughout his life.
“I should’ve been more careful,” Clarke Central High School sophomore Sidney Barnett mutters under his breath as he reminisces about a four-wheeler accident he was in when he was six years old.
“If only I was more careful.”
As he thinks about that day in October of 2006, he traces over his scars on his arm with his finger.
His lungs filled with smoke. He heard sirens. He was too afraid to open his eyes.
He felt trapped. He felt hopeless.
He wondered if the breaths he was taking would be his last. Sidney thought about how this would impact his family, his school and his football career.
Within minutes, he was pulled out of the four-wheeler to safety– but the trauma didn’t stop there.
Sidney walked away from the accident with scarring from burns on his right arm, and an intense desire to play football again.
“It took almost a year for me to get back on the field. That was the longest year of my life,” Sidney said.
Watching from the benches as his team practiced without him, Sidney felt empty. In order to fill the void that football left, Sidney began collecting shoes.
After a few months and several new pairs of shoes, collecting them transformed from a coping mechanism to an obsession.
Sidney was hooked.
Clarke Central High School sophomore Sidney Barnett poses for a photo on May 3 in Billy Henderson Stadium. Ever since he was a baby, Barnett has been known for his big, infectious smile. “My smile never fails to make others smile with me,” Barnett said. Photo by Zoe Peterson.
As both the sneakerhead culture and Sidney evolved, shoes became a part of his identity.
“Now, (sneakerhead culture) isn’t about having the cool shoes that everyone else has, it’s about having the cool shoes that no one else has,” Sidney said.
While he continued to recover, his shoe collection grew. He started out collecting Nike Air Jordans, and more recently, he’s added several pairs of Adidas to his collection — his favorite being his Adidas Original Nmd Xr1 Primeknit sneakers.
Though he is passionate about collecting shoes, his ardor for football never dwindled.
Sidney sat on the bench until he was cleared to play, and he had to wear protective gear to accommodate his scarring while he played for nearly a year after he was cleared.
However, that didn’t prevent him from improving and becoming a member of the CCHS varsity football team today.
CCHS JV football player Tracy Hill, a sophomore, admires Sidney’s determination and perseverance.
“It’s easy to quit when you face challenges. It’s so much easier to give up than to push through. But Sidney didn’t,” Hill said. “I didn’t expect Sidney to continue to play (football) after the accident, but sure enough, he was ready to play in no time.”
Walking down the hallways of CCHS, or on the fields of Billy Henderson Stadium, students may see Sidney. They would probably notice his shoes, his outfit and his infectious smile. They wouldn’t know about his identity as a sneakerhead, the accident he was in or the process of recovery he endured.
They wouldn’t know how he saved his money for months to buy his first pair of Jordans, Green Glow 4s.
They wouldn’t know that he spent months on the bench, longing to play football again.
They wouldn’t know how many times he’s been knocked down.
They wouldn’t know that he’s gotten right back up every time.
