Sports Spotlight - West Orange Times & Observer: Bubba Sangster

Ocoee High senior Bubba Sangster is set to graduate soon — but not before he helped the Knights’ baseball team make history. On May 2, Sangster hit a home run that gave Ocoee a 3-1 lead over East Ridge in the semifinals of the District 8A-3 Tournament — effectively launching Ocoee into the state playoffs for the first time. 

How did it feel to hit that home run?

When I was at bat, I was trying to square up the ball and hit one in the gap. I made an adjustment and hit a hard line drive that went out of the ballpark. It felt great, I had a bunch of adrenaline going through my body at that time. East Ridge, we’re really big rivals, so it felt good to get that win. 

What was going through your mind during your last high-school game?

The last game we played in regionals was fun. We fought as hard as we could, and it just wasn’t meant to be, but that’s baseball. It kind of just hit me that that was my last high-school game, but I also know I gave my best to all the other seniors. I have a chance to go play and do bigger things at USF, and I wanted to give my best for everyone.

What’s it like playing sports and managing your diabetes? 

I’ve gotten used to it. It’s hard, and I would love to do it without being diabetic. I probably check my blood 15 times during a game. 

What’s next for you? 

I’m going to USF. I want to be a diabetes educator. I just want to talk to kids that have diabetes, give them tips on how to control it better when they’re out playing sports and tell them about my personal experiences. If they want to tell me theirs, I can help them with theirs too, because I’ve been through it. (Five years from now) I either see myself playing baseball or being a diabetes educator, and if I could be both, that’d be awesome.

What sparked your interest in diabetes education?

From going to the doctors all my life, they’d tell me things I should and shouldn’t do, but they don’t really know what people go through and how to control it when they’re out playing sports. It’s a lot different than putting numbers in a pump or an insulin shot.