Abbi Gibbs has been a part of BT for nearly her entire life. She came to campus as a second grader and has spent every year since then as part of the BT community. Growing up in such a close-knit environment has shaped her into the student, athlete, and leader she is today: “What I love most about BT is the small community and how well everyone knows everyone.” Abbi’s favorite traditions, such as Hoco Hullabaloo and pep rallies, are all reminders of how connected the school truly is.
Over the years, Abbi has fully immersed herself in campus life. She balances basketball, volleyball, soccer, Digital Design, BT Verbatim, NHS, Head of School Advisory, and even coaching kindergarten soccer. Outside of school, Abbi competes in club soccer year round, where she competes in tournaments in Phoenix, Saint Louis, and Florida. Some of her favorite memories come from early basketball seasons in 5th and 6th grade with Coach Russ: “He made me fall in love with the game, and we were actually pretty good for our age.” More recently, Abbi loved her senior year volleyball season because of the support she felt from her teammates and coaches. Abbi says that she’ll always remember Mr. Dunlap’s role in High School sports, as he knows each player personally and never fails to call her “Abbi Gibbs” every time he sees her.
Looking ahead, Abbi already has her plans set. She’s committed to South Dakota State University, where she will continue her athletic career at the Division I level. Her signing day was Wednesday, November 12th and this moment marked a goal she had been working toward since she first stepped on a soccer field at four years old. She describes her journey through school and club sports with one single word: determination.
In the classroom, Abbi still remembers her favorite course—Mr. Smith’s freshman history class. “It taught me how to be a good and responsible student, and his lectures were always really interesting.” Junior year stands out as her favorite so far, filled with memorable dances, a great prom, strong sports seasons, and everyday fun with friends in and out of school. While she hopes senior year will be just as special, she admits the workload has been more stressful.
Outside of sports and schoolwork, Abbi loves unwinding by spending time with friends or stepping onto a field or court. “When I’m playing, everything else just goes away.” She knows she’ll miss her friends the most after graduation, along with playing basketball and volleyball, which she doesn’t plan to continue in college.
Her biggest role model throughout high school has been her mom, Dr. Gibbs: “She keeps a level head, listens to everyone’s needs, balances work and family, and still manages to be such a great person. I love her so much.”
Reflecting on her growth, Abbi says she’s become a better student and friend since freshman year, learning from mistakes and maturing along the way. Her advice to underclassmen is simple: “Try as many activities as you can. BT gives you so many opportunities, and even if you’re not the best or your close friends aren’t doing it, it’s a great chance to learn and make new connections.”
After graduation, Abbi is most excited to head to SDSU early to begin training and meeting her new teammates. With years of dedication behind her and a new chapter ahead, she’s ready to start the next step of her life carrying the lessons from BT on with her.
