Basketball has been a part of my life since the very beginning of my life… Literally. One of the first days I was out of the hospital I went to my brother's basketball game. Basketball has consumed every day of my life from that moment on. Growing up watching my brothers play quickly made me fall in love with the sport. There is not a day that goes by where basketball isn´t at the forefront of my thoughts. It has become everything that I hoped it would be and more. I want to be around the sport for the rest of my life. And I know I can make that happen.   

 From the time I first started playing basketball competitively, I was always trying to be a step ahead. For example, I insisted that I started playing a year earlier than when most kids play. In turn, I began playing with kids a year older from the time I was four, up until I was twelve. In that stretch of time, I learned that I had a very competitive nature. Often times it was out of control and ended up making me look like a fool. Yet, I managed to grow mentally to the point where I could control the edge I possessed and use it to my advantage. This chip on my shoulder pushed me every day creating unbreakable work habits. The work ethic I embodied earned me many accolades throughout my basketball career including tournament MVP´s, leadership awards, and most improved player awards. All of these are apart of my past, journey, and life I have chosen. I am very proud of how far I have come all starting with the young boy who loved watching his older brothers play basketball.     

A few years later here I am, 16 years old and a junior in high school. Still extremely competitive and still playing basketball. At this point in my basketball life it has become immensely mentally challenging. I have battled many injuries over the past four years. Those included a fractured radius and ulna, fractured calcaneus, sever's disease, strained achilles tendon, strained anterior cruciate ligament, and most challenging, a stress fracture in my spine. These have all been bumps in the road for me, some bigger than others. Yet, all of these problems that I have had with my body have made me more psychologically stable (the back injury especially). They have all put the game in a different perspective for me. Whenever an injury keeps you away from the something you love for an extended period of time, you gain a new respect for what you are doing and learn to not take anything for granted. All in all these injuries have developed an eat or get eaten mentality that I will utilize for the rest of my career.      

With my junior season quickly approaching I have many goals and high expectations. The back injury I mentioned has sidelined me for the past 3 months. So it has been very hard to get out of this rut. Although, I am finally starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel with this fracture. Our team is expected to do many good things this year. Our goals as a group are to win the Republic Tournament, Blue & Gold, Chanute Tournament, Districts, and we have even talked about our opportunity of going to the State Final Four. We have an experienced team that is starting to gain a sense of unity. On top of that, we have a really good coach who keeps the game fun for us while continuing to make us better every day. My role on our team is the point guard. This gives me the responsibility of being the leader and floor general. This role fits my identity and disposition perfectly.

My personal goal for this season is to have a breakout year. I want to make sure when someone comes to watch a Republic Tigers game they know that I played as hard as I possibly could the entire game, and did so with skill and good temperament. If I can do this it will get my name out there. This will lead to more conversation with colleges. I have had some communication with a few different teams but nothing too major. My goal is to change that this year. And I am confident that it will happen with hustle and focus.  

I want my future and career to be centered around the game. I have wanted to coach collegiate basketball since fifth grade. I have always felt like I am a coach at heart. When I am playing or watching basketball I'm always thinking about what I would say or do in a certain situation if I was the coach. Coaching basketball is my biggest motivation behind playing college basketball. In order to coach college ball, playing experience is almost necessary. I feel like all of the basketball I have played and studied will fully prepare me for a coaching career. There is nothing more satisfying to me than answering a players question about the game, or teaching someone a new move that will better prepare them. Coaching basketball is my ultimate goal and I will not let anything keep me from doing that.

In conclusion, basketball has been a part of every stage of my life, and will continue to be for all of the stages in the future. I cherish the game and all it has done for me. It helps me through the valleys of life, and is the reason I get to the top of the mountains of life. Regardless of where basketball takes me in the future, I will always be the kid who loved watching his brothers play.