How was my Childhood in Sports

Some kids grow up surrounded by music, some kids are raised in a household that values the arts, some kids are gymnasts, dancers, wrestlers, authors, and video game enthusiasts. For me, adolescence was a whirlwind of ballparks and gyms. Ever since I was a child I have been involved in sports. I have early memories of shooting a basketball in my front yard with my Dad and practicing swinging a bat at the ballpark with my mom correcting my swing.

They instilled a love of sports in me from a young age, but I really think my passion for sports was genetically passed down from my family as well.

When they were younger, both of my parents were stars in sports. Both my mom and my dad played basketball in high school in Arkansas. My father played varsity basketball for 3 years and still holds the Arkansas State record for most rebounds in a season for the entire state while my mother helped lead her team to 2 State Championships.

Their passion for sports and basketball specifically is a huge part of the reason that I developed such a strong love for the game. As intensely as I feel about sports, my time as an athlete and an enthusiast has not always been an easy road. The people and personal experiences have been worth the trials and tribulations and they have led to many key moments and intense memories as well as a current love of sports and a desire to stay involved with them in the future.

Without the support of the people in my life, I would not have been a successful athlete or a competent fan. My parents undoubtedly played the biggest role in inspiring my love of the game through the sharing of knowledge, strategies, and passion. My dad was the kind of dad that never let you win anything without truly earning it. This made me a natural competitor, which was a quality that transferred easily into being both an athlete and a fan. My mom was the brains behind the game.

She preached strategy and play-calling which helped develop an interest in the game as a fan and bystander. Beyond my parents, my coaches were also incredible inspirations to me. I always bonded best with the ones who were tough, strict, and rigid. I knew they were motivating me to be better, whatever the cost. I specifically remember Coach Matt, who was my personal trainer in basketball. He played professionally overseas, and he brought those high expectations into the gym as a coach as he never let anything slide with me.

He was persistent, critical, and a perfectionist; but his mind was what I needed to be the best that I could be, day in and day out. Sports have also brought me some of my closest friends, including teammates that became brothers, fan bases that feel like family, and competition that taught me about a mutual respect. I truly cannot imagine the path my life would have taken if sports weren’t at the center of it.

All of my greatest moments in sports have been things, I will never forget. As a middle schooler, I was one of the best basketball players in the State of Colorado. I remember scoring my career-high in middle school which was recognized by the State and helped me be in a magazine for the top 25 upcoming players to come into high school for the state of Colorado. In high school, I was the only sophomore to make the varsity team for Gulf Breeze High School.

As a sophomore, I started and led the team to the school’s second state playoff appearance in school history and had a record of 22-8. As a junior and senior I averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists a game; also was named Second-team All-Area in Pensacola both my junior and senior season. I was fortunate enough to earn a basketball scholarship to Reinhardt University in Georgia.

I really enjoyed my experience there but realized my basketball career would be ending sooner than later. I decided to move back to Pensacola and a couple of weeks later and was asked by the high school coach if I was interested in a coaching position at the school and happily accepted. All of my experiences through sports have given me some of the greatest moments in my life and have raised me to the man I am today.

I would not be where I am today without the game of basketball. Every life lesson I have learned have involved the game of basketball. For example, I would be taught life lessons through the experience of basketball or I would be punished if I did something wrong where I would not have basketball in my life for a period of time. The game of basketball has developed me as a man and has given me a light to what my future holds. Being around the game of basketball has developed my love and passion for the game, I have realized by coaching basketball it is something I was born to do. Coaching at the high school level has made me realize that I want to become one of the greatest college coaches of all time.

Coaching basketball is a stress reliever and makes me feel that I am in my element. I always try to learn as much as I can about basketball, if that involves watching games over and over or if it is watching what coaches do that they feel works with certain teams. Now in my third year coaching at the high school level it has taught me that I am headed down the right path and when my opportunity awaits to get a graduate assistant position that I will already have a head start into coaching. We are still halfway through the season but I have a winning record of 10-4 and have enjoyed this season more then I ever have.

In conclusion, I feel that without sports, I would not be the man I am today. Sports have let me meet some the greatest people in the world and will never forget about them. My background from my parents led to the game of basketball coming into my life; from there I pursued the sport to make it one of the most crucial parts of my life. Without basketball and sports, there is no saying where I would be today. When someone thinks of me, someone always thinks of sports and I am recognized as the guy who always plays sports. The people and personal experiences have been worth the trials and tribulations and they have led to many key moments and intense memories as well as a current love of sports and a desire to stay involved with them in the future. I don’t know what my future holds but I do know I will be around the game of basketball the rest of my life.

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