Personal Narrative - Becoming a Man

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One of the guys was always reminding me to control the things I can and shake off the rest. He was right then and he's right now. So I took that advice not only on the court but in the classroom also. I tried to become the best "student athlete" I could because I knew that just talent wasn't enough to get me to where I wanted to be. "No pass no play" is what Coach Keys always said but most importantly it was the way you acted in the classroom. You had to respect your elders and give people the proper respect outside your home or school.

Basketball or just sports in general gave me structure or a foundation for what would I would need to succeed in life. From honing in on my listening skills, retention of information, discipline and accountability, or just multi-tasking has help me become a better person. Those are the characteristics I try to nurture into my middle school kids that I coach today, to be able to handle the stress that comes their way or will.

I can remember one instance last year before one of our games. I told the team on the bus to the game that I was going to start all the "shorty's" aka my only five 7th graders on the Varsity team. The 8th graders were like "Are you serious Coach?, we are going to lose or get behind and not be able to come back." "Everyone can contribute", I said to them and the 7th graders. "I trust them because they've work their tail off in practice and deserved to start at least one game this year." To make a long story short we ended up winning 82-46 biggest win in my coaching career so far and a record at the school for the boys team. The team had so much fun and was a huge memory they will forever cherish like they did for the rest of the season. I couldn't stop hearing about it which made me so happy.

It feels great to be able to give back to the game of basketball and city that taught me so much. I was a shy kid early on but it was on the court where I grew up to become a man. My mom named me Jaree' but you can call me Coach.