Some Kids do figure it out.

I had the pleasure of talking to one of our former players yesterday. He had used all of his playing eligibility last basketball season. His name is David and he could have just decided to leave school when basketball was done. He knew that he wanted more out of life than just being a former college basketball player. David is from Detroit and he could have been someone who, like many other peers of his, could have called it quits and struggled through life. Instead he took the hard road and finished his degree yesterday. It is so gratifying to see somebody like David carry through a commitment. As a basketball coach you want to win games and be successful, but the true measure of your success is not necessarily championships, but rather CHAMPIONS. You want to see your players get their degrees and you try to instill that in them in their short time with you. So many times kids will play out their time and leave with nothing in their hands but what they came with. Then there are players like David who are loyal in every aspect of their lives. When he walked into my office I asked him if he was done and he gave me the biggest smile I have ever seen come from him, and it made my day to see that. I only coached him a year, but it still felt good to see him carry through to the end. You always knew what you would get out of David on the court and that was total commitment and effort to the bitter end.

I also know that somebody else is smiling today (besides David's parents) and that is Klint Pleasant. Klint recruited David to play here at Abilene Christian and I know it means a lot to him that he has a degree and can now do whatever he wants with his life. David now has choices in life, something he may not have had if he just left when he was done playing.

Some kids do figure it out, and that is awesome.