I Belong

Kirk Salesman is a Toronto basketball legend. That is why I am truly thankful for all that he has taught me over the years. He trained and coached me in high school and to this day he still puts me through training sessions here and there. He was also the assistant coach of the pro-am team I played on this summer. In the morning of one of our game-days, Kirk put me through a light workout consisting of the usual; shooting, ball handling and stretching. But it was what he said to me on the way to the gym that I think had the biggest impact on me that morning. While telling me of his evaluation of how I looked so far in league-play, he said to me that I really looked good out there and that I “looked like I belonged”. Now, I genuinely felt like I belonged before he said this to me. In my last blog I explained that I felt more than comfortable out there. But the thing is, that exact phrase hadn’t entered my mind before he said it. It was sort of like an “Ah-HA!” moment for me. Like it really hit me that I play in a league with professionals and former NCAA division 1 players and I BELONGED. Who would have thought that a kid who got cut from a Canadian university school team 3 & a half years ago would ever be able to say that.. Ha. The thing with me though is that I have never been satisfied with just “fitting in”, no matter who is on the court with me. So although its great that I “belonged”, I’m not at all satisfied with that. Something about just fitting in and being considered “average” just really bothers me. Its just not what I work so hard for. But yes, I will take a moment here to appreciate my continued progress. To go from basically being cut from a university team two years in a row to now being able to compete with professionals is certainly an accomplishment. I am proud. I am thankful. But not content. If anything, it’s made me even more hungry to improve. The next time I play in a pro-am, I don’t just want to belong, I want to dominate.

I once again want to thank Kirk Salesman for all he’s done to help me become the player I am today as well as Drew Ebanks and On Point Basketball for organizing this amazing pro-am. Check out www.onpointbasketball.com to see all the wonderful things that Drew is doing in the Canadian basketball community.