The greatest blessing that I have ever received is being blessed to be a father in the literal sense. As a high school and collegiate basketball coach and teacher I have always served as a surrogate father and father figure for many of my former players and students. However, when I had my own children I felt truly blessed and embraced my role as a father and provider in their lives. It is every father’s goal to provide a foundation of love for their children which fosters a moral and spiritual base, a work ethic rooted in discipline, and a thirst for scholarship attainment. Generally speaking parents want their children to have limitless dreams and we want to do all we can to help them reach those dreams. In essence, my goal is to facilitate all of my children’s greatness. I had a great model of what a father should be as my father was heavily involved in every aspect of my life until his untimely death when I was a teenager.
I am currently employed as a teacher and high school basketball/volleyball coach at Tucker HS in Tucker, GA. As I mentioned before I have been a collegiate or high school basketball coach my entire career which spans years. My oldest son has developed a passion for the game of basketball and has dreams to participate in collegiate athletics and beyond. As I did, he has grown up around the game of basketball and has had the opportunity to be around basketball programs and me as a coach since his Genesis. As he has gotten older (he is currently 12yrs old and headed to the 7th grade) the competition and the preparation for success has become more intense. My son and my wife have always pushed for me to coach my son’s teams and provide training to him. I have always been very reluctant to do so and for the most part have always served as a quiet assistant coach who mainly motivates and hired individuals I trust to provide his training. This may seem odd to many, however, I was very afraid to do so. Why, you may ask? In my observations I have seen so many fathers become involved in their child’s athletic development as a coach or trainer. Many of the results of these unions have resulted in destroyed relationships amongst parents and children. The lines become so blurred and without understanding coaching dynamics, parents in these positions can cause irreparable damage. I was always afraid to breach my relationship with my son. However, as time went on I grew weary of my wife’s prodding (said with a smile☺) and saw my son’s potential. In August of 2016 my wife and I made the decision to put my son on a new travel basketball team. We joined the Georgia United Showtime Ballers basketball family under the direction of Coach Gary Lee. Coach Lee is a longtime coach and also the owner of On My Grind (O.M.G.) training. Coach Lee offered me the opportunity to assist him in developing not only my son, but a great group of young men in athletics and life.
It has been a father’s dream and provided a breath of fresh air for myself. I truly love working with my son and the other young men in this area. It has not come without hiccups and my worries have at times been warranted. However, it has increased our level of communication and assisted me in parenting my son. I am a very demanding coach, but I am also a demanding father. I want the best for my children and therefore I guide them and challenge them. I have an expectation of excellence from my children as well as my players. The most challenging times for me is deciphering when I need to be that challenging and demanding coach and when to provide that backbone and comforting wisdom a father provides. I truly want the best for him, yet I realize that sometimes he just needs to hear positivity from his father. When you have that relationship you realize no one can provide that level of comfort or reassurance, but that father. Within the last two weeks I believe I have found that balance and it has become a father’s dream. I have found a way to navigate these waters and my son has begun to flourish, gain confidence in his abilities, and begun to display his skill set. I am enjoying this ride with my son and his teammates. To be truthful I enjoy it more than my career, and I love my career. I am still a father figure to all my players, we always remain family. I communicate with players I coached 15 years ago weekly. And I am still DAD to my son and I take joy in assisting him in facilitating his success. My wife, Shannon, and I take an active role in supporting our two daughters, Amari 21 and Joi 6, as well as our two sons, Jo-Jo 12 and Jaden 11. I embrace the opportunity to take an active role in his continued growth as a student-athlete and as a man; I am truly living a Father’s Dream!
