Ever since I was very young, the most
influential people in my life, my parents,
have always preached to me “What you do
defines who you are as a person”. I found
myself questioning why my parents were
always telling me not to take shortcuts.
Like most of the kids my age, I believed
that taking shortcuts was just an easier way
to achieve the same thing that hard work
would achieve. Then it hit me; I needed to
learn how to take pride in everything I did,
no matter how unimportant the task or
whether anyone was watching. For me, just
getting by was no longer good enough, I
wanted to be the best I could be.
I quickly took this lesson to heart and
began applying it to all aspects of my
life. I grew up in Fairfax County where I
attended Robinson High School. During my
time there, I was a part of the basketball
program for all four years and received the
Scholar Athlete Award three out of my four
years. In my senior year I was elected by
my teammates to be team captain. After a
successful senior year, I won the Team MVP
Award and the Booster Club Award (which is
given to the most devoted and passionate
player). Receiving these awards reassured
me I was being the best I could be.
After finishing my playing career at
Robinson, I was not ready to stop being a
part of the basketball program. Shortly
after graduating, I began coaching the
Freshmen and JV summer and fall league teams
for 3 years and was appointed commissioner
for Robinson’s summer camp for 2 years. It
was during that time that I discovered my
passion for coaching. The feeling I got
when seeing my players experience success
was more rewarding than any feeling I’ve had
before. This was when I knew coaching
basketball was where I needed to be. I
eventually accepted a job at Robinson as the
Junior Varsity Assistant Coach, a position
in which I still hold today. In addition to
coaching at Robinson, I also graduated from
George Mason University with a B.S. in
Exercise Science which has provided me with
extensive knowledge in the fields of
kinesiology and physiology.
I am very grateful for all of the lessons I
have learned from my coaches and trainers
and still remember their words of wisdom now
as a young professional. Thank you for
giving me the opportunity to help you become
the best that you can be.
John
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