Osan men's varsity basketball: Who has the heart to make it this year?

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Chad Thompson
  • 51st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
OSAN AIR BASE, Republic of Korea --  I wouldn't say I'm an expert at sports or even come close to saying I'm a professional at anything, but I have played and enjoyed watching just about every sport out there.

I'd say I'm a sports enthusiast who has never had the patience to stick to one thing and truly be the best at it. I have been playing golf for about 24 years, and I still haven't mastered that, but there is hope that I will have the chance after retirement.

I feel compelled to give you a little background on myself because I don't want you to think I don't know what I'm talking about when it comes to sports. I can hear it now, "What gives this guy the right to write a sports column?" I like sports, and I like to write, so I decided to give it a shot.

My first area of focus is on this year's men's base basketball team. I went and watched some of the tryouts Aug. 27, and I see some serious potential in the team.

They are a bit small but surely don't lack heart. Even for a tryout you could see these guys giving it their all...or maybe they were just trying to impress the coach.

Nonetheless, these guys have some solid starters, and after they dust the cobwebs off their basketball shoes I think they will be competitive this year.

I did notice they have some work to do on their passing. All the great teams are selfless. Sure the Kobe's and LeBron's can get away being a little selfish from time to time, but that's why they're getting paid. In competitive basketball you have to have crisp, solid passing and trust your teammates, which is something that takes time to develop with the right group of players.

Something else I saw Saturday was the coaches running these guys through basic team building; it was the old run-them-until-they-can't-run-anymore-and-then-run-some-more tactic.

This is common for a pre-season practice, because it not only works their cardio but also gives them what it takes to dig deep during a game - to see what they are made of. When you reach that point where you can barely lift your legs and need to make a free-throw it is important to be able to find that muscle memory in order to sink the basket with your eyes closed. I'm not going to lie, I was never a fan of the running, but it's a must.

As for having fortitude and drive, heart will get a person far in a game like basketball. That's what I heard from my coaches a lot growing up -- "You've got a lot of heart." In my mind it sometimes translated to, "You suck, stay on the bench." But that made me work harder than everyone else. I went from the freshman who never played to the sophomore who never sat on the bench. I lived, slept and ate basketball for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

So keep working hard Mustangs! I look forward to catching the home opener here on the ROK.