Answering the Call to Make the Call
Impacting the Game Off the Court
by John Hill
Purple Passion
In encouraging my students to find their passion in life, I ask questions such as “What brings your greatest joy?” “What are sources of your greatest triumphs? Greatest disappointments?” For Heritage Academy Maricopa junior Chloe Adams, all of these questions can be answered with three words: PHOENIX SUNS BASKETBALL!
Chloe’s passion for purple is evident through her writing in my class. For a major assignment she analyzed a postgame interview of a Suns player, and when I asked scholars to fill out an index card listing in order the top 3 things they love to talk about, Chloe had the Phoenix Suns as number one . . . and two . . . and three!
Answering The Call
Chloe’s love for the Suns has led to a love of the sport of basketball and of sports in general. So, it was not a shock one afternoon in my 3B class when Chloe entered and excitedly exclaimed, “Mr. Hill, I think I have found my calling. I know what I want to do in life. I want to be a sports broadcaster.” This fateful moment just happened to coincide with the need for our boys’ varsity basketball team to find a team manager for the upcoming season. As the assistant coach for the varsity boys, I had an idea. Inspired by Chloe’s basketball enthusiasm, and her newfound calling to be a broadcaster, I decided to reimagine the team manager position as something in line with her passion. The Video & Media Coordinator position was born. Chloe was offered and accepted the position.
Impact Player
Chloe, along with her friend Jadyn Infiesto, creates and edits videos for the team and individual players. The individual player videos are called cutups, and it is here that her talent, creativity, and passion are on full display. According to sophomore team captain Jaden Hill, “Chloe puts a lot of effort into what she does, and most of it goes underappreciated. She is not in any of the videos; only we are. We constantly get the self-gratification of seeing our amazing plays, but she is satisfied simply being behind the scenes. She is dedicated to attending all our games, making the videos, and posting the footage on our team site. And she does it all with a constant smile!”
Future Dream = Present Reality
In her current position on the team, I wanted Chloe to fulfill her desire of being a broadcaster not only as a future dream but as a present reality. I encouraged her to do more than simply make and post videos of games. Chloe has done that by conducting halftime and postgame interviews with players and coaches. In the future she plans on releasing a play-by-play broadcast of one of her full-length recorded games.
Chloe Adams did not have to wait to do what she loves in life - she is doing it right now. For Chloe, the dream of being a broadcaster is not in the future - it is in the present. In answering the call (of her yearning to be a part of basketball as a career) she is now making the call (doing the actual work of a broadcaster).
Chloe is living her passion. And if her “constant smile” is any indication, she is loving every minute of it!
