For many of us, we all have a story to tell. We all have life experiences that will inspire someone, and honestly, even ourselves. I could probably write several stories on my life alone, but for my first book, I was compelled to share my story in working with the JBA League.
There are several layers to this however. My time with this league ended almost five years ago. I was a middle school teacher struggling to find my next phase in life, and I knew I needed a change — fast.
I love teaching. I love how it moves people, how it inspires people, how it motivates people. A good teacher/coach can make you believe you can achieve things far beyond your abilities, or elevate those natural abilities to new heights. This is what I aspired to do as an educator.
However, teaching in a public school setting is just, how can I say this — challenging. The bureaucracies and red tape that encapsulate an entire district can take the joy out of teaching. This is exactly what happened to me.
So I did the unthinkable. I marched into my principal’s office and told him, “I can’t do this anymore.” I ended up staying a month after that conversation to give them time to fill my position, and on February 28, 2022, I was gone!
How do I start writing a book?
With a clearer mind, newfound energy, and focus, I latched onto new inspirations. One Sunday morning, it just hit me: start writing.
And that’s what I did. I went to my desk, sat in front of my laptop, and without an outline or plan, I typed like my life depended on it. Before I knew it, I had over 2,000 words done in a matter of moments (probably about an hour or so). I paused to take a break, and another 2,000 words later, I knew I really had something.
My JBA League story
My story took a few turns, but I was loving the freedom and expression I was putting into words. I’ve always been a great writer, but thousands of articles doesn’t equate to an actual book. I was writing a book!
This story was about all of the ups, downs, more downs, and more associated with trying to create a professional basketball league in warp speed. LaVar Ball, the founder of Big Baller Brand, decided to create an alternative route to the NCAA by creating this league, and featuring his basketball prodigy son, LaMelo as the league’s Marquee Player.
I was tasked to handle the league’s PR as the Director of Media Relations as well as in-game broadcaster for our live stream games. These two positions underscore the hats many of us wore, and this is only half of them for me personally.
I experienced so many things, met so many wonderful people, and throughout the struggles, I wouldn’t change it for the world. Our story is about making basketball history. We forever changed the professional basketball landscape as it relates to amateurism, and our voices needed to be heard!
My book highlights this and more.
I have so many more stories inside me. This one will forever be special and hold tremendous joy in my heart. We all have a voice, and we all have a story inside of us. It’s up to us whether or not we want to share it.