JT Papa '17 Recruiting Profile

My name is JT Papa from Ridgefield Connecticut. I am 15 years old. I started playing basketball in second grade and have loved the game ever since. In seventh grade I was diagnosed with dyslexia which is a common learning disability. After I learned about my disability I felt like giving up, but eventually I figured out ways to overcome it. Later in my seventh grade year there was another roadblock in my life. My Mom was diagnosed with stage 4 Colon Cancer. Obviously these were two major challenges in moving forward in life. In the summer of eighth grade she passed away after a year long battle. The day before she passed, she told me that whatever sport you want to play in college you'll be great at it. That next day I had an AAU game in the Bronx, I could feel her right by my side. With her help I scored 34 points and the OT basket to win the game. Basketball is what I love doing most, I am a team player and get everyone involved in the game. I am always the first person to practice and the last one to leave. I am determined to play college basketball and to get better everyday. It's easy to get to know me, I am always in the gym practicing drills to improve my game everyday. My goals for college basketball is to start freshman year and get better everyday learning new drills that can help me throughout my college career.