Personal Statement
Hello, my name is Derrick Echols II. I strongly believe that God has a great path for me. He created me to be a great competitor. I am willing to do anything in order to win. I also do my best to make sure my team's chemistry is strong. My team should be a family, and our bond should be like a brotherhood. I myself have a very talented and competitive family. Everyone contains some skill and works hard to better that skill everyday. I also work everyday on my physical and mental game. I try to absorb as many learning tools as I can to better my game. Based off of that, I know for a fact that I am no where near my full potential. But, I am very coachable and transfer these learning tools into my arsenal quickly. I am not scared to face my mistakes and strongly believe that I can only increase myself as a student athlete by committing them. I was coached by a USA certified coach. Academics are key in my life. My family pushes me academically 24/7 and make sure I stay focused and dedicated to my school work. I come from two parents who were always intelligent. They both always reassure me that academics comes before basketball.
I always find ways to increase my basketball IQ. Whether it's on the court, in the classroom with my coach, studying some of the smartest players on YouTube, or just meditating on the game, it's all to better my game. I started playing basketball in 5th grade, and I was raised with a mentality that you can only get better. I didn't start taking basketball seriously until 8th grade. As of right now, I know that I'm nowhere near my full potential as an athlete. I love the fact that if I keep doing what I'm doing with some help, at the same rate, I will be one of the top players in America.
