Dalen Boyles '21 Recruiting Profile

My passion for educational gain is driven in part by my love for sports. Not just any sport; but more specifically, my love for basketball.  Growing up in the era of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and the infamous Kobe Bryant, it has been my dream to play basketball in the NBA. Although the thought of being drafted into the NBA straight out of high school would be a great thing indeed, I fully realize that with becoming a famous athlete; comes a lot of intense work and dedication. With that being said, I have been determined to excel not only on the court, but  academically as well.

I am the middle child, but the oldest son. I have an older sister and a younger brother. For the majority of my childhood, I grew up in a single parent household as my dad was not a very prominent figure in our lives. I watched my Mom work hard to make sure my siblings and I had all that we needed and most of what we wanted. I do not want to slight those who were constant supporters for us, including my maternal Grandmother and her baby sister and my maternal Great-Grandmother; but it was the constant grind from my Mom that stood out then and continues to stand out and gives me the motivation to be the best at whatever I do.  

I started playing basketball when I was six years old at my elementary school in Irmo, SC. It was the best experience and my Mom thought it would be a good extracurricular activity; something positive that would help keep me off the Nintendo so much. Not knowing it at the time, but that marked the beginning of my love and passion for the game of basketball.

I studied hard to maintain an A/B average, although the odds were against me for more reasons than one.  I overcame many obstacles growing up and I am very proud of my accomplishments. I have been awarded several accolades during my basketball stent to include MVP three times and All- Region Player. I attribute my success thus far to my Faith and trust in God, relentless practice in rain, snow and sunshine and wanting to make my family proud of me.

We moved to Greenwood, SC when I was eight years old to be closer to my maternal Grandmother. I didn’t know what to expect from life at this point but one thing for sure, my dream remained the same and I refused to allow a change in venue to alter that dream. I played basketball with Upwards Basketball, I played rec ball, and I also played AAU basketball in addition to playing with middle and high school teams. It is now my senior year at Greenwood High School (GHS); second year playing Varsity ball. I failed to mention that GHS is also my Mom’s alma mater, which makes playing here even more special. My Mom’s father played football in high school and was playing college football when he, along with the rest of his team, was tragically killed in an airplane crash traveling from a game. His photo and plaque hang alongside the walls of the GHS gymnasium as he was inducted into the Greenwood Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. I pass his plaque daily as I enter and leave the gym as I also dream of being inducted into this Hall of Fame for my athletic accomplishments at GHS.

In short, this is me, Dalen Boyles, the little kid from Columbia, SC whose dream is to become a basketball professional athlete, but if that is not God’s plan for me; a career in Sports Management is a backup. However, whichever road life leads me down, I will be the best that I can be.