For many athletes, their sport is their peace. For Darren Felmlee, it’s basketball. “When I pick up a basketball, I feel that all of my problems disappear,” he says. Darren is a sophomore at Cleveland High School, and when he got the starting spot in basketball as a freshman, it was the highest moment of his athletic career.
Darren has been playing basketball since he was three years old. His cousin, Kade, would play with him on a mini hoop and he’s loved the sport ever since. Darren’s biggest positive impact is his dad. “He pushes me to get better and makes sure that I keep putting the work in and stay on my grind,” he says. His biggest role model is his mom. He says “she works for everything that she has and has never given up on anything.”
Darren’s favorite subject is English because it helps him to grow his skills in not only writing, but also with speaking to people. His favorite teacher is Mr. Lehnus, because Darren enjoys speaking with him about sports and Mr. Lehnus helps him when he needs it.
In the future, Darren hopes to play college basketball and study physical education to be a coach. To Darren, being a great athlete means that you have to be coachable, have a good work ethic, and be a good teammate. Sports have taught him about having good team chemistry. His favorite moment with his team was when his team played Bristow on their home court, because everyone was scoring and having fun.
In his free time, Darren likes to play NBA 2K and hang out with his friends. His favorite part about basketball is the intensity deep in the fourth quarter when all of the fans are getting into the game with the team. His advice to fellow athletes is just to have fun with it, and take breaks occasionally to avoid getting burnt out.
By Ariel Casida
