In this week's edition of This Hits Different, Shelby Cassesse tells the story of two local athletes who have formed a bond while helping others.
This Hits Different Episode 23: Allderdice teammates for bond by giving back
Isaiah Brown and Avery Ruben have been side by side since middle school. Starting out as teammates on the same basketball team, now senior captains for Allderdice, and planning for life as classmates at Penn State this fall.
Ruben says spending the next four years together just makes sense.
"We've lived together in some situations, and I think together it will be a lot easier to conquer whatever college issues we have," he said.
In the meantime, they're also creating somewhat of a full circle moment. Volunteering to coach an 8th grade team for the 412 Hoops Ambassadors, the same AAU team that started their friendship six years ago.
It's a non-profit organization that helps local kids play for an AAU team at very little cost. They're called the Ambassadors because the organization encourages its players to give back when they grow up.
Exactly what Brown and Ruben are doing right now.
"You can give back and be there for kids how people were there for you when you were younger," Brown said.
The boys remember their time as players well, navigating the ups and downs of playing time, learning about being a good teammate and elevating their understanding of the game. The same things Brown says he's instilling in his players now.
"It's important to let these kids know, it's not just about yourself," he said. "It's about the team winning. It's not always go get a bucket for yourself. You're making the play for someone else to score and getting some basketball knowledge, and how the game should be played, instead of how you think it should be played. I think that's why we're there."
For Ruben, he's realized there's more to coaching than what happens in the gym.
"Knowing a player just through basketball is cool, but having a relationship personally makes playing basketball with them a lot better," he said. "You can freely talk to them. Just being there not just for basketball helps, and I learned that from other coaches, because I looked up to coaches."
And while the boys hope to pass valuable lessons to the next generation of local basketball players, they say they're learning just as much.
The most important? The value of giving up your time to help others.
"I don't need to be compensated for it," Ruben said. "Volunteering is just amazing. Seeing these kids be happy from what I'm doing makes me feel great. I just want to continue to do it, and hopefully with this 8th grade team we're coaching, they love it too."
