As part of his player enhancement program, Sinclair Pride men’s coach Jeff Price said he brings in successful people to talk to his players about what comes after basketball.
His guest on Nov. 4 was Colonel Bradley Spacy, the 88th Air Base Wing and Installation Commander at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Price said he met Spacy at a dinner featuring local community figures, and, while talking and getting to know each other, he found out Spacy used to play Division II basketball at Humboldt State University.
“At the end (of the dinner), Col. Spacy said everybody in this room now is a member of our family at Wright Patt. So when I was walking out, I said, ‘Since we’re a member of your family, I would like to invite you to be a member of our family and come practice with us,’ ” Price said.
Not knowing if he took him seriously or not, Price called Spacy’s protocol officer a week later. She said the colonel was very interested.
“We picked a date and that’s how he got here,” Price said.
Spacy sported a white Sinclair basketball shirt to practice and played with the team for more than an hour, participating in conditioning workouts, shooting drills and dribbling exercises. The Pride did not take it easy on the colonel, though, as they blocked his shots twice, once by forward British Alexander.
“I just let him act like he had a free lay-up and went up and blocked it. (Then I) went down and dunked, just to get a laugh out of it,” Alexander said.
After practice was over, Spacy spoke to the team and presented four challenge coins: three to the coaches and one to Alexander.
“(Spacy) said the significance of the (challenge) coin was that each person in the service gets one and you’re supposed to have it on you at all times,” Alexander said. “I felt privileged, I felt like I was a part of the military when he gave me that.”
Alexander added that practicing with the colonel was a good experience and he has kept the challenge coin in his book bag in the days subsequent to the practice.
Before returning to the base, Spacy described his experience practicing with the team.
“It was fun. I try to stay in shape, but basketball shape is different,” Spacy said before letting out a laugh. “I think they’re gonna do pretty well. They have enough big guys here, they ought to quit shooting jumpers and just dunk everything.”