Post by buckeye626 on Nov 5, 2006 22:11:48 GMT -5
[glow=blue,2,300]Matt Robertson, a diamond in the Rough?[/glow]
by: RALPH D. RUSSO
Growing up in a small town in Canada the man they call "Lights Out" never believed he would ever have the chance to follow his dream and play professional basketball.
It was a dark night in the city of Beaconsfield as the cries of a baby could be heard from the house of Jacob and Lucy Robertson. A new life had been brought into the world at 1145 PM on the snowy Nov 22 evening. Matt Robertson would be a pretty big baby weighing in at 10 pounds 12 ounces.
Matt's Childhood was a normal one of a Canadian child being brainwashed by parents and society that he must play hockey. Matt tried to play hockey when he was about 6 or 7 and he just hated it he couldn’t really skate nor could he shoot. After his dismal display in 2 seasons. Matt got a gift from his Uncle who lived in Texas, a Basketball and a Basketball Goal. Matt was uninterested in the new sport and layed his new stuff into the garage for another hockey season, but never did he know what would happen after the hockey season. After the next hockey season Matt told his father that he didn’t want anything to do with hockey, been pressured to pick up another sport matt looked towards the box that was growing old in the Garage. It took him about 6 hours to set up the goal, but those 6 hours would help pave his life.
After one summer playing basketball Matt felt confident with his skills that he could possibly try out for a traveling team. On December 19th he showed up at the Rec Center in Quebec with a basketball and full of dreams. Suddenly he walked into the gym and saw about 75 kids standing around. Matt calculated the odds in his head."75 kids for 4 spots" he said in his head. He wiped the sweat off of his head and he bounces his basketball a few times before he walks onto the floor and starts to talk to some kids as they line-up for drills to loosen up. He falls to the ground holding his left ankle as he lays back in the middle of the court showing pain into his face. With another 3 hours left in practice, thoughts begin to flow though his head, "I cant be hurt..no it..cant happen" He stood up and walked over to the bench and sat down. But for some miracle he was back onto the floor. He began to really show up after his minor injury, he really took the game over from the 4 spot stepping out and hitting jumpers on the bigger slower players that couldn’t keep up with a player of his size but speed.
Matt was sitting on his Lazy Boy in his room as he heard the phone ring, he got up and walked over to it and picked it up. It was the coach and he told Matt that he had made the team. Matt said "thank you" as he hung up the phone and went to tell his parents.
Matts first practice went great he showed that he was one of the top players on the team as once again no one could have an answer to his size and speed. Every practice he showed everyone that he was the best player on the team. The first tourney he faced basically man defense the entire night and he just tore them up scoring 18,19,and 29, but missing the game winning shot in the Semi-Finals. He had earned an All Tourney Selection.
Matt really begin to notice his skills as every tourney they had new defenses waiting to stop him, but time and time again he begin to eat them up using his speed and his shooting to tear them up. Untill a team from BC used a different tactic they used a small player that could keep up with matt then dropped everyone else into a zone and that was Matt's worst game being held to 2 points. During the Off Season Matt begin to bulk up trying to get stronger so he could dominate the smaller player guarding him and post up on him more.
Read Next Weeks Paper for more on Matt Robertson
by: RALPH D. RUSSO
Growing up in a small town in Canada the man they call "Lights Out" never believed he would ever have the chance to follow his dream and play professional basketball.
It was a dark night in the city of Beaconsfield as the cries of a baby could be heard from the house of Jacob and Lucy Robertson. A new life had been brought into the world at 1145 PM on the snowy Nov 22 evening. Matt Robertson would be a pretty big baby weighing in at 10 pounds 12 ounces.
Matt's Childhood was a normal one of a Canadian child being brainwashed by parents and society that he must play hockey. Matt tried to play hockey when he was about 6 or 7 and he just hated it he couldn’t really skate nor could he shoot. After his dismal display in 2 seasons. Matt got a gift from his Uncle who lived in Texas, a Basketball and a Basketball Goal. Matt was uninterested in the new sport and layed his new stuff into the garage for another hockey season, but never did he know what would happen after the hockey season. After the next hockey season Matt told his father that he didn’t want anything to do with hockey, been pressured to pick up another sport matt looked towards the box that was growing old in the Garage. It took him about 6 hours to set up the goal, but those 6 hours would help pave his life.
After one summer playing basketball Matt felt confident with his skills that he could possibly try out for a traveling team. On December 19th he showed up at the Rec Center in Quebec with a basketball and full of dreams. Suddenly he walked into the gym and saw about 75 kids standing around. Matt calculated the odds in his head."75 kids for 4 spots" he said in his head. He wiped the sweat off of his head and he bounces his basketball a few times before he walks onto the floor and starts to talk to some kids as they line-up for drills to loosen up. He falls to the ground holding his left ankle as he lays back in the middle of the court showing pain into his face. With another 3 hours left in practice, thoughts begin to flow though his head, "I cant be hurt..no it..cant happen" He stood up and walked over to the bench and sat down. But for some miracle he was back onto the floor. He began to really show up after his minor injury, he really took the game over from the 4 spot stepping out and hitting jumpers on the bigger slower players that couldn’t keep up with a player of his size but speed.
Matt was sitting on his Lazy Boy in his room as he heard the phone ring, he got up and walked over to it and picked it up. It was the coach and he told Matt that he had made the team. Matt said "thank you" as he hung up the phone and went to tell his parents.
Matts first practice went great he showed that he was one of the top players on the team as once again no one could have an answer to his size and speed. Every practice he showed everyone that he was the best player on the team. The first tourney he faced basically man defense the entire night and he just tore them up scoring 18,19,and 29, but missing the game winning shot in the Semi-Finals. He had earned an All Tourney Selection.
Matt really begin to notice his skills as every tourney they had new defenses waiting to stop him, but time and time again he begin to eat them up using his speed and his shooting to tear them up. Untill a team from BC used a different tactic they used a small player that could keep up with matt then dropped everyone else into a zone and that was Matt's worst game being held to 2 points. During the Off Season Matt begin to bulk up trying to get stronger so he could dominate the smaller player guarding him and post up on him more.
Read Next Weeks Paper for more on Matt Robertson
