Player #4 - Darwin Quetzal - Senior

My name is Darwin Quetzal. I live in a small town by the name of Benque Biejo del Carmen in the country of Belize. I'm currently attending our lady of Mount Carmel High School and have been part of the school's basketball team since I entered First Form (9^thgrade) 3 years ago. I really enjoy the sport of basketball which I call "LIFE."

When I was smaller, the only sport I played was soccer, but as I grew older, I decided to change a little and tried basketball at the age of 13. I had more or less a better understanding of the game and my basketball IQ grew as I practiced and dedicated my time to the sport. My past coaches always used to tell me that I had talent and that if I keep working hard, I may one day be one of the best but all I needed was dedication and sacrifice. From there on, I knew that my passion for the game had increased because there was nothing else I wanted to do but play and play. Many people talked and told me that I had to be crazy to be all alone in a court shooting jump shots, but I didn’t listen and said " one day you will see what this is all for"

If we were to go to the states and attend the basketball camps in Colorado, it would mean a lot. It would be an amazing experience learning more and more about the sport especially from coaches who really know the sport better than we do, since learning and practice are two keys to success.

Basketball means the world to me – it means i get to wake up in the mornings and smell the fresh air, look out the window and say "another great day to shoot some hoops". For me, basketball is more than a game. It’s about life and hard work. It’s not just about winning games and scoring the most points or being recognized as the best on the team. It takes all of us to make one team and win as one, and I couldn’t be more thankful for my brothers on my high school team who are always there no matter what. Thank you and may God bless you.

(Miss Lucia)

Darwin has had a rough year off the court, and is one of our best players. With everything going on, I thought he might not stay with the team, but at one point, all his best friends on the team got him back on the court with them and it made the world of difference. It’s such a positive and encouraging place to be for him and for them and I am so grateful he is still playing with them in all the town tournaments. He’s probably our best layup man on the team and is extremely quick. You can always count on him to make the fast break and get the layup. If you can, please donate to help Darwin and the boys get to Colorado! One and a half more weeks until our fundraising goal deadline! Know we are praying for all of you who have helped in any way!

Player #3 - Charles Ponce - Next Year Senior!

Well first of all, my name is Charles Ponce. I live in the safe town of Benque Viejo Del Carmen, Belize. I am currently attending 3rd form at Mount Carmel High School. I chose this school because I knew it would bring me closer to God and it would make my faith stronger. I am very grateful to be able to attend this school.

When I was young, my favorite sport was soccer. Then my parents told me to try something new and that's when basketball came into my mind. For my last 3 years of Primary School (Middle School), I tried basketball and fell in love with the game. From that time, I have never stopped playing basketball and never will. Basketball is my life because that's what I do for living and I love playing every moment I can. I can't imagine myself without basketball; it's more than a sport to me.

During the Christmas holidays, I played on a basketball team from town in the town tournaments. It is the same group of guys that are trying to go to the States. Our team made the semifinals of the Christmas Competition which is a great achievement for all of us because compared to the other teams, we are undersized and much younger. With our high school basketball team and the same group of boys, we took 2nd place in the Regionals tournament. Even though we are undersized, we are like family and we never gave up and never will. We have been blessed to have a team like the one we have and for this, I couldn’t be more thankful.

The trip to the US would impact not only me but also my teammates. It would mean a lot to us and we're trying our best to accomplish it. From the things and skills that we may learn from those basketball camps, we would be able to open our own camps for others here in Belize and host tournaments and games. I pray and hope that everything goes well and that it may be a success. Thank you for listening to my story and may God bless you all.

(From Me)

Charles is our team captain and one of the best leaders I have ever seen. He has only been playing basketball for about 5 years and has quickly become one of the best in Belize. Even though we live in a small town and our team is small, he was asked to try out for the Belize National Selection Team. He made the Belize Team who went to a Lebron James Camp in Ohio, however, he was not able to play because of an injury. His dream is to play college ball at any level and you can see his determination and dedication every day because he’s always at the court in town playing with older guys and showing younger guys how to play. They all look up to him, even the older ones. The way he builds up his teammates every day is so inspiring and I have never seen such a natural leader. He is my class president and everyone looks up to him not only on the court but in the classroom. This boy will do great things one day.