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!