Success. Balance. Leadership. All are not easily achieved, but junior Alan Shi has executed each, as he thrives both on the court and in the classroom.
Shi, the starting center for the boys varsity basketball team (BVB), has been playing basketball since 4th grade. With a love for the competitive aspect of the sport and a dream to play professionally, Shi is armed with all the weapons he needs to be successful.
Shi is a multi-skilled player and can play anywhere from small forward to center on the court. Placed on BVB as a sophomore, Shi has been expanding his basketball knowledge through programs such as playing on teams in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) and the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.
Shi said he finds himself surrounded by talent, which he uses as motivation to then improve himself.
“Playing against the best is just going to raise your game up to theirs,” Shi said.
Junior Claudio Oster also plays for BVB and has known Shi since 1st grade. Oster said that Shi is a natural leader on the team and can play strategically and with good intentions for the whole team.
“What makes him stand out as a player on the court is his leadership ability and his ability to get everyone involved,” Oster said, “He does score a lot, but when it’s necessary, he does share the ball and he’s willing to get everyone on the team involved.”
According to Shi, school is his main priority in life, and he prioritizes it above everything else. He said his prioritization of school allows him to be focused and ready to play basketball when it is time for practice or a game.
“It’s always school first, so I try to finish all my work because if I’m on top of my stuff in school, on the court I can also be on top of it,” Shi said. “I am ready to work and play hard.”
According to Oster, Shi’s balance between school and sports is notable in the math class they share this year. Oster said that Shi uses skills that he often demonstrates on the court in his academics.
“He shines off the court, not only in how he talks to his teammates but in the classroom,” Oster said. “He really participates a lot, and he really shows leadership in the classroom.”
Shi said that although basketball is hard and he does face setbacks, he can treat them as lessons that he can apply to his life outside of sports as well.
“Basketball is a reflection of life, so you get out what you put in,” Shi said. “If you put in the work, you get the results you want, and that is true for every aspect of life.”
According to Oster, Shi’s ability to develop camaraderie on his team has been remarkable. He said Shi has cultivated strong personal relationships with the whole team.
“I would say his biggest strength is his way to connect to everyone, especially on the basketball team,” Oster said. “I don’t think there’s anyone on the basketball team that doesn’t have a good connection with him.”
Oster said that Shi’s work ethic inspires him, and his amount of effort and love for the sport is obvious.
“He works really hard at basketball, and that’s clear to see. He’s shown me that if you put in the work and time at something, then you can get better at it,” Oster said. “That’s just clear to see from his work ethic.”
