Athlete of the issue: Jordan Mathews
Amancai BirabenStaff WriterLike father, like son, junior Jordan Mathews has loved and played basketball from the very start of his life. His father coached basketball for the San Francisco and Nebraska Huskers basketball teams before taking his post as assistant coach at UCLA, where he works to this day. Having grown up with basketball around him,most would expect Mathews to play. What they may not expect is his passion for the game, and his natural talent and intensity on the court.“Being a basketball coach, my dad really inspired me,” Mathews said. “He didn’t make me play basketball. But if I did, then [I knew] he would push me to be the best possible,” Mathews said.Mathews’ father, Phil Mathews, believed it important to give his son the freedom to make the decision to commit to basketball himself.“I figured that he was either going to like basketball or not, so I wanted him to make the choice,” Phil Mathews said. “Once you force your child to do something, they’re going to do it for you, not themselves.”This flexible approach led Mathews to try out soccer and other sports before realizing that basketball was his destiny.He said of his father, “My dad is a real inspiration,” Mathews said. “He taught me everything I know now.”According to boys’ basketball coach James Hecht, Mathews is a great asset to the team, as he motivates his teammates constantly and aims to improve every angle of his playing.“Jordan works very hard, always striving to get better, both on offense and defense,” Hecht said. “He’s very competitive, and brings that out in the other players.”Mathews’ teammate and good friend Kyle Banks also feels that he provides motivation and guidance on the court.“He always encourages me and makes me feel better at practice,” Banks said. “He makes me want to compete.”Though Mathews currently loves basketball for what it is, he experienced a rough patch in 7th grade, when he felt he was losing touch with his passion.“I thought about quitting because I felt basketball was like a job, and it wasn’t any fun, which is supposed to be the main thing in basketball,” Mathews said. “So then I started thinking of it as something fun and enjoyable, and sooner or later, I loved it again.”In addition to the varsity basketball team, Mathews is also part of a club team, which operates at a completely different speed than Samo’s team.“You have to adjust to a whole other level of basketball. Instead of playing one game in a day, we’ll play 3,” Mathews said.However, whether or not his club team is more competitive, Mathews acknowledges that colleges look more at high school play.“Colleges find high school teams more important because they like to see not only how you play, but how you interact with your teammates. These are the people you go to school with everyday, you practice with everyday,” Mathews said.So far, Mathews has been recruited by Cal State, Arizona, Pepperdine, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, Gonzaga, and Penn State.“A lot of them are really good basketball schools and good academic schools,” Mathews said.Because basketball is such an important part of his life, there will always be slight complications managing athletics with schoolwork. But with his many years of experience, he’s found ways to adapt.“School is always going to come first, but I always find a way of doing both. If I have Marine Bio or AP homework when we have a game, I’ll stay up finishing it after the game,” Mathews said.Beyond college, Mathews hopes to continue with basketball, but also explore other options.“I’d love to be a basketball player if I got the opportunity, but it’s not my only option,” Mathews said. “Otherwise, I’d like to be a lawyer.”In his free time, Mathews enjoys scrimmaging with his brother, an eighth grader who also has a passion for dribbling. Although their father handles most of the instructing, Mathews says that both he and his brother will share tips of the trade with each other.As Mathews ascends into a world full of many things to offer, basketball will always be part of his life, regardless of whether he pursues the sport in college. He recognizes that basketball is all about the team dynamic and the outcome of the game.“Overall, winning is by far the best feeling,” Mathews said. “We work so hard for the [win] and all efforts contribute.”