Bryce Simpson

After nearly seven hours of school and a two hour basketball practice immediately afterward, Bryce Simpson, junior, is exhausted. Most nights, he comes home and unwinds by eating a snack, watching TV and walking his dogs. Once he feels recharged, he starts reading books to get better at basketball.

“Right now, I’m reading ‘The Mamba Mentality’ by Kobe Bryant,” Simpson said. “I like to read books by former and current NBA and college [basketball] players and coaches. These books [help teach me] to do my best every possession because I know that, if I don’t, someone else is going to outwork me and take my spot, leaving me back at square one and trying to get into the [playing] rotation.”

Simpson feels he has gradually benefitted from the books he reads. He said that one of the best examples occurs at the end of practice (which can range between 4:30-5:45 p.m.); rather than feeling exhausted, Simpson uses the excitement of events during practice to finish strong.

“[Sometimes] we wind up practicing for a little longer [than normal] because of the fun we were having as a team and since we want to win the drills,” Simpson said. “[I use] the energy we’re still feeling from practice [so that at] every possession I don’t take a break.”

Basketball wasn’t always the center of Simpson’s life. He said it all changed during middle school, and that now, after completing his homework, he spends almost all his time watching, reading about or playing the sport.

“I started playing basketball in eighth grade, [whereas] everyone else has been playing with and against each other since their elementary school third or fourth grade Pioneer Elite [teams],” Simpson said. “I always just try to work hard and get better each day so that I can do what my coaches need me to do.”