Jason Dukes is a junior basketball player at Struthers High School.
Many athletes start sports when they are younger and continue playing throughout their school years. The love for the game is formed through the good and bad times while playing. Some athletes lose their way with a sport for many reasons, but they can find their way back.
Dukes played basketball throughout middle school but stopped playing due to an injury. As a junior, he has decided to come back to the sport he loves for the school season.
“The reason I stopped playing was because I tore my ACL. The reason I came back is because I love playing basketball and being bored at home and just working out all day is boring when I have talent on the court,” says Dukes.
In basketball, there are five positions on the court: point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center. Some athletes just play one position, while others play several positions.
Dukes plays 3 out of the 5 positions on the basketball court.
“I can play multiple positions at point guard, small forward and power forward,” says Dukes.
At the beginning of any sport, athletes usually set goals or certain expectations for how the season will go. As the season continues, the goals can change and become more challenging or easier.
Dukes expected the team to be decent at the beginning of the season. Now, his goal is to win a tournament game.
“I felt like we were going to be a good team but not the best, and the season has gone the exact way I thought it would go. My goal for the rest of the season is to try to lead my team to victory for these last couple of games and win one tournament game,” says Dukes.
