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Ben is a sophomore at Wake Forest and this past fall he walked-on the varsity basketball team. You have probably seen Wake Forest on ESPN this Winter as they have been consistently ranked in the top 5 nationally and beat two #1 ranked opponents in North Carolina and Duke. Ben was a counselor last summer and did a great job with Team Sports. Here are some of Ben’s thoughts about his summer at Alpine and the experience of playing ACC basketball:
“This summer at Alpine gave me a lot of time to think. Days on the team sports field are amazing memories. Hardie Buck and I talked about the possibility of him walking on the Alabama football team. He got me thinking about basketball, but I just entertained the thought and didn’t think much of it. In the Fall I showed up to the “walk-on” tryout to just get some good games in and have some fun. There were probably about 25 guys or so trying out for a possible 1 or 2 spots. I never thought I would play ball again but God re-opened the door to play. I felt like He had presented the opportunity and was excited about the opportunity to play again. It has been great so far. I am humbled daily as I watch the God-given talent around me and the amazing athletes at this level of college basketball. It puts things into perspective.
The college basketball season is a long one. It’s exciting but tiresome, especially in the ACC. Knocking off North Carolina and Duke this year were two very memorable games so far. The Joel, our home arena, was pretty electric and the fans were going crazy. Dick Vitale was calling the game for Duke and he looked pretty emotional from where I was sitting (way way at the end of the bench 
). Needless to say, both wins are very memorable and I am just excited to be along for the ride.
Nothing compares to staff basketball at Alpine. The skill level is slightly less, but the energy is unmatched even at the college level!
God has a funny sense of humor. I would have never pictured myself playing ball again in college, and I certainly know that I don’t belong here when it comes to skill or stature. But this is where I am, and I’m just doing my best to enjoy every moment and walk with the Lord throughout the process.”
