A few games into the next season, he found himself in the “6th man” role on the team.
He even led the team in scoring for several games!
(not bad for a bench player, huh?)
Midway through the season, with his confidence rising, he was determined to get a starting role.
But there was a big problem standing in his way...
The team’s starting shooting guard (which was Kyle’s position) was the coach’s son, and Kyle didn’t think there was any chance the coach would drop his son back to the bench.
This didn’t stop him from continuing to work hard, though.
He continued to work his butt off during practice, he kept giving 110% during games, and he tirelessly worked on his game before and after school.
Kyle outworked everyone.
Pretty soon he was arguably the team’s most impactful player.
With his picture-perfect outside shot, his savvy passing ability, and his high basketball IQ, everyone in the gym took notice and quickly understood how good he was...
...except the Coach.
Stuck behind the coach’s son in the rotation, Kyle struggled to get the minutes he deserved.
This not only frustrated Kyle… it frustrated everyone else as well.