Freedom Christian first-year boys basketball coach Dan Pruessner took his workforce to Florida over the New 12 months's break for a match.
At some point at lunch they have been sitting exterior a Miami restaurant the place they got meals.
There was a homeless man close by. One in all Pruessner's gamers took the meals, walked over to the homeless man and handed it to him. It's not an uncommon feat, Pruessner stated, for a participant on his workforce who goes by the primary title Thank God.
Actually. And that's the response thank god Msughter Avar or TG to his mates and teammates expects when folks hear his title for the primary time.
A local of Lagos, Nigeria, Avar has been in America for 2 years. Nonetheless, he finds folks shocked by his title. The same old response, he stated, is that individuals suppose it's a mistake.
The second hottest response is to demand to see some form of identification, so he pulls out his scholar ID from Svoboda to show he's not kidding.
There's no sophisticated story behind how he got here up with the title, Avar stated. “My mother had a tough time bringing me into this world,” he stated. Because of this, she named him Thank God.
His mom died when Avar was solely 5 years outdated, and he has an uncommon manner of honoring her reminiscence.
You must look intently at his eyebrows to see the tribute. He has two slim rows minimize into one eyebrow. He has three rows on his different eyebrow.
“My eyebrows characterize how outdated I used to be when my mother died,” he stated. “Two right here and three on this aspect. While you add it up, it's 5.''
In the case of sports activities, Avar rapidly discovered himself misplaced in his native Nigeria, a rustic the place soccer comes first.
As he grew older, he discovered himself drawn to basketball. When he may, he would go to the fitness center, shoot and study to dunk the ball. However there was nobody to show him the sport.
Then an uncle, Fayetteville heart specialist Dr. Sylvester Ejeh, additionally from Nigeria, helped make the connection between Avar and Freedom Christian and introduced him right here to play.
Whereas he enjoys the expertise and the chance, he provides that it’s also troublesome at instances. “I miss my household and mates,” he stated. “It's the toughest factor I've been by means of.
Regardless of being separated from his homeland, Avar desires to take advantage of the prospect he's been given. He’s targeted on enhancing his basketball abilities, particularly his ball dealing with, to make him a extra engaging faculty prospect.
“Once I end highschool, I need to go to school,” he stated. “I need to be the most effective basketball gamers.
Pruessner stated he's not there but, however he actually has potential together with his 6-foot-7 body and muscle tissue that rival these of a soccer tight finish.
“His contribution is great and his work ethic is even higher,” Pruessner stated. “He averages about eight or 9 rebounds, seven or eight factors and one or two blocks a sport.
The largest concern going through Avar this season is combating for enjoying time at Freedom. Pruessner stated his workforce doesn't have a bona fide celebrity, however the roster is stuffed with strong gamers, together with three different worldwide college students from Lithuania, Serbia and Iceland.
“It's laborious for him to get the touches he wants,” Pruessner stated. “He's attempting to choose up the pace of the sport, attempting to choose up pure actions, pure reactions to a sport that he doesn't fairly have but.” .
“There are occasions after we see glimpses that by the point he will get to school, he may very well be a university man.”
For now, he's simply attempting to slot in together with his teammates, and senior Maurice Canaday stated it's working properly. “We're all household,” Canaday stated. “We have now gamers from everywhere in the world. We deal with everybody as a brother, regardless of the place they’re from or what ethnicity they’re. The coaches and gamers actually care about him.''
Canady stated they've additionally adjusted to the fixed questions on his uncommon title. “They preserve asking me if his title is absolutely Thank God,” Canady stated.
Pruessner stated Avar shouldn’t be a particular title, however an individual. “He's very grateful,” Pruessner stated. “He's an amazing child. I'm so grateful for him.''
