Winning Goals

Becoming coachable is not an easy thing to do for a young, talented, up-and-coming basketball player. Yet Christian Academy of Louisville's Tim Henderson is working on becoming just that. A 6-foot-2 sophomore guard with an intense passion for winning, Tim knows that in order to reach his full potential (and possibly reach his goal of playing for U of L), he needs to work harder at listening to his coach, Jeff Imlay, a 24-year veteran of the sport, and coaching assistants Erich Browning and Josh Pittman. Running the offense takes top priority over scoring points or running up his stats. "Tim is learning to make his teammates better, and then allow them, in return, to make him better," says Coach Imlay. Averaging 14 pts, 7 rebounds and 2 assists per game, Tim knows that basketball is not a one-man game. His strengths are his ability to drive and dish to the open man, rebounding and hitting clutch free throws. Coach Browning views Tim as a combo guard. "He does a lot for us. He is a part-time point guard as well as some post play." Hard work does not come easy for most 16-year-olds, but Tim's love of the game supersedes the norm. Both of Tim's parents played U of L sports. His father, Jeff, lettered in swimming from 1974-1978, and his mother, Beth, lettered in tennis in 1979. They have demonstrated to Tim that sports are as much a part of life as is sleeping and eating. Tim's oldest sister, April, holds the leading scoring record for Asbury College women's basketball, scoring over 1300 pts in four seasons. Tim's other two siblings were talented in their respective fields and have added to the family tradition of excelling in their chosen sports. Sister Kelly competed in gymnastics and tennis for three years, and brother Jesse played basketball in high school. "I guess it was just expected that you play a sport and you do it all the time, not just during the school season," says Tim, who also plays on an AAU team and attends basketball camps during the summer. Along with the coach's goals for the team during the school year, Tim continues the same goals and adds some of his own in the off season. His personal summer workout involves shooting over 400 shots a day, 250 alone with one hand from 5 different spots on the court and adhering to the "not leaving the court until you shoot 10 free throws in a row" rule. "One evening last summer, I wouldn't let myself go inside the house until I had shot 10 free throws in a row. It got so dark outside that I had to put my dad's car headlights on so I could see the goal." Tim and assistant coach Josh Pittman have a pledge that if he doesn't grab 10 rebounds a game he has to run after practice. "He has an incredible work ethic. Tim is always the last person to leave the gym," says Pittman. "He will be one of the best players in the city in a few years because of his work ethic and passion for the game." Teammate Michael McDade, a senior guard for CAL, appreciates Tim's efforts. "His hard work in practice pays off. He likes to score consistently, which really helps the team." Tim's greatest enjoyment from basketball comes from seeing his hard work come to fruition on the court. He was well rewarded in CAL's recent game against Boone County where Tim had 23 points and 6 rebounds. With everything that is going on in the lives of teens today, Tim believes his faith in God has helped him overcome obstacles that might prevent him from becoming what God created him to be. "I know that to become a better basketball player I need to keep my focus on walking down the right paths. If God has given me a talent, then it is up to me to do all I can to use that talent." His favorite quote is from John Wooden who said, "You miss 100 percent of the shots you don't take." Even though Imlay doesn't always let Tim know how pleased he is with him, a smile crept in his voice when Imlay said, "I am pleased with his progress. He has become more coachable."