By Cailin Reid
Features Editor

Becoming a successful basketball player doesn’t happen overnight – you need to practice and train harder than the next guy – nevertheless junior Gary Balyezyan has always been up for the challenge.

Balyezyan has been playing basketball since he was three years old and is currently playing on the junior varsity (JV) team, at Birmingham Community Charter High School (BCCHS), as the point/shooting guard.

The season began on Jan. 9 and they are already 4-2 in league and 11-9 overall. They compete against schools such as El Camino Real, Taft, Granada Hills, Chatsworth and Cleveland.

Basketball has been a passion of his since he first dribbled the ball.

“I started playing because I have loved the game since day one,” Balyezyan said.

Although Balyezyan is the first to play basketball in his family, they still support him a hundred percent – showing up to all of his games, bringing him to practices and paying for it all.

Balyezyan practices everyday, seven days a week, four hours a day on weekdays and two hours a day on weekends.  For him, the hardest part of the game is keeping your composure.

“Its hard to play under pressure without getting a little frustrated,” Balyezyan said.

During his off season Balyezyan continues to play travel basketball on a team called East Valley Spartans and even branches off into playing soccer.

Balyezyan looks up to very talented and successful basketball player Kobe Bryant, who entered the National Basketball League (NBA) in 1996 as a first round pick, 13th overall, and has now won five championship rings.

Balyezyan hopes to continue his basketball career in college and maybe even venture into the NBA if he is lucky enough.

“I’m looking forward to my college basketball experience, I know I can only get better from here,” said Blayezyan.