Aldi has always been an athlete. Since the day he reached 1st grade, his mom signed him up for almost every sport she could find. He started playing soccer, flag football, baseball, and of course basketball. Believe it or not, Aldi claims that "soccer was [my] first love and that it wasn't until 5th grade when he decided to focus on basketball." Aldi has been playing basketball for 15 years now, and has not regretted his decision at all.
Over his basketball career, Aldi has played in many different states and on many famous courts. Some of these courts I have mentioned are Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke University), Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas University), and lastly the Spectrum Center (Charlotte Hornets). In high school Aldi played for Veritas Christian Academy. While there he averaged 16.1 points per game, 5.4 assists per game, and 7.2 rebounds per game. This impressive stat line led to him picking up an offer to play at Montreat College. Aldi is a very gifted scorer and also is a very solid defender. Before the injury, Aldi was very explosive and quick and that was a huge part of his game. However, after the injury he had to change his game. He claimed that he had to become more "controlled, smart, and decisive with the ball."
Aldi is one of the most determined kids I know. That being said, when I thought of this idea for the project, I knew exactly who to ask. I was not as close of friends with him when he was going through rehab so I could not see the work he was truly putting in. However, almost every week I would receive a text message from one of my other friends that played at his high school, exclaiming that he has never seen a kid with a work ethic and determination to get back to doing the thing he loves most. He would wake up at 5am to head to his school's gym to begin his rehab. My friend from his high school told me that he "has never seen someone so determined to get back on the court after his injury."
When Aldi first returned back to the court for the first time, he was electric. He had been waiting for this day to come around for nearly a year. With that being said he scored six points in his first game back, which is very impressive for his first game in almost a year. Aldi still recalls that moment as "one of the happiest moments of [his] life." It is truly a blessing that Aldi got the chance to experience being on the court again and competing. After all he has been through and all the work he has put in, there is no one more deserving than him.
Aldi is now a student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill after playing two years for Montreat. At the end of the day, he decided that it would be best for him to go get a degree from a good school such as UNC. He is attempting to walk on the team here next year. He has been working hard, lifting, and playing pick-up basketball every day so he can put himself in the best position to make the team. It is phenomenal to see that he still has this incredible work ethic and a clear goal that he is taking action towards accomplishing.
Check out Aldi's journey. I hope it resonates with you well and you take a deeper look at athletes who go through this injury. I want people to realize that this is not just a physical injury but rather an injury to their mental health as well. I am proud to share Aldi's story and hope it inspires others that are going through a gruesome injury to stay strong, believe in yourself, and never give up.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.