Meet Marion basketball player Phoenix Hatchett
MARION, Ill. — Big-time players play with a lot of confidence, regardless of the sport. Marion basketball player Phoenix Hatchett admits he received a confidence boost, which has spurred him on to what so far has been a solid senior season.
“[Marion] head basketball coach Gus Gillespie pulled me aside and said ‘Me and this coaching staff have so much confidence in you, but you need to have that much in yourself.'”
That advice has helped Hatchett become one of the team leaders for a Marion Wildcat basketball team that as of Jan. 10 is 14-7 and positioned to potentally make a deep postseason run. So far this year, Hatchett has earned all-tournament honors at Jacksonville (Thanksgiving) and Graves County, KY (Pre-Christmas). He is among the team leaders in scoring and rebounding.
Hatchett started playing basketball at a young age, and played three years at Marion Junior High School and all four years at Marion High School. He made his first varsity appearance as a sophomore, and has been a regular the last two seasons.
“I love that basketball is a team sport,” Hatchett says. “My teammates are one of the biggest reasons I love basketball. I love being at practice with them and just being around them.”
The 6-foot, 3-inch 18-year-old knows that it isn’t always easy on the basketball floor. He says some of the best advice he has received came from his father, Lawrence Hatchett.
“He told me ‘Failure is the key to success,'” Phoenix remembers. “‘You will learn more from your mistakes than your successes.'”
When he’s not playing basketball, Hatchett enjoys video games and watching movies, but says he has the most fun spending time with his friends and teammates. Along with his junior high and high school basketball experience, he has played on multiple AAU and travel basketball teams, and says also plans to go out for the high school tennis team this spring.
Phoenix admitted he follows the same pre-game routine. He says he visualizes different plays in his head and how he would implement them in the game. And before each game, he listens to the same set of songs in the same order to help him be ready to play.
He adds that his parents have helped him be ready to play as well.
“Ever since I can remember I’ve had a basketball in my hand,” he said. “My dad pushed me from a very young age to develop my skills. There were so many times that I wanted to give up and quit and he told me that all of my hard work would payoff one day. He was right.”
And Hatchett’s mom, Lisa Clark, has been a key figure in his career.
“There were a lot of hard times through the years in my career and there was always someone who was there for me, my mom,” Phoenix said. “If it weren’t for her, I don’t know where I would be.”
So what is next on Hatchett’s agenda. Helping his team be successful.
“Being a member of this team has showed me many things,” he said. “But the biggest thing is what it is like to have amazing friends and people around you. My biggest goal this year is to help my team secure a regional championship win. We won regionals my sophomore year, and I would love to end my basketball career with another one.”
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