Nurtured talent
Billy Howard
There are many people who harbor a desire to participate in sports they thoroughly enjoy but, simply don’t have the ability to perform at an advanced level. Such individuals can often be found at the local park enjoying a friendly game with friends, playing with a church or local civic league, or maybe even volunteering to coach a team of adolescents at the city’s recreation department for the sake of “giving back.”
However, there are occasions when a person might display a natural ability for a particular sport that sort of sets them apart. That has been the case with a rising basketball player with very close ties to Appling County. In fact, Kaden Toure resides in Jacksonville, FL with his mother, Karen Carter-Baker who is a past graduate of Appling County Comprehensive High School. She is the daughter of Cleveland and Georgia Carter, owners of Cleveland Carter Enterprises and the John Deere Museum on Hwy 144 outside Baxley.
Kaden’s mother recognized his love for basketball from the time he used to ride in a safety seat in the back of her car while gripping a ball that was larger than him. Karen made the fateful decision to, not only support her son in his aspirations to fully immerse himself in the pursuit of basketball excellence but took that backing to an entirely new level.
Upon seeing her son’s commitment to the goal he’d set, his mother set out on a mission of her own; to help him make that ambition a reality. Carter-Baker, in addition to encouraging Kaden throughout his years of recreation basketball, she also independently sought out mentors and contracted coaches, or personal trainers to work with him throughout the entire year, even in the off season. These private instructors worked with Toure to further develop his skills in every aspect of the game from a shooting, rebounding, ball handling, and any other technique where she thought he needed improvement.
Over the years, Karen sacrificed vacation time, sick leave, and every available moment while traveling to her son’s games in support of his goal. There were a number of years during Kaden’s high school tenure when he played for the school, on a regional team as well as a national traveling team simultaneously. On many occasions his practice schedule proved more demanding than most adults’ career choices. None-the-less, Kaden’s determination, along with the unyielding support of his mom and other family members, has proven to be a solid foundation upon which he’ll be able to build a solid life, even beyond basketball.
The investment appears to have begun paying off as Kaden signed a scholarship with the Coastal Alabama Coyotes on April 16. While being an accomplished athlete as well as an academic prodigy; ranking in the upper percentile of his high school’s graduating class, Kaden yet remains humble. This quote is taken from his Facebook post on that same day, “I thank God every day, but I also want to say thanks to everyone that has supported me through my basketball journey, whether it was the YMCA, PAL, AAU coaches, trainers, middle school and high school coaches. I appreciate all the support, mentoring, lectures and encouraging words from each of you, because I learned something from all of you and I can honestly say that’s part of the reason I am where I am today.”
Kaden’s comment exemplifies a mentality that can only be embodied by someone who, as the elders would say, “Comes from good stock with some solid home training.” But it’s not enough to just be gifted. That talent has to first be recognized, embraced, supported and wrapped in humility so as to have it fully blossom.
You can reach Howard at bg@authorbghoward.com.
