Dribbling down the right path
Examiner photo by Matthew Ybarra: Navasota basketball players were taught important life lessons by special law enforcement guests Deputy Kevin Harris and Trooper Deandre Burns who visited them Wednesday, Feb. 2.
Coaching is more than wins and losses, true coaching prepares athletes for success on and off the competition surface. The Navasota Rattler boys’ basketball program brought in law enforcement Wednesday, Feb. 2, to help athletes better understand the people behind the badge.
Navasota Head Basketball Coach Christopher Ran dolph said he is fortunate to have two parents that have always been there for him, supported him growing up and are still there for him. “Unfortunately, I know not everyone has the family support or anyone to teach them life lessons,” Randolph told his team.
Randolph said he remembers law enforcement officers visiting his school once a year to talk to students and he wanted to do something similar at Navasota ISD especially with the negative image many law-enforcement officers endure.
“I mentioned my idea to coach [Ian] Day and he ran with it,” said Randolph. Day is an assistant coach for the Rattlers.
“Football, track and other sports is not the end-all, beall,” explained Day to the team. “You want to be able to go on and have a career and do things that will take you further in life.”
Day asked Grimes County Sheriff Deputy Kevin Harris and Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Deandre Burns to speak with the players. “These were the first two officers that came to mind, not only because they look like us, but they come from the same places as us.”
Deputy Harris is a 2014 graduate of Navasota High School. Trooper Burns is a graduate of Caldwell High School where he was a star in several sports competing against Coach Day. He went on to run track on a scholarship at Stephen F. Austin University.
Burns said he wasn’t looking past college, all he wanted to do was run track. Once he graduated from SFA, he knew he needed a career path. Someone mentioned that he should look into becoming a State Trooper. “I am going to be honest, I am from a small town and I had never seen a black Trooper before,” said Burns.
Burns decided to apply to be a DPS Trooper and was accepted into the academy. “I was in the academy for about six-months. That was the worst six-months of my life,” he explained. He said the running and training is totally different from what he was accustomed to.
Harris briefly attended college then went to work at a steel plant. “I was working with middle-aged men and knew this was not where I wanted to be long-term,” he explained. That is when he decided to attend TEEX Law Enforcement Academy.
Both Harris and Burns said they don’t wake up planning to ruin anyone’s day, they just want to ensure they enforce laws that make everyone safer.
Each officer stated death is too common an occurrence in their line of work. Burns said he sees many people killed in traffic accidents that can be prevented if they abide by the traffic laws. Burns said he primarily enforces traffic laws and writes citations to those who break those laws. “The last thing I want is to see someone killed because I didn’t do my job to make the roadways safer. I sure don’t want to pull up to a scene and see one of y’all dead,” he told the team.
Harris and Burns reiterated there are some bad cops but not every officer is a bad officer. During a time when bad cops are highlighted, fear increases not only for the public but for officers as well. Burns and Harris expressed there have been too many officers killed in the line of duty. “We just want to make it home safely,” explained Burns.
Harris said officers never know what situation they are walking into. “The main thing to remember is be respectful to law enforcement and keep your hands visible. A situation can escalate quickly without compliance,” he explained. “You may be having a bad day but don’t make it worse by not being respectful. Sign your ticket. It is a promise to appear not an admission of guilt. A ticket can always be overturned.”
Burns reminded the team to be mindful of the company they keep. He said he personally has friends and family that have gone down the wrong path or taken the fall for others.
In closing Burns became brutally honest, “I wish it wasn’t true but some of you are not going to listen to what we have to say. Some of you are going to make mistakes that could lead to jail time or even death.”
Randolph said he is going to continue finding ways to connect with his team and coach them to success in life.