Everyone had someone who supported them through their rough times and through times when none believed in them. I had a coach who was very social and he was also very encouraging to those who really worked hard and showed him that they wanted to be something. This coach understood me like no one else. He knew what he needed to do to make me work extra hard and he knew which buttons he had to push to make me want to succeed more.
One year before I came to Berkeley I was weighing about 270lb people were laughing at my goals about coming to US and play college ball, but the only one outside of my family that believed in me was actually my coach. He dedicated his extra time to help me becoming a better shooter and passer, something that he was mostly famous for when he played in the big league here in Europe. He knew that I loved challenges and one day he challenged me to see who can lose most weight in six months. He was also weighing a lot. From morning to night I spend my time in the gym working out and lifting weights. There were actually times when he walked in to the gym early in the mornings and asked me if I had slept over or something because it was too early to be there. When the challenge was done I came out as a winner, I lost about 80 lb in 6 months. He told me after the challenge that he only told me that I could not make it because he knew how bad I wanted to show him and people around him that I can beat him.
When the season was over and the club had to announce some awards he nominated me as the best player of that year and I got that award. But what touched me most was when I asked him to write me a recommendation letter for colleges. I had told him to put the truth and nothing exaggerating or any lies, because I don’t want any coach to read my letter and say wow this player sounds too good to be true. He wrote some stuff that really touched me things such as “If I had the same shooting abilities as Alex I would probably be more successful in my basketball career” He was the best basketball player in Sweden and in my eyes he was the best basketball player in the world. So for me to read this from my role model made me really happy and also gave me a lot of inspiration.
So thank you Jonas Fredrikson for teaching me to be a better player and I hope that one day when I reach the top you will brag to your friends about how you coached me and how you made me the man I am today!
