Rolling Rams wheelchair basketball player, Reed, set to become DI athlete at Mizzou
ST. LOUIS (BVM) — Mack Reed was born with spina bifida, paralyzing him from the knees down. But throughout his life, the Kirkwood High School senior has embraced his situation, and his determined attitude has led him all the way to a Division I college athletic career.聽
Reed began playing basketball nine years ago, but has also tried out many sports in between. Throughout his life, Reed has competed in track, swimming, lacrosse and baseball, often in conjunction with the Disabled Athlete Sports Association (DASA).
鈥淭hey鈥檝e kind of helped me become the person that I am today,鈥� Reed said.
Although Reed may be in a wheelchair and has to approach sports in a different way physically than many athletes, he never has let his disability impact him from the moment he realized he had it.
鈥淚鈥檝e never seen myself as a disabled person,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淵es, I have acknowledged that I have a lower-extremity disability, but I don鈥檛 let that define me. I make it part of my personality and will even poke fun at it because if you can鈥檛 make fun of something, what鈥檚 the point?鈥�
Challenger baseball initially became one of Reed鈥檚 main sports growing up, and he enjoyed the time and memories he spent out on the diamond. However, the sport designed for those who have physical or intellectual challenges wasn鈥檛 as competitive as the Kirkwood, Mo. native would have liked.
鈥淚t鈥檚 one of those sports where everyone’s a winner and you just play the game,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淭hat was fun for a little while, and I love baseball and like to play. But it slowly grew into, 鈥楬ey, I want to win.鈥� It was still a fun experience that I would not trade for anything.鈥�
As he entered Kirkwood High School, Reed tried out another sport. Inspired by a Minnesota athlete in a similar situation to his, Reed became intrigued by the idea of trying out football as a place-kick holder.
鈥淚鈥檇 seen a different story from a kid in Minnesota and I saw he was a place-kick holder for his team,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淚 thought that was really cool and I went to my coach and pitched him the idea of doing that. He was all for it.鈥�
Throughout his two seasons playing on the junior varsity squad, Reed enjoyed what he was doing and was embraced seamlessly by his Pioneer teammates.
鈥淚 think I slowly became an example for other players showing I鈥檓 here, I鈥檓 doing this,鈥� Reed explained. 鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 really treat me any differently and I wasn鈥檛 just the 鈥榗harity kid鈥� who was there to play one down and then I鈥檓 good to go. They pushed me every practice and made sure I was getting the reps that I deserved. Everyone was just so inviting and I was just another one of the guys playing football.鈥�
Reed鈥檚 time playing football was enjoyable, but what makes him a top athlete within the state of Missouri is what he has done over the past nine years on the basketball court. Initially, Reed was notified about the sport by a track teammate, and after watching a practice, he decided to try it out.
鈥淲e went to one of the practices and just seeing everyone who鈥檚 like me and competing in a sport I鈥檝e watched for a while, once I hopped in a basketball chair, I slowly learned to love the game,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淎ll the friends I鈥檝e made was a big thing and I clicked with a lot of other people on the team. They made it much more enjoyable to be out there.鈥�
The now 17-year-old began playing with the St. Louis Rolling Rams. Although he may not have been the most-skilled player at the start, Reed was determined to put in the work in order to play at a higher level.
鈥淭he main thing is just the dedication and time you鈥檙e willing to put into it,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淚 started off and I couldn’t make a basket and wasn鈥檛 as fast as anybody else. But I knew that if I put in my effort, time and focus on this, I was going to be able to grow as a person and a player. All you have to do is put in the work, and the skills will come.鈥�
Especially over the last few seasons, Reed鈥檚 game has developed, and he is seeing the results of his hard work pay off.
鈥淢y game has progressed phenomenally,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e put in a lot of time and effort on the court and outside of the court to become the best player I can be. No sport is easy, but knowing that I have a good team around me that is going to push me to become a better person and better player, and that team camaraderie that I saw the first day of practice, has just been what鈥檚 kept me going and coming back every year.鈥�
At the same time as his own skills have developed, Reed has had to help along other players on the Rams鈥� squad as a team-leader over the last few years.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really want to take on that role at first,鈥� Reed explained. 鈥淏ut as the years went by, I realized I was the veteran out there and had to be the one that leads everybody.鈥�
Becoming a leader on and off the court combined with his high-level talent, Reed has become a player that has the potential to excel at the college level. Soon, he will have that opportunity with the Missouri Tigers.
Initially, Reed had looked at a couple other schools with wheelchair basketball programs, specifically Nebraska Omaha. But a prior relationship with Mizzou and United States Men鈥檚 Wheelchair Basketball head coach Ron Lykins sealed the deal for Reed to become a Tiger.
鈥淚鈥檝e known Coach Lykins since I鈥檝e started,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淭he one thing that I鈥檝e always really admired about him is that he never really talks basketball with you. He wants to know how you鈥檙e doing, how school is and about all these other different things. Basketball is never what he wants to talk about initially. He鈥檒l push us to make sure we are putting in the effort and work we need to be to grow as people.
鈥淲hat really made me choose Mizzou was that relationship with Coach Lykins, being close to home and it鈥檚 a school that I鈥檝e grown up loving and being a fan of. Getting to play there is just a dream come true.鈥�
Reed realizes that there will be a big adjustment to college basketball. But at the same time, he can also say he is a Division I college athlete, and that is certainly something to be proud of.
鈥淢oving into that collegiate style and level will be going back to square one,鈥� Reed said. 鈥淚 just need to sit back, learn and grow to get where others are at. I want to learn from the upperclassmen, know my role and my place on the team, and become the best player I can be.
鈥淓very athlete at the high school or even lower levels has dreams of playing for their favorite college and working to get to that next level. Playing for the flagship school of my state is a big honor and I hope to take the things that I get from there and let them guide me forward through the rest of my life.鈥�
While at Mizzou, Reed will major in sports management and minor in sales or marketing. Sports has always been a passion for Reed, and he hopes to someday combine his career with his love of basketball by starting a wheelchair basketball team at a major university.
A bright future awaits Reed at Mizzou and beyond. While he has never let his disability define him, there is still no doubt that Reed has been and will continue to be an inspiration for anyone who comes across his story.
鈥淛ust push through, work hard and don鈥檛 let anything stop you,鈥� Reed concluded. 鈥淒on鈥檛 let something define you, carry a light-hearted attitude and just always work hard.鈥�
