By Derrick Smith

Aiden Hale first began playing basketball competitively when he was in the second grade. He fell in love with the game and has played it since. Over the years, he has seen his abilities grow and he has become better at the sport. He attributes that to spending many hours to become better.

“I have put in a lot of hard work to be the best that I can be,” he said. “I have been dedicated to going to the gym and constantly working on my game and doing everything I can to continue to improve.”

Hale is a junior at Lone Grove High School. He plays guard and forward on the Longhorns basketball team. He also runs cross country and is a member of the track team. 

During his life, Hale has had a lot of people that have had an influence on him and how he has become. Out of all of them, he says that there is a small group that has had an impact on him more than the others.

“God and my family are the biggest role models in my life,” he said. “They keep me going each and every day. Not just as an athlete, but also as a person. There is no doubt in my mind that if it was not for them, I would not be the person I am today.”

As a student in the classroom, Aiden has learned from numerous teachers in the span of an educational career. But out of all of them, Aiden says that an elementary school teacher is the one that made the biggest impact.

“Mrs. Dedmon was my second and third grade teacher at Walters and has always been my favorite teacher,” he said. “She was always smiling and a genuinely happy person. She made learning a lot of fun.”

John Garrett, who is the head coach of the Longhorns boys basketball team knows that Hale is a solid player and will play a role this season.
“Aiden led the team in points per game and three point shooting,” the coach said. “He is a very good scorer with lots of length. He is a very smooth offensive player.”