Zane Atkinson isn’t your typical Athlete of the Week; he isn’t a starter, and his name isn’t usually splashed across local newspaper headlines. But watch Atkinson at practice, talk with him, and you’ll see he’s probably one of the coolest athletes you’ll ever meet—and he proves you don’t have to be a starter to make a difference.
A senior basketball player for the varsity team at Righetti, what sets Atkinson apart from other athletes is his obvious passion for basketball, a tremendous sense of responsibility, and an astounding work ethic. Growing up watching Michael Jordan with a father who played pro ball, Atkinson started playing when he was 7 years old.
“I’ve been in love with basketball for as long as I can remember,” Atkinson said. He mans the small forward position; his job is to help read offenses.
Atkinson’s father, Craig, has been Zane’s biggest inspiration for basketball. The player said his father always took time to play with him, work on technique, and pushed him to be a better player.
Righetti Coach Kevin Barbarick couldn’t think of enough adjectives to describe what kind of person and athlete Atkinson is—starting first and foremost with his spirit.
“He is always enthusiastic and positive,” Barbarick said. “He works hard and never takes time off.”
More importantly, Barbarick added that Atkinson’s supportive nature and determination to be better push his teammates to become better players, too. Atkinson is the kind of player capable of lighting the spark in his team whether he’s on the bench or on the court.
Coming into this season, Atkinson said there were some things about his game he wanted to improve.
“I wanted to improve my defensive work more,” he explained.
The senior has also been working with Vandenberg’s Coach Vernon.
“Coach Vernon has taught me how to be disciplined and how to respect others,” Atkinson said.
Even more impressive about this player is that although he doesn’t get to play as much, he still finds ways to contribute to his team in whatever way he can. Whatever he’s doing, he said, he’s always trying to be supportive of his team mates.
“I try to keep the tempo up, cheer, and hope the team will pick up on it,” Atkinson said. “Never cheat at anything—in drills or in life; always give 100 percent.”
Aside from his inspiring approach to basketball, there’s one other thing that sets Atkinson apart from other players. The senior player has a form of Autism known as Asperger’s; Atkinson said it started when he was 4 years old.
“I still get mad about it; it affects you in certain ways,” he said matter-of-factly. “But I’ve learned to let it go; I always told myself I wasn’t going to let it stop me.”
Barbarick said Atkinson doesn’t let his situation become a barrier for him and remarked that Atkinson is very intelligent. The senior maintains a 3.8 GPA; his favorite subjects are math and physical education.
Atkinson said his ultimate goal is to play in college at either UCLA, Cal Poly, Arizona State, or Georgia. Depending on what happens, Atkinson said the culinary arts program at Hancock is an option as well.
Before the Sun interview was over, it became clear Atkinson is a valuable part of the Righetti team. With the attitude and approach of a champion athlete, he’s a player any coach would be lucky to have.
“Don’t let anyone push you around, don’t let them stop you from reaching your goals,” he said. “Keep working hard and do what you do.”
This article appears in Dec 20-27, 2012.