Memorial High School Coach Fights Through Personal Tragedy With Basketball

Life can come at you fast when you least expect that and sometimes it is a lesson just like a game of basketball.

For one Memorial assistant coach, basketball has become a purpose to keep fighting. It might look like a normal basketball practice at Memorial High School, but what you don’t see is an escape from reality for one Charger assistant coach.

"My son and his mom and grandparents were in a horrible car accident,” Memorial assistant coach Draper Sturdivant said.

Sturdivant got an unimaginable call in May 2021.

“I was informed they were all killed in a car accident traveling back from Houston," said, Sturdivant

The group was on their way back from a family trip. The loss of his son Draper the second will never leave him for draper senior coaching and being a part of the Memorial chargers basketball program has helped maintain his sons legacy every time he sets foot on the hardwood.

"My last final moments with my son were when he was coaching with me on the bench basketball gives me a way to separate from reality and so for me it’s not just a way for me to have some peace but it’s also a way to give back not only to the community but to people," said, Sturdivant.

"Draper is one of the 5 most important people in my life outside of my family the success we have had from 2006 to now you can take drapers Sturdivant out of the equations and we don't have that," said Head Coach Bobby Allison.

I will go thru this forever there will never be a moment where I won't think about my son I'm going to live out and share his story and share his dreams throughout in what I do in life and that’s going to be forever my motivation to give back and just help people, said, Sturdivant