Prep’s Young Making the Most of Gifts
Ron Bailey, Publisher
Young Attacking Bullis' Defense
March 1, 2006 – There is a certain super-sophomore combo guard at
North Bethesda, MD’s Georgetown Preparatory School that has been
steadily honing his prodigious God-given ability. Standing, 6’4”
and weighing slightly less than 170lbs, this young man can defend, score,
and pass with the best in the area, regardless of position. Who is this
young guy you might ask? Enter, Garvey Young.
Playing for Prep and its coach, Dwayne Bryant, Young averaged 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 6 steals per game this season. Bryant indicated that Garvey has been the Little Hoyas’ leading scorer since he enrolled last year as a freshman.
This year, Garvey led Prep to an IAC championship, 22-4 record, and probably most impressively, 16 straight victories. The winning streak started in Miami, Florida’s Kreul Classic Christmas-time tourney on December 17th, and ended with an IAC tourney championship defeat (click here for Prep vs. SSA 2.19.06).
John Young, Garvey’s dad, recently shared that his son has always evidenced great athleticism, even from the time he was barely a toddler, and provided an illustrative anecdote: “He and I were at home when he wasn’t walking yet. He was just getting to the point where he could pull up on furniture (less than a year old).
He decided he wanted to stand up, so he crouched down in a squatting position, jumped up in the air, and came down with his feet about shoulder width. He then brought his legs straight up, and burst out laughing”.
At that point, Mr. immediately communicated to God “Thank you for showing me” Garvey’s gifts. As a result, he was able to craft a plan to nurture them.
From the age of four the young guy has proved himself a standout soccer player. Lean, yet clearly faster than most of his contemporaries, Young was always one of the best players on the pitch. He still is, as he competes in soccer at Prep. That sport's coaches are not the only ones who are impressed with Garvey's athleticism, as according to Bryant, “The football coaches have been trying to get him to football for two years because he would be an outstanding wide receiver”. There is precedent for that in the Prep athletic program; Rice Moss, presently a starting wideout at Syracuse, was also a backcourt performer for Bryant.
According to Garvey, playing soccer has benefited his hoop game. “I think it helps with my footwork”, he said, as well as “going to the hole, and moving my feet”. Ironically, he first started to use his athleticism on the hardwood, almost by happenstance, at Washington's #8 Boys and Girls Club. .
Garvey recounted that one day he “went up there and tried it (basketball)", noticed he had ability, and a love affair was born. The young man then joined #8’s team - he was 10 years old.
He continued to play ball, and improve. By the time the young guy enrolled in Jefferson Junior High School in Southwest, DC, Young was becoming known as a budding basketball prodigy. After leading Jefferson to a championship his final year there, Garvey had his choice of a number of schools to attend, but the Young family chose Georgetown Prep.
While hooping at Prep, Garvey has greatly impressed Bryant. “Talent wise he is as good as any sophomore in the country” he said. That’s high praise, from a guy who himself was a highly decorated high school player that went on to make an irreplaceable impact for John Thompson, Jr., and the Georgetown Hoyas, in the Big East.
Garvey Rocking a Defender to Sleep
Young On the Controls