Eric Ming once said the important things in life are those things you leave behind. To Ming, the esteemed basketball coach and youth mentor who died in September from leukemia at the age of 30, the most important things were how he cared for other people and invested in his community.
Now this week, at halftime of a senior boys basketball game on Thursday, the Britannia Bruins he cherished so deeply are leaving something for him. It鈥檚 permanent, and like the legacy Ming left with hundreds of players he coached since the time he was a teenager, it will motivate and empower young athletes to aspire after the important things.
Britannia will retire Ming鈥檚 jersey.
A white, No. 21 Bruins jersey will hang from the rafters of the Mike Evans Gymnasium, over the court where Ming dedicated innumerable hours of his energy, talent and guidance despite having been diagnosed with cancer at the age of 19.
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The school will also bestow scholarships in his name, and the district has created the Eric Ming Community Hero Scholarship, two prizes each valued at $1,000 for a male and female basketball player, manager or scorekeeper.
Finally, a trophy presented during the tournament to the most inspirational male and female Bruins will be named after Ming, who won the hardware in 2003. The small emblem from the year he received the award has been changed to glittering red, and a picture of his grinning face sits atop the hardware.听
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You realize the things that are important are the things that you leave behind. And the things that you leave behind is how you treat others, how you effect your community, and how you support the ones that you love. "
--- Eric Ming, 1986-2016
鈥淭here is a saying that ball is life, but for Eric that was true,鈥� said Wayne Hoang, a former player who later joined Ming on the Bruins senior boys staff. Hoang assured the late coach he would remain with the team while simultaneously finishing a kinesiology program at Langara. A promise like that is one of those important things.
Hoang said Ming used the game to teach difficult life skills, such as 鈥渓earning how to work hard without anyone watching.鈥�
鈥淏ecause,鈥� said Hoang, 鈥渋f you do that, you can accomplish anything in life and, at times, we push the kids and we yell at them, but over time they start doing it themselves and that is probably the most rewarding part, seeing them work hard themselves.鈥�
Britannia鈥檚 senior boys roster counts two players who were coached by Ming, who was a presence at Strathcona and Ray-Cam community centres as well as the school.
Fahim Alam and Cody Sagmaquen were both in Grade 10 when they were called up to the 2015 team that went on to finish second at the city championship, a title they want for themselves 鈥� in Ming鈥檚 honour 鈥� this time around.
鈥淚t was the best year, my favourite,鈥� said Alam, who is president of the Britannia student council, just as Ming was the year he graduated.
Ming was an assistant coach the year Britannia won the 2010 AA provincial championship. He taught the fundamentals of the game, emphasizing the basics, smart choices and mental resilience. Sagmaquen said this elevated the talent of a lot of otherwise mediocre players. It鈥檚 how Ming built championship contenders as well as committed teammates and gritty players.
鈥淗e pushed us every single practice,鈥� said Sagmaquen. 鈥淢ade us run even when we were dying on the floor, kept pushing us. He said the game is all mental and even though we weren鈥檛 the best at playing, he told us to build ourselves mentally 鈥� that will help us succeed.鈥�
Both players were at Ming鈥檚 funeral and signed their names to the game-worn jersey that was buried with the Britannia alum. On it, Alam wrote the nickname Ming used for him. 鈥淎t the time I had a little alter ego going, so he always called me, 鈥淔, f, f, to the a, a, a, to the h, h, i, m,鈥� he said.
鈥淚鈥檓 still grieving a little bit. Rather than let it get me down, I used it to create a set of goals for myself, like, Eric would want this. It would make him proud, so I鈥檓 going to do these things for him.
鈥淚 was always one of the lesser-skilled players and even for me, he dedicated the same amount of time that he gave to others for me too,鈥� said Alam. 鈥淗e actually pushed me and I developed my skills and developed my attitude, like, I shouldn鈥檛 quit, I can keep working at it, and I could be a better basketball player one day. I mainly have him to credit for my hard-working attitude today.鈥� Those are more important things.
Alam鈥檚 list of goals includes maintaining a 90 per cent average in school, preventing the 麻豆传媒映画School Board from shutting down Britannia and also winning the 2017 basketball city championship.
鈥淭here鈥檚 potential for sure,鈥� added Sagmaquen, endorsing his friend鈥檚 ambitions. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important.鈥�
Eric Ming died Sept. 12, 2016.
His jersey will be retired Thursday, Jan. 12, at halftime of the senior boys basketball game against the Templeton Titans. The game begins at 1:45 p.m. at Britannia.
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A day in the life of Eric Ming
Fahim Alam was shooting hoops with friends outside the Ray-Cam Co-operative Centre on a hot evening in the summer of 2015 when Eric Ming cycled past. He got off his bike and asked the teenagers if he could join in.
鈥淲e were like, get over here,鈥� said Alam. 鈥淲e had a little smack talk going back and forth. He wasn鈥檛 like many coaches. He was a great coach but he was also a great friend. That is not something all coaches can be. After, he even treated us to doughnuts.鈥�
Wayne Hoang was fundraising by selling Krispy Kreme pastries. 鈥淗e called him up and said, 鈥楬ey Wayne, I鈥檓 going to buy a box for the kids. He called right from the court,鈥� said Alam.
鈥淗onestly, all the player wanted to play for him because his attitude and the atmosphere he created around him was amazing. Everyone wanted to be a part of it.鈥�
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