With his outgoing personality and the talent he possesses when the ball is in his hands, Joey Ferdinando has become a leader on and off the court for the Hernando Christian Academy middle school basketball team in Brooksville, FL. There was a time last season, however, when it looked as if Ferdinando might not be able to play for the Lions.

Ferdinando, 14, wanted to start for HCA as a sixth-grader, and he had the ability to do it. Having played basketball since he was 5, he was as skilled as any player on the team. In fact, he led the team in scoring in the first two games of the season, with 13 points in the opener and 14 in the second game.

Then Lions coach Drew Taylor was given the bad news: Ferdinando was academically ineligible for athletics. He wouldn’t be able to suit up for the rest of the season.

For someone like Ferdinando, a youth on the edge, the setback could have sent him one of two ways. Luckily for HCA and Ferdinando, the effect of the disciplinary action was positive. He hit the books hard. His grades rose because of a bond that grew among himself, Taylor and his mother, Lori Geesey.

“His mother and I talk every week about Joey’s grades and where he is with school and life,” Taylor said. “We’ve all become really close because of all this.”

Before coming to HCA, Ferdinando was a student at Powell Middle School, but he had a lot of problems with fights and academics. With some advice from friends, he switched schools, and the changes were immediate.

“I really learned that behaving better and doing well in school go hand in hand,” Ferdinando said. “I think if you do your work in the classroom, it teaches you discipline on the (basketball) court, too.”

The extent of Ferdinando’s experience on the court before joining the Lions was in noncompetitive leagues at the YMCA. He complains about the number of technical fouls he received in that league for his aggressive style of play and how exciting it is to be playing now in a league that fits his game.

Taylor, in his second season as the Lions coach, made sure last year that he was available if Ferdinando needed someone to talk to. In turn, Ferdinando began to show results in the classroom and on the court.

He also began to attend open gym at Faith Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Brooksville, where Taylor is director of outreach.

“Joey shows up and plays every Sunday afternoon,” Taylor said. “It’s great to see him dedicated to something like that.”