Kimberly Marie Spears suggested that student-athletes maintain good grades and pursue their dreams if they want to play in college.
Her son, K’den Spears, played basketball at Central Middle School and attended Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.
K’den Spears is a student with a plan.
He brings a unique combination of size and skill to the basketball court. His primary role is power forward, but he has the versatility to run the offense as a point guard.
The 6’3″ tall athlete honed his skills with the Delaware Swarm club team.
K’den is a dedicated pre-med student and has a clear goal to become an orthopedic sports medicine doctor. He applies the same relentless work ethic to his studies as he does to basketball.
K’den #5 scored his first double-double today. Nice huge win! 22points, 12 Rebounds and 6 assists! Great job today, K’den.
Kimberly Marie Spears
Also, see: South Carolina Junior High Hero: She Shines in Basketball Uniform When Cheer Time Falls Short
Grit and Grades Fueled K’den Spears’ Elite Ascent
The journey from a middle school gym to a college court is a challenging climb.
K’den Spears’ journey began from Dover’s Central Middle School and became a successful college basketball player while pursuing a medical degree.
K’den’s mother, Kimberly Marie Spears, recently reflected on Facebook about the early days.
She emphasizes that commitment as a student-athlete is never easy. Keeping K’den’s grades up and placing him in front of the right mentors were the two non-negotiable things for the family.
K’den is a 2024 MIAA Champion and MVP who has played since age six.
As parents, we definitely learned that lesson quickly and knew we had to continue to keep him focused on the end goal. As parents, my husband and I were also committed.
Kimberly Marie Spears
The Spears family learned that true support doesn’t always come from expected places, and their focus has paid off.
K’den is a sophomore at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, balancing a Biology major with a 3.4 GPA against the rigor of college basketball.
Kimberly Marie Spears reminds young athletes, stressing that college sports are on a different level. She underscores that playing at any college level is an elite achievement.
To my student-athletes, this is not an easy road. Please don’t think so. No matter what is going on in High School and what sport you are playing, if you have a dream to play in college, pursue it. Do not give up. Keep your grades up and apply to colleges at every level. At any level, you are considered elite.
Kimberly Marie Spears
