Diego Velez ’24 takes a shot for the hoop.
Andover Boys Basketball Co-Captain Diego Velez ’24 embodies competitiveness. He started to play basketball in a YMCA Youth League in the Bronx when he was five, and his countless hours of practice and unwavering dedication give a shining example to the rest of the team. In addition to being captain of the Boys Basketball team, he is also captain of the Andover Football team, a nod to his leadership that transcends beyond basketball.
According to Isaiah Harris ’24, Velez is one of the hardest-working individuals he knows and serves as an inspiration to his team. He noted that Velez leads by example, always pushing himself to become a better basketball player.
Harris said, “He’s kind of a scrappy player who just never backs down from anything and demands more from himself than anybody. He’s always very hot with himself, which is what I love about him because he always wants to strive to be better each and every day.”
Coach Terrell Ivory ’00 (TI) echoed Harris’s statements. On the court, Coach Ivory noted that Velez is one of the most competitive players he has ever coached. He also mentioned that Velez is incredibly vocal and always helps the younger players.
TI said, “He’s one of the toughest kids that I’ve ever coached. His will to win is unbelievable. He’s the ultimate competitor, and he’s one of those teammates that you just love having on your team. And I would not want to play against him. He plays hard. He makes good decisions. Anytime you have somebody like that on the tea, he just inspires his teammates to be so much better.”
TI highlighted Velez’s leadership style, noting that it is a reflection of his style.
“As a captain, he’s done a good job of leading. He’s been vocal. He helps the younger kids understand what it means to be a part of the program. He sort of says he’s an extension of me in the sense that he sets high expectations for the kids. And I think he helps me be a better coach.” said TI.
Velez motivates his teammates by staying vocal on the court, echoing Coach Ivory’s words. He mentioned that every detail is important and that drills are what translate into the game.
Velez said, “The main thing is making sure the energy is up. Just being loud. If one person is loud, people follow. That is how we keep people focused. Even the smallest drill in practice matters; all of those drills translate to the game, and if you don’t practice at your game level, you don’t succeed. So that is how I keep the energy up in practice and in games.”
Harris recalled a game where Velez’s talk influenced the players to use their competitive drive and play with morale until the end.
Harris said, “When we lost by 15 to this team that was absolutely not at our level at all, he just gave a talk to us about, like, how we have to be better and what we need to do to get to where we want to be, which is to win a Championship in the long run. So, I think that made me respect him even more because coming from a medium account myself, it shows me what I could do as well.”
Collaboration and trust are values that Velez leads by. He noted that basketball is a team sport and that every player is important in the success of the unit, regardless of the role they play.
“Teamwork is the most important, but that goes hand in hand with selflessness. Basketball is a team sport, and we need everyone on the team to contribute in their own way. To be successful, everyone is really important,” said Velez.
Velez will continue his football career playing Division III at Wesleyan University.
