Some people experiment with all kinds of different sports to find what they love, but not senior Dominic Marcantelli. Ever since he picked up a basketball, he fell in love with the sport. He plays basketball for DGS and has been playing for 15 years in many different positions.

One of Marcantelli’s biggest inspiration is his father. With a calm voice, he tells how much his father motivates him to pursue his basketball dreams throughout his life.

“For one, my dad. Now he never was really an athlete, but he’s gone through lots of adversity in life, and I think that really taught me-now that I’m going into almost 15 years of basketball-to keep going. To just keep pushing no matter what comes up,” Marcantelli said.

Marcantelli shares how perseverance plays a big part in balancing daily life, especially when it’s difficult. He challenges himself to do his best work he can. He is very passionate about pushing forward and bettering himself.

“It’s that constant grind-the days you don’t feel like waking up, the days you don’t feel like training, those are the days you have to do it,” Marcantelli said.

Marcantelli loves basketball so much that he has been planning on playing in college. He grins, while saying plans of how he will continue to keep up with his schedule now. He also hopes to continue playing basketball further on into his adult life.

“If I find great success in college, I would like to just keep climbing that ladder, little by little,” Marcantelli said.

He has a busy schedule with a very packed daily routine implementing a chance to do everything he loves each day. He lifts weights, works hard at school, practices basketball every day, and finds time with all of that to hang out with his friends.

“So I’m waking up at about either from 4:00-4:30, in that range, so it’s early, and then going to sleep at 9:30, 10:00 if I can,” Marcantelli said.

Marcantelli also trains intensely for basketball everyday. His trainer Lamar Hinton is impressed by Marcantelli’s dedication and hard-working attitude towards the sport.

“The fact that he always wants to get better, and he never complains. He is one of the hardest working players I’ve ever trained,” Hinton said.

Marcantelli will be going out for the DGS basketball team when basketball season starts, and he continues to train for basketball outside of school.