Steel was my first undocumented prospect. At 25 years of age, he was also one of the oldest players I ever attempted to recruit. Our initial encounter occurred totally by chance. I happened to be in a mood to play basketball and headed to the Athletic Center at my alma mater, hoping some pick-up games would be going on. As I was loosening up to play, I noticed Steel working on some moves alone at a basket. He was an explosive specimen who stood around 6'4 with a very well defined physique. Once he executed a drop-step dunk with ease, I decided that it was time to talk.
Our initial chat was quick. I simply introduced myself and sought to find out if he had ever played college ball. Much to my delight, he had never played college ball. I smelled opportunity. The setting didn't lend itself to a full fledged conversation about his current circumstances so I took Steel's phone number and told him that I would be in touch soon. I quickly discovered that Steel wasn't going to be a typical recruit.
Steel immigrated here to play college basketball on the west coast. After accepting an offer to play, Steel's scholarship was rescinded shortly after arriving to the United States. The coach who had offered the scholarship had either been fired or resigned from the job. His hoop dreams were dashed without ever setting foot on a basketball court. Without a dime in his pocket, Steel had no way to return home. Eventually, he trekked eastward to start a new life with the help of some friends and a sibling who was already living in the states.
Steel had no intention of living in the shadows as an undocumented resident. Given the needs of his family abroad, however, he opted to take odd jobs working under the table. The pay wasn't much, but it was more than Steel could earn working back home. Along with paying for his own living expenses, Steel was also responsible for buying his ailing mother medication who resided two continents away. He did this despite having unreliable transportation in a part of town that didn't offer public transit options.
Over the span of seven years, Steel owned five different cars. He attempted to make the most out of affordable, used cars until they broke down because it was too hard for him to save for a good car and keep his job. Each time a car died on him, he would just move on to the next one. He literally couldn't afford to take any days off...
When we met, Steel couldn't afford to enroll here because he didn't qualify for financial aid due to his undocumented status. A few years after our initial encounter, he married an American--thus taking steps towards becoming a citizen. He called me immediately to share the exciting news. Steel was excited to finally have a chance to be a college student even though he had just turned 30 years old. He applied a year later and was accepted. He also received enough financial aid to enroll. Steel was all set to become a student-athlete until another obstacle arose. The house he was living in was foreclosed.
Steel was suddenly homeless...
(To be continued)
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