Senior Aamir Simms (left) had the opportunity this summer to showcase his basketball talent in China.  Aamir was chosen to play on a team of US high schoolers because a friend of BRS assistant basketball coach Tladi Conway (right) recognized a personable quality in Aamir that would make him perfect for the visit to Beijing.  His basketball skills didn’t hurt, either.

Aamir and Coach Conway, who accompanied the Baron cager, traveled with other impressive basketball players from along the east coast of the United States.  The team played four games against the best Chinese AAU teams while participating in the Chinese AAU nationals. The US team also played a game against the CBA Beijing Ducks’ minor league team, which consisted of college players from the Beijing area. During their last four days in Beijing, USA team members participated in a camp that gave them the opportunity to train fourteen Chinese boys and work with them on basic basketball fundamentals.

Fellow Blue Ridge senior Harry Wang, a Beijing native, couldn’t let Aamir and Coach Conway be in the neighborhood without seeing them.  “Harry showed up one day to hang out and watch Aamir play,” says Tladi.  He adds, “Harry asked if he could be involved in any way, shape or form so he became a volunteer with the Chinese AAU program as a runner and doing whatever the team needed him to do from keeping score to handing out t-shirts to translating.  With our US group, Harry also became our tour guide and translator when we went to the markets and needed help negotiating prices for gifts.”

Coach Conway is thankful that he was able to experience a different culture, and he’s especially grateful that he was able to do so with Aamir.  “I’ve been close to Aamir for years and have watched him grow and develop into the gentleman and basketball player he is today.  The game of basketball has taken me to a lot of amazing places.  This was an experience I’ll never forget.”