Anthony Aruffo
Anthony, Who is your hero?
My parents. My dad grew up with nothing, and is a lawyer with many accolades under his belt. With my dad providing for me, it inspires and motivates me to become better than he is which is a tall task.
How has being a basketball player changed your life?
I started basketball when I was in the third grade. Since I moved from Japan not speaking English in the first grade, it helped me communicate and fit in with the people around me. With basketball, a lot of time is sacrificed. I have learned how to manage my time well to do other things that are necessities like education and spending time with my family.
What advice can you share with kids about being a great basketball player and being a great human being?
A piece of advice that I would give is always trying to be interested. When showing interest, it shows respect tot he other person you’re talking to and you can learn a lot from the experiences of others.
What do you do to ensure your mental health is as strong as your physical health?
With my mental health, I like having a place or a thing to do as an escape. For me, basketball has always been an escape for me and helps with my mental health. Also doing things I love like spending time with my friends and family help as well.
Who in your life brings you love and encouragement?
A lot of encouragement comes from my coaches and my parents. My parents motivate me on and off the court. They have sacrificed many things that they would like to do to support me. I would like to shout out my parents, obviously, and my coaches, Mike Ricchiuti and Jacob Weissman. They have both supported me, Mike for the last three years and Jacob for the last two years. They both donate a lot of their time with the team and show us how to grow into an adult.
How old are you and what is the biggest lesson you have learned in your life?
I am 18. One of the biggest life lessons I have learned is never procrastinate. With workouts and schoolwork, if you keep making excuses as to why not to work, the job never gets done.
When life gets hard, how do you overcome the challenges you face?
When life gets difficult I try to solve the problem by myself. While trying to solve a problem by yourself is an important skill, having a support system behind you is a necessity. Having people that you trust and love gives you more strength to push on when life gets difficult.
What do you wish adults would understand about young people today?
We like having our independence and trust. I don’t have this problem but I feel empathetic towards my friends that have over barring parents.
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