By Halle Nottage
Malik Moore, 20, can be described as, “an extremely hard worker, someone who busts his butt. He came in with no expectations,” said Head Coach of the Peninsula College Men’s Basketball Team Donald Rollman, “He’s an awesome student, has a great character and works his tail off, and has earned the position he’s got”.
Originally from Las Vegas, Moore has been around basketball since middle school, playing bench for his seventh grade year, playing a bit more his eighth grade year, and finally stepping out and playing a lot during high school. While being benched was somewhat of a set back, it helped him cultivate a humble mentality which has played largely into him becoming the player he is today. When it comes to goals for the season, Moore kept it simple. “Team first. I would like to take the team back to the playoffs. As an individual, I just want to make an impact in anyway I can,”. In addition to experiencing the obstacles that come with being benched, Moore also has underwent not one, but two knee surgeries in his lifetime. It would have been incredibly easy for him to quit, and stop playing, but instead he clawed his way back onto the court through an unshakable work ethic.
He never let anything hold him back, and instead used whatever tried to drag him back, whether it was being benched or having to get surgery, motivation, “I know what it’s like to not play, I know what it’s like to watch from the sideline, and for me personally I just want to be in there, I want to be the guy playing. I just want to be able to support in anyway I can, but I want to be on the floor if I can be”.
He came to Peninsula after being invited to try out for the team which he heard about through his cousin Sterling Pennison-John of the PC Men’s Soccer Team. He worked out with Coach Rollman and made the cut, thus beginning his first steps of achieving his goal of moving onward to a four-year university. For those younger basketball players out there, Moore has these words of wisdom, “Number one, don’t be discouraged by what anyone tells you.You gotta play for you, if that’s what you wanna do, if that’s what you believe you can do, than do that. Just work hard, give it everything you’ve got,” he said.