Marvin Thompson: The Motivational leader

by Amelia Cahillane (MCLA Beacon)

As the snow falls gently over North Adams, Mass., senior Marvin Thompson sits bundled in his winter gear, reflecting on days spent in much warmer parts of the country.

"I went to Southeastern University in Florida my freshman year," he says, adjusting the large wool scarf he has wrapped around his neck. It would seem that as harsh winds of early December begin whipping flurries over the barren MCLA campus, Thompson would be reminiscing nostalgically about his previous bout of education received in the sunshine state.

But alas, the ever positive Thompson's easy going personality shines through, explaining simply how he had no choice but to transfer schools because of the high costs of out of state tuition.

"I liked it there, but I wasn't depressed about leaving. I was excited for a change of schools and to get to meet new people," he says.

That statement there truly embodies exactly who Thompson is: an individual eager about whatever he's doing, while always remaining positive. This proves especially true when it comes to two of the hugest aspects of his life; basketball and his education.

Thompson had been playing the sport since he was a young boy, and participated on his first organized team freshman year of high school at Springfield, Mass'. Pioneer Valley Christian. During his first year of college at Southeastern University, Thompson chose not to play basketball, but decided to pick the sport up once again after transferring to MCLA.

"It was a tough adjustment for me because I took a year off from playing – my first year in school I didn't play at all. The hardest part was getting used to everything again; how much you practice, how much you play, how long the season is. Skill wise, I was behind a lot my freshman year. There were definitely a lot of people ahead of me," he said.

But Thompson didn't let these factors slow him down. By working his hardest and dedicating himself entirely to basketball, by the end of his first year he claimed the MCLA 2007-08 Men's Basketball Most Improved Player Award, and the honors continued to laden him. By his sophomore season, Thompson began experiencing even more of an undeniable drastic improvement.

"That was definitely my best year," says Thompson, who achieved more than just playing time in almost every single game that season. Along with the opportunity to finally exercise his abilities on the court, came strong recognition that included both the Defensive Player of the Year Award, as well as the Scholar Athlete Award.

"It's given to the player or players with the best GPA on the team," explains Thompson on the latter of the two. This incredible feat is just one facet that is reflective of who he is as a student-athlete; academically oriented, ambitious, and not afraid to step outside of his comfort zone. This was something he did later this year when he chose to immerse himself in something totally new.

"My sophomore year I did a travel course to China," recalls Thompson on the trip that he considers to be one of the most influential aspects of his education.

"It was such a fun experience. I learned a lot about the Chinese culture and the way they live in general. It was a lot different from America," he says, as he goes into detail about how family oriented the majority of individuals he met were, and the strong morals they each encompassed.

"They were very generous and overall nice people," Thompson continues, "and the food there was really healthy, too. There was a lot of fish and they had fresh fruit as their desert. Rice was also a big part of the meals."

"The best part was that I got to travel around to all the places, meeting different people and seeing buildings, learning the history," says Thompson.

When he returned back to the states, it wasn't long before he found himself preparing for his junior year basketball season.

"I didn't' play as much this year. A lot of new, better players came in and we ended up having a stronger team in general," says Thompson, who again refused to let a lack of playing time hinder his enthusiasm and genuine care for the well being and success of his team as a whole.

"I wasn't upset about it, I just tried to be positive for the betterment of the team," he says about the Trailblazer's, who had improved incredibly from seasons past, with a record of 9-16 and a hard earned spot in the MASCAC tournament.

This year, however, things are going well for Thompson who is not letting anything stop him from enjoying his senior season.

"This year is going okay, I've played in a few games so far, but it's still early in the year. I'm really just trying to concentrate on working hard to be positive and help my team in any way I can," he says, which seems to be working, since the Trailblazers currently hold a record of 4-2.

Coach Morrison added "Marvin is very dedicated to both his academics and the team. Marvin understands and accepts his role. He is always very prepared for every game, as a coach I would never hesitate to put Marv into a game, because he works so hard in practice to prepare himself to play. That is sometimes tough for a bench player who plays sporadic minutes, but Marvin has made it look easy. I know he's a competitor and wants to be out there, but he always puts the team first."

As is the case with each athletic season, it is starting to move quickly; inspiring Thompson to look ahead.

"Right after I graduate I plan on teaching English in China for a year. I heard about this program through the school and decided to get involved – right now I'm going through the process of getting all the work done for it," says Thompson, who plans on using American sports as a way to integrate the English language into the students curriculum.

With an anticipated bachelor's degree in business and concentration in sports management and minor in economics, Thompson would ideally eventually like to work with a professional sports team or at a large scale insurance company.

"I just want to put in hard work and dedication to whatever job I get," admits Thompson, who says that despite his exciting background of travel, he wouldn't feel bored in the confines of an office.

"As long as I'm surrounded by good people," says Thompson, explaining that a supportive environment where the workers were happy is all he needs to stay entertained and motivated.