Zachary Lipson has been challenged since the day he was born, but that’s not stopping him from becoming a student manager at the University of Kentucky. Through hard work and a series of events that you couldn’t have planned any better, Zachary will become a Wildcat!
Zachary was born with a spinal deformity and had to overcome many challenges to become the “student assistant coach” at Christ Presbyterian Academy. His roll started as a student manager (similar to an equipment manger), where he won the respect and admiration of the coaching staff and players with his hard work and dedication.
here are some excerpts from Rivals.com about Zachary’s passion for UK….
[QUOTE]”People describe me as a passionate person,” Lipson said. “I have such a love of life. What better basketball program than the University of Kentucky, which has so much tradition and passion? I think that’s what was drawing me there.” [/QUOTE]It’s nice to see that the same things that make UK more than just a school for many of us, is what made the connection with Zachary.
[QUOTE]”She said he needed to look at Plan B,” Susan Lipson said. “Well, there was no Plan B for him. I saw how he took his knuckles, gripped his chair and said, ‘I [I]will[/I] go to Kentucky.’ “[/QUOTE](I wish he could get Terrence Jones to say that….)
Through a extraordinary case of six degrees of separation, Zachary got the opportunity to work some basketball camps at UK. This opportunity gave him a chance to make an impression and fulfill his dream of being a Wildcat.
Here’s what Rivals.com had to say about Zachary’s experience in Lexington and the impression he left with everyone…
[QUOTE]”I had never been to Lexington,” Lipson said. “I didn’t know anyone. I was a little … not shy but a little afraid and nervous because I’d never been to the campus before. But I worked, helped out in the team camps and put my name out there.”
Lipson apparently made quite an impact. Kentucky utilizes about six to eight student-managers each season and annually receives at least 50 applications for those positions. Lipson’s application stood out.
“Zach’s story is a unique one, not only because of what he’s overcome in life but also because of his passion for Kentucky basketball,” Newton said. “This is a young man who absolutely loves University of Kentucky basketball. He lives in Nashville. His mentor is Drew Maddux, a guy who played at Vanderbilt. Yet it never squelched his passion for Kentucky basketball.
“The combination of the type of person he is, the things he’s overcome and his passion for Kentucky made it a really easy choice.”
[/QUOTE]This is a very inspiring story that is definitely worth the read. You can find the [URL=”http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1084044″]entire article here[/URL]
