Student-Athlete of the Week – Daniel Cid
Reigning DVL MVP Daniel Cid continues to prove he's more than just a great player on the court.
"He does everything the right way - cares about his teammates, 4.2 student - so he's just a quality kid," said Rajahs Head Basketball Coach Ivery Thompson.
In his second year as a captain, his leadership has continued to evolve.
"Having the young core, I just want to have fun with them, but also try to teach." Cid said. "So in the next years, they can keep growing as players and individuals, because it's more than basketball."
"He really tries to lead by example," Thompson said. "In the classroom, he helps in study hall with the kids. He does everything he can to show he wants the best for every single one of them."
For example, his work ethic.
"He got injured this year and had to sit out nine games, and we really struggled with him being out. But he stayed in the pool, stayed in the ice, kept doing the treatment to get his knee back strong and come back and be able to play for us," Thompson said. "He's just that driven. He's a driven kid."
Some of that comes from striving to be better than his brothers were. All three played for Coach Thompson, who's watched Daniel mature both mentally and physically over the years.
"Just his intelligence of the game, being able to do more than just rebound," Thompson said. "You know, guys that big, you don't see handling the basketball, making plays for his teammates, and he really understands the game, and understands what he needs to do for our team to be successful."
Education has always come first for Cid and that's no different now, as he looks ahead to college, with hopes of becoming a high school counselor, inspired by Indio's counseling team.
"I just love the way they helped me out through the college applications and I just want to help out the youth," Cid said.
But he'll always have a love for the game.
"It's everything. I grew up playing since I was about 4-years-old. My dad was my first coach. I still remember those practices, three to four hours trying to make layups," Cid said. "I will always hold on to that memory because of my dad."
When I asked if Daniel got the one-up on his brothers, Coach Thompson said the proof is in the championship and league MVP honors, which he has a chance to repeat this season.
