Trystyn Miller
Reporter
Many students, especially those unfamiliar with the athletics department, take sports at face value. We go to the games, cheer, support, and have fun. Though there is nothing wrong with simply supporting, getting to know some of the players better can improve not only your overall watching experience, but also your involvement within the sport and the school. We have so many amazing athletes here at ISU; one of these athletes is AJ Burgin.
AJ began his basketball career at the early age of three, playing for city teams in his hometown. According to AJ, “I started playing more seriously when I was eight. I played TENU (ten and under) gamepoint basketball. It was a club team in San Diego.” Playing basketball throughout his childhood opened up many opportunities for AJ. He states, “I always played a year up. I’m young for my grade, but it was always nice to be challenged and show my skills on the older teams.” Once AJ was a junior in high school, the offers started coming in. It was this year that he was offered a spot at ISU.
Unfortunately, due to Covid, it became challenging to plan for the years to come. Covid changed life for virtually everyone, including aspiring college athletes. AJ says, “The final year of [the] club was when Covid hit. I wasn’t able to get many offers because of Covid, so ISU was really the only offer. I honestly never intended on committing to ISU. I was in talks with a lot of other colleges, but Covid held it back. Eligibility was messed up, so no one could actually sign me. Then August hit, and it had been a year since [ISU’s] offer and there was still not much progress with that. I took a visit, and they told me that they wanted [a] commitment or they would move on…so here I am.”
Though AJ did not plan to attend school here at ISU, he assured me that “I have no regrets coming here. ISU has amazing professors, people, and I have been able to build so many meaningful relationships with the people here.” Engagement with the community is something that AJ holds in the highest regard. Being an extrovert in a small town allowed AJ to connect with many people as soon as he arrived, which led to more involvement with not only the school, but members of the community. One of the ways that AJ gets involved is through private training: “I love kids. I wanted to be a teacher growing up. I looked up to my coaches at basketball camps, and I wanted to be like them…I wanted to be that person for kids here. As a result I have made connections with parents and started training kids. I go to their games outside of training, and I always see someone I know. I love being recognized as a coach outside of school events.”
Currently, AJ is working toward his master’s here at ISU. After graduating, he will have a BA in management and MBA with an emphasis in Finance. AJ’s highest priority now is performing well in both basketball and his courses. He mentioned his excitement for this season: his hard work finally paying off. Playing professionally has always been AJ’s goal. “After my master’s, the goal is to play professionally at some level. Just to say that I made it… I would be proud of that. Other than that, I do not know for sure what I want to do after basketball. Once I have my degrees, there will be opportunities, but I am not entirely sure what that looks like right now.” Whether or not AJ plays professionally, the fact remains: basketball will always be a big part of his life.
AJ continually expressed how much this sport means to him – “I have always loved basketball…It’s hard to say why I love it. It’s all I have ever known. It really is just a part of who I am. It’s fun, it brings people together, and all my friends play it, so it connects me with them. Basketball is the reason why I am being interviewed. It’s the reason I am at ISU. It’s the reason I came to Idaho; it is a fundamental part of who I am, and that’s why I work so hard. I have always said that I look at [how] opportunities unfold based on my actions. It is never the situation’s fault; it is my doing, and everything has led me here, so I’m grateful for that. I have been here for four years, and I wouldn’t change anything about my time here.”
Make sure to attend games this semester and show your support to AJ and the other team members. GO BENGALS!
