NEWTON GROVE — Hobbton High School junior, Terence Robinson loves to play basketball. This was not always true however, as he states that when he began playing he “hated basketball.” Robinson began playing when he was five-years-old in recreational ball in Newton Grove. “I hated basketball when I first started. Then my dad would talk about how it was when he played and I would see my cousins play and they were ‘cool’ and I decided that I wanted to do better than my dad and be cool like my cousins and the game became fun for me.”

Robinson is the son of Veronica McLaurin and Delynn Robinson. He has two younger brothers, Dayln and DeLynn Robinson and an older sister Nicole McLaurin.

“My dad has had the most influence on me athletically,” said Robinson. “He played for coach Bass here at Hobbton and was on the 1985 championship team. Dad has told me so much about how well he did that I wanted to see if I could do even better while I was here.”

As a junior with another year to play high school basketball, which is the only sport in which Robinson participates, he expressed high expectations for next season. “I think that next year we should be a team that will be a strong factor in the conference. We are still getting used to coach Bass but we are coming together. We will have three seniors next year and most of the team has played together since third grade. We have good chemistry and I feel that the experience we have together will make us a better team.” Following next year after graduation, Robinson is planning to attend East Carolina University and hopes to enter the pharmacy program that has just recently started there. “I do not really want to go to a huge school like Carolina or State but even though East Carolina is getting larger, it still has the small school feel,” commented the young Wildcat.

Robinson stated that he liked Hobbton and expressed that he felt he was receiving a quality education. “I think I am getting the best education possible here at Hobbton. The teachers do a great job trying to get the best out of you. My U. S. History teacher, Ms. Pearson, was one of the best teachers I have ever had. She made learning fun. I would take that class over again if I could. The teachers and staff work hard for low pay but they strive to teach us more than just from the books. They try to help us to learn life skills. I have a lot of respect for teachers. They give so much of their time to teach us and give us skills that we can use throughout life.”

In response to what advice would he give to his peers, Robinson shared, “Seize the moment. Life goes by in a hurry and you can’t get back time, so use it while you can.”

“My most memorable moment in sports happened this year when we beat Wallace-Rose Hill. They were such a tough and aggressive team and I feel that it was a big achievement for us to win over them.” Robinson adds “Union is probably the toughest team we went up against because of the style in which they play. I feel we should have beaten them at least once but they just seemed to get by.”

The young player lists his mom as the biggest influence in his life. “She has always been there for me no matter what the situation is, she is there giving me her support.”

A member of the Hobbton Drama Club and member of Mount Pleasant Missionary Baptist Church, Robinson is very involved in both. “I play sports because it takes up a lot of my free time and it keeps me active in something I really enjoy. I enjoy talking and socializing, especially with the girls, and being involved in school and my church helps me to do the things I want to do.”

Robinson ends his comments by thanking several people for helping him to be a better person as well as a better athlete. “First I would like to thank my parents for always being there for me. I want to thank my teammates for making basketball fun and helping me to do the things that I was able to do this year. I also want to express gratitude to all the Wildcat supporters who come out and cheer, encourage and support us when we play. Finally I would like to say thank you to my coaches. One in particular, coach Kenny Bass. Coach Bass has not only taught me to be a better ball player, he has helped to grow up and that basketball is a lot like life. He says, ‘Once the clock starts, you cannot take back that time so make the best of it while you can.’”

Look for this young man next basketball season as the Wildcats hit the court and expect to see this young man lead his team to some big and better things.

To contact Billy Todd, call 910-592-8137 ext. 117 or e-mail sigeneral@myclintonnc.com.