Back on the court with my AAU team, NY Gauchos; it feels good to back playing competitively. AAU season is here and we have a busy schedule. I’ve spent my weekends working out with the team. We’ve been in the gym, polishing up skills, adding and reviewing plays. We have a few new players to our team, but the core of the team remains the same. I think, like always, we have a good team that can compete. We finished as the #2 team in the Under Armour Circuit. Our team tends to do well because we have been playing together for a long time and we know each other’s strengths and weaknesses.  But, we have fun playing and we all love to win.    

Our first official game was at House of Sports up in Ardsley, NY.  We played in the Zero Gravity Tournament just to shake some rust off as a unit.  On my way to the game I listened to NBA Young Boy. That’s my guy right there...

That’s my guy right there...always gets me hype before show time. We did very well and ended up winning the entire tourney. In the championship game we played against Boston Bobcats.  We traded baskets throughout the game with them. They’re a very tough team and the game was decided in the last 7 seconds of the 4th quarter. The game was tied and I passed the ball to my teammate Matt and he made the lay- up for the win.  I averaged about 15 points a game this weekend. Good way to shake off the so called rust I thought I had. I really wanted to continue to get my teammates involved. I think it’s very important to make sure everyone gets off first then I follow suit.  I led the UA circuit in assists last year so I am aiming to pick up where I left off.  My son, CJ (Chris) wasn’t able to make it up for this tournament, but he will make it while we are on the circuit. We have Massachusetts, Texas and Indiana up next on the AAU schedule.

As far as school goes, I am still trying to maintain my grades and get ready for Regents.  I can’t wait for school to be over. I am just not a big fan of getting up at the crack of dawn to go to school.  Especially, since I travel from Brooklyn to The Bronx. Besides working out, I have been spending my spare time playing Fortnight non-stop… It’s a fun addicting game that you can play against or with your friends. I have been watching this show on Netflix called “7 Seconds”.  It is really good series. I’ve been wondering why they call it 7 seconds. I think because a lot can happen in 7 seconds, but we will see lol I’m only a few episodes in, I’ll keep you posted on it

As I said earlier AAU season is here which means a ton of time spent on the road so I’m sure I’ll have some stories for you guys next month.

See you then.

So, what have I’ve been up to since we last spoke? What have I been doing in my spare time? I’ve been watching Vampire Diaries.  This show is really good because all kinds of stuff are always happening. A lot of plot twists and head shaking moments that really keep me glued to the show.  It’s really hard to stop the vampires from getting what they want. They are kinda invincible. As far as music I’ve been listening to Jay Critch a lot, he’s one of my favorite artists right now. I also got a chance to catch the “Black Panther” movie and it really lived up to the hype.

I’ve been spending time learning the game of basketball, practicing and getting ready for AAU season and making sure I continue to do well in school. Watching on the sidelines can be difficult, but I realize it can also be a good thing.  I have accepted it, so when I’m watching the games, I see the floor and can go through each game like I have virtual glasses on. I see the opportunities to score and the missed opportunities and lapses on defense. I am learning by storing the plays and images in the back of my mind. Morgan Freeman, that black actor, that played God in “Evan Almighty” he said,” Learning how to be still, to really be still and let life happen - that stillness becomes radiance.” And I am learning to be still and observe.

AAU Season with The NY Gauchos

The thing about sitting and watching is that you see things that you wouldn’t normally see because the game is slowed down. Now you see everything around you both on and off the court.  I’ve watched referees make great calls and dumb calls. I’ve watched some coaches, actually coach their teams to wins and other coaches right into losses.  I’ve watched coaches build up players and watched others kill players confidence. I’ve watched players make great plays and I’ve watched others make not such great plays. But this is the game of basketball.  Basketball is life. I am getting ready mentally and working out to be physically ready.

Off the court, I am learning to be still as well, especially in school. I’ve learned that even professionals such as teachers and staff can show some not so great lessons and some positive ones. Right now I am just focused on my grades. My main goal is for my grades to be higher than they were last semester. And I am on pace to do just that.

St. Raymond’s has played 9 games since we last spoke.  I will talk about a few that stood out to me.

1/28/2018

St. Raymond vs. St. Peters
This first meeting with St. Rays vs St. Peter’s was played in Staten Island and was one of the better games that we played. The ball moved fluidly and the players made great decisions throughout the game that resulted in the win. Everyone played hard and Ray’s had a good crowd there to cheer them on.

2/1/2018

St. Raymond vs. Long Island Lutheran
Smh…this game was hard to watch. Both teams have great talent, but St. Ray’s could not execute in that game. The ball was not moving like it did against St. Peter’s and the lane was being clogged up by the bigs making it hard for St. Ray’s to attack the basket. St. Ray’s was unable to adjust and loss… it was just a very ugly game overall.
 

2/13/2018

St. Raymond vs. Mount St. Michael
My brother Dallas and Omar Silverio played well in this game. The game went into overtime and St. Ray’s was able to execute down the stretch. The whole team played good defense. Dallas and Omar were just on fire all game and led St. Ray’s to victory.

Next time you hear from me it'll be AAU season with my bro Chris and the 'Choz family!!!

-Da'Marco

So last time we spoke I was hoping I would have good news, but I don’t.  I know everyone is trying to figure out why I'm not playing for St. Raymond’s at this time. All I will say on this matter is that my grades are fine so, NBA Young Boy lyrics, Chosen One, kind of tells my story best...

Through all this heartbreak and this pain I can’t change

Through betrayal and the rain I stayed the same

I promise you that ima leave how I came

Gotta stop playin’; now it’s time to be a man

It ain’t a thing I can’t handle, I’m a champion

It ain’t a thing I can’t handle, I’m the chosen one.

I don’t know what my future holds at St. Raymond’s, but I am going to finish my year off. I know, everyone probably thought I should have transferred.  But why would I do that? When games are being played with my life. Transferring will be taking the easy road. So I will continue to show my face at games to support my teammates and get my education.  When I’m on the train, I will listen to The Chosen One.

Say you know me; tell me how do you figure?

Working hard, now my name getting bigger.

I go to the games to cheer my brother and the team on. My brother Dallas continues to play, even though it’s hard for him to play knowing how wrong the situation is.  We know that blood is always thicker than water, no matter what it seems like. So he's playing because I want him to. He will continue to represent for us...the Watson brothers!

@NicoleSweetSports

So I am forced to watch the games on the sidelines, knowing that I can help the team win and knowing that my teammates want me there.  But “basketball is life” and every opportunity should be used to learn.  I attend the games as a student of the game.

When teams are playing us, they like to clog up the middle, trying to prevent some of our scorers from doing just that.

1/5/2018

St. Raymond vs. Cardinal Hayes

Tough loss for St. Raymond. They lost by 3. Bad turnovers and missed shots in the last minutes of the game led to it. In the last minutes of the game, the ball needs to be in the hands of the right people and that didn't happen today.

1/14/2018

St. Raymond vs. Holy Cross

First half started off really flat. There wasn't enough ball movement so they offense looked stagnant. The second half, they attacked the basket more and moved the rock quicker around the perimeter. Holy Cross gave our boys a tough fight but they were able to pull out the win.

1/15/2018

St. Raymond vs. Woodmere at "Big Apple Classic"

We traveled down to 16th street on Martin Luther King day to take on Woodmere. St. Raymond basketball team has good talent, but defense still is a problem. They had no problems scoring on us. The game against, Woodmere was a disaster. It was hard to watch. It was easily the worst game of the season.

St. Raymond vs. Bishop Loughlin

It was a VERY sloppy game. They were down at half time again. In the third quarter my brother Dallas took over, got us back in the game. He gave us the lead in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter.

Omar Silverio who just committed to Santa Clara University closes out the game...St. Raymond gets the win!

1/26/2018

St. Raymond vs. Stepinac

St. Raymond was off to a slow start. Maybe it was the travel all the way up to Stepinac, i'm not sure. I get to see a lot now that i'm a spectator... St Ray's needs to attack the paint more in the first few minutes of the game, to help them get in a rhythm.  Then once they are in a rhythm, the shooters need to let it fly. Game was close but Stepinac wins by 3.

Until I am officially back on the court, my time is spent working out getting ready for the next game. Maybe this high school season or for AAU. Let’s see what happens….

Catch you guys next month

-Da'Marco

12/1/2017

What’s up ya’ll my name is Da’Marco Watson? I am currently a 6’4 guard in my sophomore year at St. Raymond’s High School. I have gone to public school in Brooklyn since Pre K. So going to a private, all boy school in the Bronx is a very different and new experience for me. I spend a lot of time in the Bronx being that my AAU team The NY Gauchos home is there. The program has produced a ton of pros such as Stephon Marbury, Kenny Anderson, Mark Jackson and Kemba Walker just to name a few. We had a pretty good AAU season, played with Coach Tommy since 2nd grade. He loves to win and coaches with winning as the goal, no politics, no funny business he just coaches.

Now, my first year was an adjustment for me, especially because I had a few honors classes which meant a larger work load. I had this long commute and practices/games and would get home pretty late. I honestly decided to go to St. Raymond's over Christ The King because my mother really wanted for her two boys to play ball together. So here I am at St. Raymond with my brother, Dallas Watson, who is a Junior. I am used to having to make a name for myself because I have 6 siblings, and we all went to the same schools for elementary and middle school. I usually get confused with my two older brothers from the start. But, it’s hard to confuse us, maybe just our names because they all begin with the letter D; following behind my dad’s family tradition, but our personalities are different. I come from a big family and you can see the diversity but then there are the blends of our personalities that make us “The Watson’s". We are all leaders, we all think we know everything which leads to arguments and makes us super competitive not only with each other but opponents. I think we all speak up but in very different ways but i’ll let you know what’s up right away, no holds barred.

As far as school goes, I am not a big fan. I go to school because I know the importance of education but not because I love it. My best subject is English, I enjoy reading and writing about what we read but outside of school nah man I’m good lol.  My spare time is for working on my game in the gym, playing NBA 2K or GTA and watching The Flash on Netflix.
 

12/2/2017

So, today is game day, we’re traveling to Thomas Jefferson in Brooklyn for our 3:30 match up. I don’t have any formal routines or superstitions I do to get ready for a game. I do make sure I eat right and hydrate though. My mind is always in the winning mentality zone. I like to win even if that means sacrificing my stats. Whatever the team needs from me, I will provide. I think where I’ve developed is recognizing when to pass the ball and when to attack the lane. We don’t always win, but I walk away with something every time, a lesson learned. Some people say there are lessons in every loss in which I agree but there are also lessons with every win as well. Coach Lopez’s game plan couldn’t account for the way the game was being called, we were handicapped with fouls from the first few minutes of the game. I know referees have the final call, but it was obvious that being fair was not on their agenda. But what I quickly learned from this loss is that just because you’re a referee doesn’t mean you’re good at your job. I should have walked away, but it was important that I speak my peace. My peace cost me the next two games; suspended for being thrown out of a game. Would I do it differently? That’s a question I’ll have a few days to think about.
 

12/9/2017

The next two games we had was against Stepinac and Our Savior Lutheran. The worst part about being suspended is doing every to prepare for the game but not being able to play. Coach Lopez stated the plan was simple, to play hard and leave it all on the floor and my teammates executed that plan. My brother Dallas held it down in both games!
 

@NicoleSweetSports

12/12/2017

All Hallows on the menu today.. Always an early start for me but on game days I can’t help but to wake up a bit earlier; the commute from Brooklyn to the Bronx is not always an easy one.  Some days, I hate it, but most days it’s just part of the routine. I just toss on my headphones and start listening to Jay Critch and NBA Youngboy. My tunes get me right for a long day but especially for game day. It's like a cup of coffee, the day ain’t right until my music is set. I arrive at school.. currently my favorite class is Spanish because the teacher makes it fun to learn a new language.  It’ll help me to communicate with some of may family or when I visit Panama. By the time lunch time rolls around the day speed balls to an end. Tip off is at 5:45 and I’m locked in! We stuck with the game plan and we got the win. I finished with 15 points and a few rebounds; not bad for my first game back. Man it felt good being back out there!!
 

12/16/2017

We had a little 4-day break which was much needed.. got my body well rested and ate the proper foods to fuel it. We play against Wings, which took place in my home gym, Gauchos.  The game started out with us playing slowly, but eventually we got it together. I had a lot of touches in this game. I only scored 11 points but dished out 8 assists. I’m glad I am able to showcase that I am more than just a scorer. We left with the win and if we can stay injury free and play team ball then we will have a very good season. But as I say even in a win, there are lessons.  The lesson in this game is that we still have some lapses on defense that we have to work on if we want to have a successful season.
 

12/19/2017

Home game against Iona Prep! We trailed in this game for a while, but was able to bring the game within our reach in the last quarter but we couldn’t convert the win.  We needed to play smarter defense and make better decisions offensively SMH. I had a cool 15 points but much rather have 0 with a win. Looking back at any game, you see all the things that we should have done, but when you're in the midst of the game you don’t always see so clearly. It happens so fast. With more game experience it’ll slow down mentally and be able to avoid those mistakes. This was our first league loss and hopefully our last. The lesson from this loss is sometimes the play called by your coach doesn't always work as planned. So as a player if you see it differently, then rely on muscle memory and live with the results. I think that’s a lesson for all ball players, but you have to be able to live with being the hero or villain depending on that outcome.

12/22/2017

We play powerhouse Christ The King today which is sponsored by Lebron James so they have all the fire sneakers. Mannnn I was looking forward to this game, felt like it was going to be a good one. Let’s just say the coach played around with the starting line-up and we were never able to recover. When my brother and I was finally subbed in we were down 15-2. We never gave up and played hard, but the whole time, I just kept thinking, why? We were able to cut it to 9, but that was not for long.. they closed out the game on us. I scored 17 points, but we fell short. This was our second loss and to say the least I wasn’t happy.  We weren’t happy as a team.  The lesson from this loss is don’t try to make sense out of nonsense.  I don’t know what goes into making decisions as a coach and I know it isn’t an easy job, but what was the point of that line up change? Smh at this loss!

Hopefully my next Dear Diary: entry will start off with some good news.. by the time you guys read this it'll be a new year, so I hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday! 

Catch you guys next time

- Da'Marco