03-03-2020, 03:31 PM
(This post was last modified: 03-03-2020, 03:45 PM by JKortesi81.)
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]The Life of Mo “Mamba” Magic
-Part One: Before The Game-
As told by Michael Magic[/div]
When Mo was approached to do a personal piece to help DSFL scouts get a better understanding of his history, Mo refused stating that “I haven’t achieved anything yet. What is there to know?”. In a way, that really says all you need to know about Mo; humble, driven, with a chip on his shoulder.
But I’m not Mo.
My name is Michael Magic, and this is the story of my big brother, Mozambama “Mamba” Magic.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]---[/div]
Mozambama Magic, or Mo Magic as he prefers to be called, was born on August 23rd, 2016, at the Deerfoot General Hospital to Maria Magic. Weighing a hefty 5.2 kilograms, or 11.5lbs, Mo was always a big child, with a very healthy appetite. So, when Maria Magic gave birth to Michael Magic two years later, it was only a matter of time before she had to pick up a second job to make ends meet.
A single mother of two beautiful and healthy children, Maria Magic rarely had time to spend with her boys, leaving them in the care of her parents while she worked around to clock. As a result, the Magic boys were raised in a traditional conservative Christian household. From a young age, Mo showed hints of athletic talent, which were fostered by his grandfather. As Michael came into age, the two developed a sibling rivalry, and pushed each other to consistently get better and better.
Although the two tried everything together, Mo would eventually be drawn to basketball, and Michael to soccer. As one could expect of 7-year-old that stood at nearly 4ft, Mo would play as a two-way guard for most of his time on the court. Coached by his grandfather, Mo was dominant force on the court, and quickly adopted the moniker “Mamba” – something that was given to him by his grandfather for Mo’s driven need to improve and best everyone he played with and against. However, at the age of 11, tragedy struck the Magic family when Kobbe Magic, and his wife of 50 years, Marian Magic, was killed by a drunk driver. They were on their way to watch Mo play in his first middle school tournament.
The loss of both his parental figures shook Mo to his core and resulted in him taking the rest of the year away from the game. In the interim, Mo became a pseudo-parent for his younger brother Michael, caring for him while their mother ensured that they could continue to live in their ancestral home. However, even for the young Magic brothers, it became apparent that their lifestyle was no longer sustainable, and that a decision had to be made.
Unbeknownst to the Magic family, Kobbe Magic’s legacy was a highlight reel of Mo Magic, that was sent to major institutions across the nation. In the privacy of scouting rooms, Mo Mamba became a phenom, and one of the most sought after student athletes of his age. The first offer came around May, as the Magic family prepared to foreclose on their home and move into a shelter.
For Maria, it was all too good to be true. “I thought it was a joke at first. Here’s some school halfway across the country telling me that they want my boy to come and play basketball for them? I was young, but I wasn’t naïve.”
And then the second offer came in. And then the third, and the fourth, and the fifth. Soon enough, the Magic family were receiving letters every day from prospective high schools looking to have Mo be the keystone of their program. However, it was the one odd offer that would change Mo’s life.
Out of the 154 letters he received, only one of them spoke of bringing Mo in to do something completely different. A letter from Hugh Boyd Secondary’s head coach Will Hughes offered Mo a chance to play football, a sport that he had never even contemplated before. The offer itself seemed too good to be true – subsidized housing in the city of Maria Magic dreams, Vancouver. The rest didn’t even come close, only offering a room for Mo should he choose to accept.
A decision of that magnitude would take most adults days of contemplation, but for Mo Mamba, the choice was a combination of simple truths. “I loved Calgary, but we needed to get out of the hood… When we were sheltered, it was fine. But without grandpaps and grams, it was no place to raise Michael. When coach Hughes offered me the chance to bring my family with me, it made the decision a no-brainer”.
It took two phone calls for Mo to set his future in motion. The first to coach Hughes to confirm the offer was authentic, and the second a day later to verbally commit to the Hugh Boyd Secondary Trojans’ program. What would follow would change the life of the Magic family forever, but that’s for another time.
-Part One: Before The Game-
As told by Michael Magic[/div]
When Mo was approached to do a personal piece to help DSFL scouts get a better understanding of his history, Mo refused stating that “I haven’t achieved anything yet. What is there to know?”. In a way, that really says all you need to know about Mo; humble, driven, with a chip on his shoulder.
But I’m not Mo.
My name is Michael Magic, and this is the story of my big brother, Mozambama “Mamba” Magic.
[div align=\\\"center\\\"]---[/div]
Mozambama Magic, or Mo Magic as he prefers to be called, was born on August 23rd, 2016, at the Deerfoot General Hospital to Maria Magic. Weighing a hefty 5.2 kilograms, or 11.5lbs, Mo was always a big child, with a very healthy appetite. So, when Maria Magic gave birth to Michael Magic two years later, it was only a matter of time before she had to pick up a second job to make ends meet.
A single mother of two beautiful and healthy children, Maria Magic rarely had time to spend with her boys, leaving them in the care of her parents while she worked around to clock. As a result, the Magic boys were raised in a traditional conservative Christian household. From a young age, Mo showed hints of athletic talent, which were fostered by his grandfather. As Michael came into age, the two developed a sibling rivalry, and pushed each other to consistently get better and better.
Although the two tried everything together, Mo would eventually be drawn to basketball, and Michael to soccer. As one could expect of 7-year-old that stood at nearly 4ft, Mo would play as a two-way guard for most of his time on the court. Coached by his grandfather, Mo was dominant force on the court, and quickly adopted the moniker “Mamba” – something that was given to him by his grandfather for Mo’s driven need to improve and best everyone he played with and against. However, at the age of 11, tragedy struck the Magic family when Kobbe Magic, and his wife of 50 years, Marian Magic, was killed by a drunk driver. They were on their way to watch Mo play in his first middle school tournament.
The loss of both his parental figures shook Mo to his core and resulted in him taking the rest of the year away from the game. In the interim, Mo became a pseudo-parent for his younger brother Michael, caring for him while their mother ensured that they could continue to live in their ancestral home. However, even for the young Magic brothers, it became apparent that their lifestyle was no longer sustainable, and that a decision had to be made.
Unbeknownst to the Magic family, Kobbe Magic’s legacy was a highlight reel of Mo Magic, that was sent to major institutions across the nation. In the privacy of scouting rooms, Mo Mamba became a phenom, and one of the most sought after student athletes of his age. The first offer came around May, as the Magic family prepared to foreclose on their home and move into a shelter.
For Maria, it was all too good to be true. “I thought it was a joke at first. Here’s some school halfway across the country telling me that they want my boy to come and play basketball for them? I was young, but I wasn’t naïve.”
And then the second offer came in. And then the third, and the fourth, and the fifth. Soon enough, the Magic family were receiving letters every day from prospective high schools looking to have Mo be the keystone of their program. However, it was the one odd offer that would change Mo’s life.
Out of the 154 letters he received, only one of them spoke of bringing Mo in to do something completely different. A letter from Hugh Boyd Secondary’s head coach Will Hughes offered Mo a chance to play football, a sport that he had never even contemplated before. The offer itself seemed too good to be true – subsidized housing in the city of Maria Magic dreams, Vancouver. The rest didn’t even come close, only offering a room for Mo should he choose to accept.
A decision of that magnitude would take most adults days of contemplation, but for Mo Mamba, the choice was a combination of simple truths. “I loved Calgary, but we needed to get out of the hood… When we were sheltered, it was fine. But without grandpaps and grams, it was no place to raise Michael. When coach Hughes offered me the chance to bring my family with me, it made the decision a no-brainer”.
It took two phone calls for Mo to set his future in motion. The first to coach Hughes to confirm the offer was authentic, and the second a day later to verbally commit to the Hugh Boyd Secondary Trojans’ program. What would follow would change the life of the Magic family forever, but that’s for another time.