Travelin’ Man: Jacksonville’s Tristan Garmon travels for the love of basketball

By Lori Tippets
Consolidated News Service

Tristan Garmon, 14, is a typical teenager; he loves to stay up late and wake up late in the summer.

The one thing that will get the avid sports fan up is traveling, especially when it relates to what he loves most — basketball.

This summer, Tristan went to Kentucky, Montevallo, Memphis and Birmingham to play with his AAU traveling team, the North Alabama Challenge.

Currently ranked No. 1 in the state, the team will travel to Orlando, Fla., Aug. 1 to play in the National AAU Tournament.

From the travel team to Jacksonville High School Tristan has quickly advanced in basketball, and will be playing for coach David Deerman on the varsity squad this year, even though he is just a freshman.

Deerman sees a great future in store for Tristan. “I think he’s one of the better ones I’ve seen at this age,” says Deerman. “If he keeps up with good work ethics and works really hard he has a chance to be a really good player.”

AAU coach Ronnie Crutcher agrees with Deerman. “If Tristan keeps going this way, and keeps working, there’s going to be no stopping him. He’s a big kid who works hard inside and outside. He has great chemistry with the team.”

Tristan has helped his AAU team become No. 1 in the state for the first time in the team’s history. The North Alabama Challenge has played in eight to 10 tournaments in the same age group to qualify for the national tournament, and has played in other tournaments against older age groups to help them become better.

Getting about 20 minutes of playing time in each game, Tristan is averaging between 12 and 15 points per game, about ten rebounds and four blocked shots.

Tristan also participated in the Colonnade Basketball Camp in Oak Mountain with over 160 sophomore to senior players from all around the nation. The camp was a showcase for college scouts.

“Playing with people who are better was good for me,” says Tristan, who also feels that his AAU experience has been invaluable. “The games move a lot faster and you have to be smarter on the court. Most of the scoring happens in transition or during fast breaks. The players down low are a lot better.” Sometimes the team plays as much as six games of basketball each weekend, giving the boys lots of playing experience.

The son of Erika and Carey Kirby and Michael Garmon, Tristan admits that basketball has been the focus of his summer, shooting with friends or working out at the community center.

Tristan’s basketball talents have increased over the summer with his AAU team. His mother Erika Kirby says, “I have seen Tristan’s level of play and confidence greatly increase since joining the traveling team.”

Kirby says her talented son shoots hoops all the time. “He does shoot constantly but I think it’s because he loves it so much, not necessarily because he thinks of it as practicing. He would rather shoot basketball than anything else, except maybe for eating, that’s his other passion!”

Lori Tippetts is a sports writer for The Jacksonville News.