Through hard work and toughness, Brabson develops into star with NMCA boys basketball

BURT LAKE – Many years ago, Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian Academy started up an elementary school basketball program.

That's where Josiah Brabson found an interest in a sport he’d fall in love with for years to come.

“Waking up Saturday mornings, going to different elementary schools, playing basketball with all of my friends, and having a lot of fun with my friends,” Brabson recalled. "I loved it."

Ever since those days, Brabson, a senior standout on the NMCA boys basketball team, has used a relentless work ethic – one that’s included thousands upon thousands of shots put up in the gym – to help transform into one of the top players in program history.

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Brabson has learned a ton during his journey, especially from his father James, NMCA’s head coach.

“Working with my dad has been a lot of fun,” Josiah said. “Since I was little, he’s taught me how to shoot properly and things like that. He’s been spending all the time in the gym, teaching me, working through what I did wrong, and after games, the hours that we watched game films, and just working through how I can be better as a basketball player. It’s been very good for me to have him as a basketball coach.”

Since becoming a starter on NMCA's varsity team as a seventh grader, Brabson has progressed into a prolific scorer against difficult competition. As much as he loves putting the ball in the basket, he enjoys doing the dirty work just as much. In fact, being only 5-foot-7 has only provided more fuel for Brabson when he's on the court.

“I love playing against bigger kids, battling down low, especially,” Brabson said. “With how small of a team we are, I love battling down low, fighting for those rebounds, making sure those big men don’t score. That’s what I love to do. I love scoring and taking charges, those are my two favorites.”

During his career, Brabson’s play has been strong enough to earn All-Northern Lakes Conference first team honors. In addition, he'll finish his career with over 1,400 points and 500 rebounds.

Taking it all in has been Coach Brabson, a father who’s so proud of what his son has accomplished.

“I appreciate the way he plays where he never gets real high, he never gets real low. He’s just a steady state,” Coach Brabson said. “I think a number of the other coaches he’s played against have observed that. He does not get rattled in even hard moments of the game. Just being able to be emotionally regulated, I’ve appreciated that.”

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To prove what kind of work ethic Brabson possesses, look no further than a Friday night last December, when he reached 1,000 career points. In the hours leading up to the milestone, he worked an eight-hour day job that involved installing gutters.

“Every kid has their moments where you’ve got to get after him, but words do not express how proud I am of him as a person and as a player,” Coach Brabson said of his son. “He really has been a blessing to have on the team, and as he takes these next steps, I’m excited for him to see where his interest in basketball and just the quality of person that he is is going to take him.”

Brabson will wrap up his high school career soon, but he said he hopes to continue playing basketball when he attends Faith Baptist Bible College in Iowa following NMCA.

Will he miss the NMCA experience? You bet he will.

“It’s been amazing,” Brabson said of NMCA. “The recognition they give me, they’re behind me all the time, and so it’s going to be tough to say goodbye to this. I’ve gone to school here since I was a kindergartner and it’s going to be hard to say goodbye, especially for high school."

Contact sports editor Jared Greenleaf at jgreenleaf@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @sportsCDT

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Hard work, toughness propels Brabson to standout career with Burt Lake NMCA basketball