Fueled by Basketball

For Boston University basketball forward, James Kennedy, the word basketball means a lot--for it served as a coping mechanism for him during the majority of his life.

When he was eight years old, Kennedy's mother was sent to MCI-Framingham prison for money laundering and since his father was never in the picture, he and his twin brother--Jared-- were placed in foster care. Getting ripped apart from your family and tossed into a foster home at eight can undoubtedly screw a kid up, Kennedy started acting up in school, got kicked out for picking fights, started getting in trouble with his foster families, he couldn't control his emotions. Then he found a basketball court. Kennedy would disappear into the dark hours of the night simply shooting hoops or playing games of pickup to get his mind off of things. He used basketball as an escape from his reality. Since Kennedy would disappear and return at late hours of the night, he got into fight after fight with his foster families, getting himself kicked out. In the span of 10 years, Kennedy would go on to live in 28 different foster homes and attend six different schools. Even though Kennedy kept swapping homes and schools, one thing remained constant. He never gave up on basketball. No matter what foster home he was in, Kennedy could always find solace on the court. "I would always be walking home and look around to see if there was a game on the court nearby," said Kennedy. "I always wanted to play so I could get my mind off things." It wasn't until 2003 that Kennedy first started playing organized basketball at the Dunbar community center. After a couple months, Kennedy's mother was released from prison and he decided to move back in with her. Kennedy says that moving back in with his mother was hard because he would constantly be taking his anger and frustration out on her. But finally they came to an understanding. "Mom, you're not going to have to work when you're older," said Kennedy. "I'm going to play basketball. This is what I want to do." Kennedy was accepted into Cushing academy for high school where he would continue playing basketball and meet his coach Barry Connors, who helped him harness his emotions and leave it all out on the court. Connors acted like a father figure to Kennedy and stood alongside him as Kennedy committed to Boston University to play the game that meant everything to him. "Basketball for a long time was the most important thing in my life, but things change," Kennedy explained. "Now my daughter is--that's a no brainer. But basketball certainly played a huge role in getting me through everything and getting me to where I am today."