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When Cpl. Jurmond Cattenhead joined the Corps, he thought his basketball career was over.
On February 17, however, he earned most valuable player at the 24th annual Capital Classic at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in Fort Myer, Virginia. Cattenhead led the Camp Lejeune team to victory with 20 points and 9 assists as point guard in the final game against U.S. Army Fort Carson.
“I was shocked,” Cattenhead said about being chosen for the award.
Gunnery Sgt. Jelani Nix, coach of the Camp Lejeune basketball team, nominated Cattenhead for the award.
“The point guard is the most important role on the team, it’s an extension of the coaches,” said Nix. “He was able to lead and motivate them throughout the game.”
Cattenhead grew up playing basketball in Jackson, Mississippi. In high school he was an All-State point guard. In college he played in two conference championships at Tougaloo College.
After graduating college with a Bachelor’s in political science, he decided to join the Marine Corps to gain leadership experience.
“After college, basketball was the last thing on my mind. I never thought that I was going to be able to play [competitively] again,” said Cattenhead.
Cattenhead balances his responsibilities as a noncommission officer and playing basketball. As the NCO in charge of shipping and receiving, he supervises more than 25 Marines.
“I have found that if you train your Marines correctly you can step away for a little,” said Cattenhead.
As a High Intensity Tactical Training instructor, Cattenhead demonstrates that the Marine Corps rewards hard work.
“I’m needed [at the unit] so I had to show I am giving back to the Marine Corps,” said Cattenhead. “My command encouraged me to play basketball because they saw the work that I was doing and knew that I would take this opportunity and help make the Marine Corps better.”
Playing in an intramural championship game with the 2nd Supply Battalion team, he was invited to start practicing with the base team.
“I was skeptical at first,” Cattenhead said about playing with base team. “But once I got there, I saw the family and brotherhood they had, I have been with them ever since.”
The Camp Lejeune team is made up of Marines and Sailors from Marine Corps Air Station New River, Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Camp Geiger. They play in the Atlantic Coastal Military Basketball Conference in the Military Basketball League against seven other teams from the region.
| Date Taken: | 03.04.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 03.04.2019 15:39 |
| Story ID: | 312796 |
| Location: | CAMP LEJEUNE, NC, US |
| Hometown: | JACKSON, MS, US |
| Web Views: | 145 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, Logistics Marine earns MVP at 24th annual Capital Classic basketball tournament, by Sgt Scott Jenkins, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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