They say he has a great name for radio, but broadcasting is not the only arena where Air Force Senior Airman Cory Kuttler is making a name for himself.
March Air Reserve Base’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) hosted a fall basketball league, and Kuttler led his team to victory in every regular and post season game. As a result, league organizers selected Kuttler as the league’s Most Valuable Player. Kuttler said he averaged 19 points per game.
“I’m very happy for Senior Airman Kuttler winning not just the league championship but also most valuable player,” said Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Matthew Jackson, Kuttler’s supervisor. “He arrived at DMA Riverside this past summer and has demonstrated a superior level of motivation, so I’m not surprised with how well he performed,” added Jackson.
Kuttler works as a radio programmer and broadcaster at Defense Media Activity (DMA) in Riverside, California, and began playing basketball competitively in first grade.
“As his supervisor, I have observed an Airman with sincere dedication to the mission, a humble wingman to all service members, and someone with a powerful inner drive to succeed at whatever he’s doing,” said Jackson.
Kuttler said that while he loves to win, he enjoys the sport for its own sake.
“I’m just thankful to God that my body has been healthy this long,” said Kuttler. “I’ve never had a severe injury in basketball. Twenty four years strong. I’m just hoping to be able to continue to play, because I love basketball,” he added.
Kuttler’s supervisor said that he is proud of the senior airman’s accomplishment, as it demonstrates the passionate drive Kuttler has to be the best.
“Individual achievements in sports boost morale because they show us all what we are capable of,” said Jackson. “We have civilians and service members who have accepted the challenge to fight the inner battle of discomfort to discover what they are made of. It’s motiving to know we have marathon runners, league MVPs, and many others who continue to push the limits of their potential,” continued Jackson.
Kuttler expressed gratitude to MWR, and hopes others will take advantage of the activities the program offers.
“It definitely was fun to be able to get out of the office in the middle of the day, and go get some good exercise in,” said Kuttler. “It’s good for morale, just being able to meet different people. I think there’s a certain kind of camaraderie that comes with any sort of sport,” he said.
Kuttler has played other sports, but basketball is the one that became a big part of his life early on, and has remained a consistent hobby.
“I tried baseball and some other sports,” he said, “but there’s a lot more time where you’re waiting around. In basketball, if you’re on the court, you’re doing something. I love the pace. I love that if you miss a shot, you don’t have time to sit and worry and think about how bad that shot was; you have to get down and play defense, and then you’re coming back down next possession to shoot—so you can just keep a positive mentality throughout the whole game if you’re competitive. I love how fast it is,” said Kuttler.
Even when he’s not competing, Kuttler is always using the sport to stay fit, as well as an outlet for releasing stress.
“Basketball is my main source of exercise,” said Kuttler, “… it’s probably my best way to blow off steam.”
Kuttler hopes that DMA Riverside is able to put together its own team to compete next year. In the meantime, he is pursuing an even bigger personal goal.
“I’m actually considering trying to get selected to be a part of the All-Air Force basketball team. Thirty people are invited each year down to San Antonio, Texas, and they select 12 from those 30. So just to be invited is a great honor,” said Kuttler, “… you get to represent the Air Force and the Armed Services, and play at a pretty highly-competitive level.”
In spite of his competitive goals, Kuttler never wants to forget what the sport is really about.
“Remember not to take it too seriously,” Kuttler said, “this is a fun and morale-boosting activity, so treat it as such. As much as we all like to win and perform well, it’s about fun and that’s the main point.”
| Date Taken: | 01.03.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 01.03.2020 14:30 |
| Story ID: | 358213 |
| Location: | CA, US |
| Web Views: | 52 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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