Leadership and Basketball in the Veins

Photo By Lance Cpl. Gadiel Zaragoza | U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Harris, an administrative chief with 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, attempts a layup during the 2022 Armed Forces Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championship at Naval Base San Diego, California, Nov. 8, 2022. The tournament, hosted at the Admiral Prout Field House at Naval Base San Diego, was held in order to promote friendly competition and unity between active duty service members. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Gadiel Zaragoza)  

NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES

11.22.2022

Story by Lance Cpl. Gadiel Zaragoza 

I MEF Information Group

CAMP PENDLETON, California – When your back is against the wall, what do you do? What thoughts race through your mind? For the few on the All-Marine Men’s Basketball Team, they push back with the discipline and courage instilled in them.

U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Harris, an administrative chief with 1st Radio Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, is the example of a leader in any clime or place.

Harris started playing basketball when he was six years old. He had a hoop in front of his house in his hometown of Rockford, Illinois. He grew up playing the sport, and developed a passion, playing all throughout middle school, highschool and even college.

“There’s some emotional connection to the game for me,” said Harris. “I’ve been playing so long the game is in my veins.”

Harris arrived at his first duty station at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona shortly after enlisting in January, 2008. It is there that he found a way to continue playing basketball while in the Marine Corps.

“I was recruited when I was a young Lance Cpl. to play for the base team,” said Harris. “I knew if I was good enough, I could get selected for the All Marine Basketball Camp.”

Soon after joining the MCAS Yuma basketball team, Harris was selected to attend the All Marine Basketball Camp. After competing against other former college basketball players, he qualified to represent the Marine Corps as a force.

This year, Harris was the team’s captain and played point guard.

“I’m strutting my guys into battle,” said Harris. “Keeping all their heads cool during some of those intense games.”

Being a leader is something that comes naturally to Harris. His journey through the Marine Corps shaped him into the person he is today.

“Those are things that have been instilled into me since the beginning,” said Harris. “So it was very easy to transition from leading Marines as an admin chief, to my team on the court.”

Harris compares the games to being in combat, similar to the stories where Marines are behind enemy lines with their backs against the wall. Leadership is something the Marine Corps is built around. His training and experience as a Marine enables him to lead his team both on and off the court.

• Date Taken: 11.22.2022
• Date Posted: 11.23.2022 16:47
• Story ID: 433845
• Location: NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, CA, US
• Hometown: ROCKFORD, IL, US