It's not too often that you see a 5' 10" basketball player dunk the basketball on a ten-foot rim. In Salem, Oregon, at McKay High School, there is one gifted young man that not only is excelling on the basketball court, he's also brilliantly accomplishing what is rare. He is an elite athlete in two sports, basketball and track and field.
Israel Garza was born in Yuma, Arizona, and was a one-year-old toddler when his family moved to Oregon. He is the son of Noe and Veronica. He has an older sister, Alexis, and two younger half-brothers, Luis and Mercedes. Israel's parents separated when he was a toddler, he has always lived with his mom.
In the NE Salem area, many kids come from dysfunctional families. Israel is a kid that has been through the roughest of times as a young boy. He has grown up doing things that a dad would normally do, since his dad was not around much.
"There was a time that I would go over to my dad's house. I really thought that he was my best friend. Then, because he came down with a knee injury and other issues, my dad started going down the wrong path like he had once before. He started hanging out with the wrong crowd. After that happened, I decided to not continue going to his house. I chose to not be around him anymore," Israel said.
He attended Swegle Elementary in the fifth grade. He attended Waldo Middle School, and by his eighth-grade year he made a decision to transfer out of Waldo. He arrived at Stephens Middle School.
Israel has always been an outgoing and funny kid, and he made friends easily. Negative atmosphere was not his forte. He was an athletic kid that once played basketball with an AAU team out of Portland, Oregon. Running-wise, he was always the fastest kid in his school.
Dealing with family-home issues and responsibilities, there was another obstacle that Israel had to face. At Waldo he started being bullied a lot. The name-calling was horrific. The teachers tried helping, and he exhausted every attempt to make it stop. Sometimes kids would want to pick fights with him. Most of the reasons were because of his success and talent. Kids sometimes develop envy of other's successes.
"It was getting to be too uncomfortable dealing with the bullying at Waldo. Teachers helped, but they could only do so much. I finally decided to not deal with that anymore. I transferred out of that negative situation during my eighth-grade year," Israel said.
Israel joined four other kids from his Skyball-League team that he had played basketball with since the sixth grade, Drioji Joel, Andre Tovar, Ryan Bangs, and Khyler Beach. They are all seniors now, and have formed an athletic-friendship on and off the court.
In basketball, Israel was inspired by LeBron James, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA. He wears number 23 just like LeBron. In track and field, it was a P.E. teacher that encouraged him to go out for the track team. The teacher saw how fast Israel was and how high he could jump.
"When I was young, I watched LeBron play and got excited on how athletic he was. The way he attacked the hoop on the drive and the way he jumped up so high was admiring. I figured I had some of those abilities. I wanted to start playing like him," Israel said.
In basketball he played in the Skyball League where his team won the championship game his eighth-grade year. Israel played a lot of basketball with his friends. His athletic abilities made up for his lack of fundamentals in skill sets.
In middle-school track and field, he went on to shatter three city records. He holds the 100-meter record at 11.4, the long jump record at 20' 4", and the high jump record at 5' 10". There are high school kids today that can't do that their senior year!
Basketball and track and field have been an amazing counseling outlet for Israel. Getting away from all the issues he was dealing with, and physically exerting himself to relieve his stress level, was comfort and peace.
"I started working out a lot to get my mind off of things. The more I worked out the better I felt emotionally," Israel said.
Coming into McKay High School as a freshman, Israel was struggling with his grades. His GPA was sitting at 2.0 and he was failing some classes. He fell into a slight depression when he dislocated his shoulder during a football game. He didn't play very much that year. He started losing motivation and he was not doing his homework.
His mom, Veronica, sat him down and had a talk with him. She wanted to know what was going on. She encouraged Israel to make better decisions. Homework was important and so was his well being. She cared deeply for Israel and didn't want him going toward a wrong path.
"When my mom sat me down and talked to me, I realized I needed to do something, because my life was headed downward," Israel said.
Israel talked to a counselor and everything pointed to track and field and basketball. If he focused on those passions he had, it would take his mind off of his issues, whether family or school situations.
"Coach Noza started training me during the off-season. We would go out to the football-field bleachers and he would show me all kinds of drills to help build up my strength and conditioning. My knees were not good, but with the drills they got better. I was faster and stronger. Noza would also work with me in the gym to improve my basketball skill sets," Israel said.
2016 - Israel Garza scores against South Medford. Photo by Kent Brewer.
Israel was improving basketball-wise at McKay, and then he started training with Ed Ford, former track coach for Chemeketa Community College. Ed worked with Israel in his track and field skill set. There's more to being a sprinter than most people might think. The starting blocks, your running form, and other techniques that are vital.
"Coach Ed Ford took me out to Bush's Pasture Park to run up the Soap Box Derby hill. He showed me a lot about what it takes to become faster as a sprinter and getting into excellent running shape," Israel said.
For Israel, high school was overwhelming. There were different players in basketball than he was used to. The school work was tougher and the practices were more complex to a higher level. All of this was an enormous adjustment from middle school.
"I was glad that basketball and track and field were there for me. It was like the consistency of the training programs were so much better than in middle school. As I excelled on the basketball court and out on the track, my grades came up and my confidence rose to a higher level. I'm thankful to Coach Noza and Ed Ford for their help. I really needed that encouragement and self-esteem guidance," Israel said.
The basketball program under Dean Sanderson and Coach Noza has given Israel a positive foundation with a team that respects each other. If a kid in any way makes a negative comment to any player on the team, they'll hear from the head coach immediately. Dean will say, "We don't disrespect anyone on our team," and he'll do it in front of the entire team.
Throughout the years at McKay, Israel has improved in so many areas. Working with Coach Noza in the off-season has improved his ball-handling, his shooting, his defense, and his leaping abilities. Israel has become one of the top players for the Royal Scots.
"Israel has matured tremendously since his freshman year. Not just skill-wise, but more importantly in work ethic. And it's paying off exceptionally," Coach Matt Espinoza said.
Israel has formed a friendship with four other seniors on the basketball team. They've played together since their sixth-grade team. They know each other well. In their first game of the season, they came from behind to beat the tall Lakeridge Pacers, 90 - 81. Any of McKay's five seniors can shoot the three-point shot and any of them are capable of being the leading scorer on a different night.
Israel with his friends that have played together since 6th grade. They won their first game of the season vs. Lakeridge, 90 - 81. Photo by Havier Gonzales (manager)
"Being part of this group of guys, playing together since sixth grade, is something a lot of people don't get to experience -- it has brought us closer together each and every day -- a true blessing," Israel said.
Israel has overcome many obstacles. He has stayed away from negative influences. From his freshman-year GPA of 2.0, to now as a senior, his GPA is currently 3.1 -- brilliant! He realizes how import grades are and how it can impact his future. Israel proudly says things have been stable and he lives with his mom and sister in their own home.
"Israel has a ton of God-given ability and is a great athlete. What's impressive to me is how much he has grown up in the last three to four years. He has gone from a poor shooter to a good one because of how much time he has committed. Israel is a good student and very respectful and reliable to his coaches, teammates, and teachers. I am proud to be his coach," Coach Dean Sanderson said.
Israel's track and field experience has been an amazing journey. He has had back-to-back district titles in the 100 meters and in the 200 meters. He broke the Aloha Invitational long jump and high jump records. He has made it to the finals in the OSAA 6A Track and Field State Championships two years in a row. In the 100-meters, his best time is 10.74, and in the 200-meters it's 21.61. Take my word for it, that's lightning fast for a high school kid.
2017 - Israel Garza placed 5th at state in the 100-meter dash. Photo by Kent Brewer.
In his junior year he took fifth at state. What many people don't know is that he injured his hamstring during one of the relays at district. He nursed it as much as he could before the state meet, but because of the prelim races required to qualify for the finals, his injury came back and he was not 100 percent. He still managed to take fifth.
"This year will be different, I'm doing my best to stay healthy. I've talked to Coach Noza, who knows about nutrition. I've started eating healthy and working at staying hydrated," Israel said.
Israel has a kind heart, he helps elderly people with groceries at times. He has a way of cheering up anyone that's feeling down. He doesn't like to be around negative environments. He also is involved in volunteering at Salem Hoops Project, a non-profit program that provides free basketball skill-set training for youth.
Israel's senior year is looking bright for him. After he graduates, he has a legit shot at playing basketball in college, or running on a track and field team at a Division I school. I'm wishing him the best of luck this season, in both, his basketball season and his track and field season.
I was able to reach Israel's mom, Veronica. She had some words to share.
"I could not be more proud of Israel. He has grown into a courageous and funny young man. Being his mom has been one of the greatest gifts in my life. I'm so proud of the generosity he has demonstrated regardless of the person. Israel has helped me by never getting into trouble, helping around the house, and being a positive role model. No matter what hard times we fall into, he's always there to encourage me and support the decisions I make. I love my son," Veronica said.
What are your favorite moments in basketball and track and field?
In basketball, winning the Skyball-League championship with my friends, and in high school, beating West Salem last year. In track and field, winning back-to-back titles in the GVC and setting records at the Aloha invitational.
What are your short-term goals?
Graduate high school and make it to the playoffs in basketball. I want us to get further than last year. I also want to make it to state again in track and field -- 100 meters and 200 meters.
What are your long-term goals?
I would love to run the 100 meters and the 200 meters in college. I also want to get a computer science degree. I want to be a software developer.
Who is your favorite professional team?
Cleveland Cavaliers.
What kind of advice can you give a young athlete following your footsteps?
Start to finish stay strong. Don't try to take an easy way out. Do the best you can and don't try to be someone you're not. If there's an opportunity for you, take it. Never hang out with the wrong crowd.