Any school that has a kid like RJ Veliz enrolled is fortunate. Blanchet Catholic School is in the 3A PacWest Conference and resides in Salem, Oregon. The school has high standards for academics, sportsmanship, and conduct.
RJ Veliz (Raul III) was a three-sport athlete playing football, basketball, and baseball his freshman year. He made history at Blanchet by being the first freshman to ever become a varsity starter for all three sports. Now as a junior at Blanchet, he focuses on two sports, basketball and football. The hectic schedule was too much for him with club basketball in the summers, so he eliminated baseball. This was a great move by RJ, because multiple-sport athletes run a high risk of coming down with a stress fracture.
RJ is a 6' 2" point guard and wears number 12 -- he has become a leader for the Blanchet Cavaliers averaging 28 points per game. RJ has helped his team become the seventh-ranked team in the state of Oregon. His dad, Raul Jr., is the assistant varsity basketball coach at Blanchet. His mom, Marie, is a full supporter as well. He has two younger brothers, Tomás and Cruz, and an older sister, Katarina, who attends University of Portland.
"When my dad was playing basketball years ago, he wore number 12. I always looked up to him, so I've always picked number 12 to wear," RJ said.
Turning back the clock, RJ attended St. Luke's Catholic School in Woodburn, Oregon, from kindergarten to seventh grade. He was always a shy kid among his peers and didn't talk to many unless he got to know them well. Playing sports for organized teams since the third grade he found comfort in talking more to his teammates. Still today he is a quiet kid. One might say that he only speaks of substance and is always thinking.
As a young kid, RJ was raised behind Woodburn High School where his dad once attended. It was a middle-income-class neighborhood. That's where he would hang out with his group of friends playing all three sports and learning many skills from his dad. He became one of the best athletes in all three sports -- he had a driven passion to get better at all skill sets.
"I think just being around my Grandpa and my dad helped a lot. They gave me the inspiration to start playing sports. I used to watch my dad play basketball all the time. He was so talented and could really shoot the basketball. He tried walking on at the University of Oregon in his days, but just missed making the team," RJ said.
RJ has a God-given gift on how he fundamentally handles the basketball and on how he consistently shoots it with precise form. He has the ability to drive to the basket finishing a lay-in, or to drive and then stop taking a jumper. He is a three-point shooter and a heck of a distributor to his teammates. I don't know what coach in this world would not want a 6' 2" point guard that is so versatile. RJ is the full-package deal and Blanchet School is very fortunate to have him attending there.
"The work ethic that my Grandpa Raul Sr. and my dad displayed while I was growing up helped me make a decision to work hard at getting better. I was blessed to have a dad that instilled good values in me. When he was in high school he would get up at 5:00 a.m. to go work in the fields, and then after that, he'd go to school. My grandpa never had the opportunity to play sports despite the fact that he loved sports -- always talking about them. Grandpa had to work in the fields to help support his family, so sports were out of the question for him. If it wasn't for them, I would not have the opportunities I have now. I'm blessed to have a grandpa and dad that support me the way they do," RJ said.
When RJ was in the third grade they had a basketball clinic for his birthday party. That day he became part of "The Hoop", a club basketball team that became a tournament-traveling team in major AAU tournaments all over the nation. Jaden Nielsen-Skinner, who currently plays at South Salem, became RJ's teammate. They have shared the point guard position for many years during the summers.
RJ grew up playing against some of the best players on the west coast. Evina Westbrook is like a sister to him, she was always at The Hoop working on her game. The Hoop is a basketball facility in Salem. The years of playing basketball around great players helped develop RJ even more.
"I remember during the summers, my mom and dad would drop me off at The Hoop. I would play for five or six hours. I had a passion for the game - it was fun and time went by fast. My social life was with my sports friends," RJ said.
His AAU team, The Hoop, played in many tournaments and against some of the top athletes in the nation. The coach was normally, James Johnson, who played at Portland State University. His brother, Dane Johnson, who played for Western Carolina, would also help with coaching. Rounding out the coaching staff was their dad, Price Johnson. Price would reward his players. If any of them made 5,000 three-pointers by the end of the summer, he would take them to the Oregon State Fair.
"I learned extra skill sets from Coach James and Coach Dane. They both played college basketball. I'm thankful for being part of their team. I have played on this summer-club team every summer," RJ said.
The Hoop tournament team was doing so well that Team Fast (based out of West Linn, Oregon) asked them to be a part of their organization. So for two years they became Team Fast. The difference was the sponsorship opportunity -- it helped cut down on costs.
When RJ was promoted to the eighth grade he had some decisions to make. To stay in the Woodburn area to eventually go to the same high school as his dad attended, or to attend Blanchet Catholic School in Salem. His sister, Katarina, was attending Blanchet and was fitting in well with the academics and the student body.
"It was a tough decision for me because I looked up to my dad and knew he attended Woodburn High School. I also had different groups of friends with different sports teams. I wanted to try out Blanchet for my eighth-grade year to see how it would go since my sister was going there and all. My dad was okay with it," RJ said.
Change is always a challenge for any kid, and for RJ this change was untested. Being shy and coming into a new school was definitely an obstacle for RJ to overcome. After his eighth-grade year he was embraced by the student body that made him feel comfortable. He made new friends in his new sports teams. When he became a freshman things started balancing out with his new school of high academic standards and conduct.
"Yeah, I definitely had to make some sacrifices along the way. Losing time with my friends in the Woodburn area was tough. Playing varsity as a freshman on all three sports was difficult with more sacrifices -- I lost time with my friends from eighth grade. On a positive note, I made new friends with many upperclassmen, some seniors as well," RJ said.
RJ became the starting quarterback for the Cavaliers as a freshman. He also became the starting point guard in basketball. RJ had played many years injury free -- that doesn't happen too often. As a junior this year, 2017-2018, his football team was playing against the Scio Loggers. RJ took a blow to the front of the knee causing a slight tear on his MCL (medial collateral ligament).
"I just remember feeling bad for my team. We were doing great winning all of our games. Scio was a tough team and we were down 14 - 21. We had a chance to win, but when I went down with the knee injury, it really hurt. We ended up losing 14 - 51," RJ said.
It was difficult for RJ not to play, he had to sit out the rest of the football season. Recovering from a knee injury can be frustrating, since you really don't know what the end result could be. RJ remained positive -- he had faith that things would be okay.
As time went by RJ eventually recovered and now is playing basketball at almost 100 percent. He has led Blanchet to a 14 - 3 record so far. In league play they are 6 - 0.
RJ has two favorite moments while playing basketball during his lifetime. One was in the eighth grade when his tournament team was playing against the Oakland Soldiers. Oakland had a highly-national-ranked player, Kyree Walker (now committed to Arizona State), who was guarding RJ -- in his face the entire game. They were down by 3 with only a few seconds left in the game. Jaden Nielsen-Skinner was dribbling the ball and passed it to RJ. He shot the basketball over Kyree and made it sending the game into overtime! They went on to win the game in OT.
The other favorite moment came recently in his junior year at Blanchet. They were playing Sweet Home, Oregon, in the Stayton Tournament. RJ scored his all-time high of 43 points setting a school record. And what was most impressive was shooting 7 for 10 from three-point land, 7 assists, and 7 rebounds.
RJ Veliz taking a 3-point shot from beyond the arc. Photo provided by Veliz family.
"It was just one of those games where every time I shot the ball I knew it was going in. It was a great feeling and I felt like I could have shot more and made more that night," RJ said.
RJ is the type of athlete that has captivating athleticism. His composure in a game is always calm while adamantly being aggressive. He's always thinking about his teammates and how his playing can make them better.
His mom, Marie, has been a full supporter for RJ and his family. She attends every game and video records them. She does everything around their house and RJ's appreciates that she makes sure his uniform is always washed and clean.
"My mom is so supportive. She's been there at every game watching me. She does all of the little things for our family that are so big - I love her so much and am blessed to have a mom like her," RJ said.
RJ with his family. Photo provided by Veliz family.
While RJ is excelling in basketball, he always tries to put God first in his life. He started a club at school called, Students for Change. This club is about serving God by getting students together to help people. They often rake leaves for people that are less fortunate. Sometimes they prepare sack lunches for the homeless, or visit the elderly.
RJ is a scholar athlete, he works hard at his academics. He maintains a 4.0 GPA while carrying a few AP courses -- not an easy task to do. He is an all-around positive example for any kid in school.
"Sometimes I think about why I've come so far in many areas. I keep going back to the many times where I asked my dad if he could take me to workout. He was always there for me. He never forced me to play sports -- I wanted to play sports. He taught me many things about the game and life in general. He gave me opportunities that not many kids get. I'm truly thankful to have a dad like him," RJ said.
Raul Jr. was hired to be the Blanchet assistant coach and now sits alongside his son during games and coaches him during practices. While the family still lives in Woodburn, the days are long with practices and activities, and then the commute home every day. I was able to catch up with his dad.
"RJ is a caring, hardworking, and dedicated kid. He has always loved the game and we have seen his passion at a very young age. He always wanted to play against older kids, even though they were bigger. RJ works extremely hard on the court an in the classroom. He has been fortunate to have worked with people just as dedicated as he is. He truly cares about his teammates and about making the right plays to help the team win. RJ has always put God first in his life and in our family. It is such a blessing to see the young and kindhearted man he has become," Raul Jr. said.
RJ has a couple of colleges already expressing interest in him and he's only a junior in high school ... University of Portland and Seattle University.
I'm wishing RJ, who has become an overachiever, the best this season in his basketball adventure with the Blanchet Cavaliers -- his future is bright.
RJ, What is your short-term goal?
I want to help our team make it to the state tournament and win the title. I would love to repeat Conference Player of the Year and win State Player of the Year.
What is your long-term goal?
I'd like to play college basketball at a Division I or II level. And then I'd like to study to either be a trainer or a sports journalist.
What are your hobbies other than sports?
I like hiking, my club (Students for Change), and writing.
Who is your favorite NBA team?
The Lakers - I've always like Kobe Bryant.
What advice can you give young athletes?
Work hard. Never think you can't do something. If you set your mind to doing something then the only person that can control that is you. Dedication can develop you to be that great player -- being efficient all the time.