A local author has added his first book to the Chestermere Public Library.
Ten-year-old Amarion Henry published Amarion's Routine for Success and donated a copy to the library in June.
The book has also been sold internationally in France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Australia, Malaysia, and the Caribbean.
"I want to inspire kids to get better at whatever sport they want in life, and to have the proper routine and good habits that I've learned throughout my basketball journey," said Amarion.
The book explores Amarion's daily routine and aims to help other student athletes.
Amarion began playing basketball at a young age and currently plays in the U11 league for Rise Basketball, a Calgary-based organization.
After school, he goes straight to the gym to train with his basketball coach—his father, Arnold Henry.
"It's really cool and I take that for granted, because most kids in the world don't have a dad that can train them because they're at work," said Amarion. "He makes so many sacrifices for me."
This year, Amarion had a once-in-a-lifetime experience: he met his favourite basketball player, Stephen Curry.
"Meeting him was a dream come true," he mentioned. "He told me to continue to work hard and that maybe one day I'll be here."
But Amarion doesn't just accept advice--he offers it, too.
"Never let anyone say that you can't do this or that, because you could do whatever you put your mind to if you just have proper routines and good habits," he advised kids his age.
Arnold is his son's biggest supporter.
"As a dad, I take a lot of pride in his work ethic and his willingness to put in the work and trust in the process," he said. "Having him be so receptive to the work brings a lot of pride and makes it all easy on my part as his coach-dad, so that he can become what he dreams of."
Arnold reflected on first introducing Amarion to the sport.
"From his birth, I put a basketball in his hand," he said. "I used to run basketball clinics here in Chestermere, and he used to come along with me. For his first birthday, I gave him a basketball hoop. He used to come with me to my basketball clinic as he got older, around two."
When Amarion turned seven, the father-son duo made a pact to chase their basketball dreams together
"I prepared him mentally so that he understood the challenges ahead, because I wanted him to understand that I won't quit on him," said Arnold. " And he made a promise that he won't quit on me. We sort of sign an agreement saying we won't quit on each other."
Arnold mentioned that he hopes that his son takes away an important lesson from these early experiences.
"I was telling him that everything is earned. In order for you to succeed in life at anything, you have to work hard for it."
He also encouraged parents to be active supporters of their children’s interests.
"Parents should definitely invest time and explore different options to see what their kids are interested in," he said. "Just show interest and support them emotionally and be there for them."
Amarion and Arnold are now focused on the next goals: winning a tournament next weekend, continuing Amarion's basketball journey in the United States when he turns 15, and, ultimately, becoming a basketball icon.