By Bryan Gentry

Published: March 24, 2008

Kylin Cardwell’s skills on the basketball court have taken the 12 year old and his youth teams to games and tournaments in four different states.
Those skills, plus his sportsmanship and academic work, earned him a spot in the People to People Sports Ambassador program this summer.
Cardwell, a sixth grade student at Forest Middle School, will travel to the Netherlands for 11 days in July to represent the United States in the Youth Friendship Games.
His parents, Duane and Susan Cardwell, said they’re honored for their son to be chosen.
Basketball has been a huge part of Cardwell’s life. He started playing competitively beginning when he was 5, in the Forest Youth American Association and in the Amateur Athletic Union.
Cardwell usually plays point guard, a position that has become his favorite because “you get to be like the general on the court,” he said. He usually scores about 16 points per game.
Cardwell was nominated for the People to People program, and recently had a telephone interview for it.
The interviewer asked Cardwell about his grades (most are As and Bs, Cardwell said) and described a game situation: With a few seconds left in a game, would Cardwell obey a coach’s request to help a teammate score, or go for another point himself.
Cardwell said he’d follow the coach’s instruction.
“That proves that I have a good attitude and listen, and I have respect,” Cardwell said.
That’s something he says is lacking in some basketball players. “They like the fans to be on their side. They want to be the greatest players.
“But most of the greatest players used their teammates.”
His favorite player is Allen Iverson. “I like the way he plays,” Cardwell said. “He never gave up. He has a big heart.”
Persistence and teamwork mean a lot to Cardwell. His favorite game moments have been those where his whole team worked together and stuck to the task to win.
He said he does get discouraged in some games, but he keeps that to himself so it doesn’t affect his game.
Off the court, Cardwell enjoys math and history at school.
He said he looks forward to meeting people with different cultures at the Youth Friendship Games in the Netherlands this summer.
Long term, Cardwell has his eyes set on University of Georgetown — Iverson’s alma mater — and the NBA.