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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Electrician’s Mate 3rd Class Christian Barrett, from Houston, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) engineering department, represented the U.S. as a member of the All Armed Forces basketball team during the SHAPE International Basketball Tournament from November 26 to December 4, 2021.
The annual tournament took place in Mons, Belgium at a NATO installation where teams representing eight NATO countries competed for the title.
While Barrett’s time with the All American Armed Forces team has just begun, Barrett’s basketball journey began years before he joined the Navy.
“I started playing basketball in seventh grade,” said Barrett. “My coach at the time got me excited about the sport, and I started working out every morning at five. I did that all the way up until high school. I played varsity from my sophomore year on.”
Barrett’s team went on to win the state championship his senior year. Following high school, he received a scholarship to play college basketball.
“I had a scholarship to a division two college after high school, but I was not very focused at the time so I transferred to a junior college my sophomore year,” said Barrett.
After graduating college with his Associates in Science, Barrett played his final year of college basketball at Lamar University in Texas.
“Throughout all the challenges and low points in life, basketball taught me discipline, toughness and commitment to battle through,” said Barrett. “Whenever I was confronted with adversity or a challenging obstacle, those lessons I learned from the game transferred to making it through the challenging times.”
Those lessons of toughness and determination pushed Barrett to follow his dream and enlist in the Navy as an electrician’s mate.
“I had wanted to join the Navy since I was young,” said Barrett. “I wanted to travel and be financially stable while doing something positive with my life. I chose electrician’s mate because there is a lot of knowledge that is applicable towards a career after the military.”
After reporting to the Ford for his first tour of duty, Barrett was encouraged by his shipmates to look into playing basketball for the All-Navy team, but tryouts were canceled due to COVID-19.
“I was down about it, because I was really looking forward to it,” said Barrett. “I lost all hope for a few days, but I kept working so that I would be ready if the opportunity presented itself.”
Barrett received that opportunity after a coach for USA’s All Armed Forces team saw him trying out for a local base team.
“I was trying out for a military base team, and a coach for the All-Navy team who is also a coach for USA’s All Armed Forces team saw me,” said Barrett. “They gave me the opportunity, and I made the team.”
USA’s All Armed Forces basketball team is made up of men and women from each of
the military branches. During the tournament, Barrett averaged 18 points and 14 rebounds while helping USA’s team place silver.
“Basketball has opened up so many doors and allowed me opportunities that I never
would have imagined,” said Barrett. “I am just grateful to God for the talents and health to be able to play the sport I love while also being able to serve my country.”
Barrett credits basketball for his resiliency that has helped him to overcome obstacles
during his time assigned to Ford’s engineering department.
“There has and always will be low points in life,” said Barrett. “Situations may seem
overwhelmingly bigger than you, and it is during those times that it is easy to quit. Maintaining your resiliency is the key to pushing past those times. Basketball is my way of staying resilient.”
Ford is inport at Newport News Shipyard executing her Planned Incremental Availability
(PIA), a six-month period of modernization, maintenance, and repairs.
| Date Taken: | 01.12.2022 |
| Date Posted: | 01.12.2022 07:09 |
| Story ID: | 412771 |
| Location: | NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | HOUSTON, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 224 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Playing for a Purpose: Ford Sailor Represents Navy with Armed Forces Basketball Team, by PO1 Zachary Melvin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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