Cody Nicholson is taking his love of basketball – and his studies – to Long Beach City College in the fall.
Cody’s father, Vince, introduced him to Vikings women’s basketball head coach Michael Anderson. From there, Anderson connected with Cody’s high school coach at Brethren Christian, who noted his “basketball IQ.”
Cody, a second-year Special Olympics Orange County athlete, made for a good fit and Anderson offered him a role with LBCC’s team as a student assistant coach. Like his father, he has aspirations of being a coach.
“He ended up telling [coach Anderson] that my basketball IQ was basically off the charts,” Cody said.
“When it comes to basketball, I just love all the portions of it and the fact that you have to work as a team in order to win. For the coaching aspect, I love making others better.”
Cody will join a program that finished 18-12, won its second consecutive South Coast Conference-South championship and featured five all-conference players last season. LBCC’s 2017-18 season tips off Nov. 3.
Cody Nicholson at 2016 Summer Games
When he’s not helping the Vikings on the court, Cody will be attending Long Beach City College as a criminal justice major. His time as a former police explorer got him interested in ways to help “serve the community and protect others.”
In addition to basketball, Cody also played varsity football in high school and bowls for Special Olympics Orange County in the fall. He also took part in the Nike 3-on-3 basketball tournament on Aug. 5 and 6 in downtown Los Angeles.
Through his involvement with Special Olympics, Cody has noticed significant improvements outside of sports.
“It’s helped me be more patient with others and made my confidence higher than it already was,” he said.
Registration is still open for the fall sports season for athletes. To become an athlete, visit SOSC.org/BecomeAnAthlete.