Captain Chris, who's partially deaf, inspires more than his team

Ormond Beach Observer
Sports

Team captains in sports are chosen for various reasons. Some are the most popular. Some may be the hardest workers. Others may be the most vocal. And then there are those who are most inspiring to the other teammates. Mainland’s Chris Moore, who is partially deaf, embodies many of these characteristics, and that’s why coach Landis McCoy and the Bucs selected him as the only captain for the Seabreeze/Mainland game this past weekend, going back to last season.

“He’s my favorite player I’ve ever coached in all of my life,” coach Landis McCoy said. “He’s a kid where anything you ask of him, he does. The last thing he always says is, ‘Alright, Coach. I’ll give it my best.’ You can’t ask for anything else.”

Last year at a Mainland basketball game, while the Bucs were winning by a large margin, the Mainland section began to chant “Put Chris in! Put Chris in!”

Although it was my first time seeing the turmoil, I learned it had become a common theme with Moore on the bench. But, when he was finally substituted into the game, the crowd erupted, and they got even louder and more raucous when he nailed a long distance three-pointer, his specialty.

“It’s amazing how our kids gravitate around him, not just our basketball team, but the school,” McCoy said. “When we’re at home, and we’re winning, the crowd goes crazy for him. It’s unreal, but I love it. Those are memories that this kid will never forget.”

Moore doesn’t get to play every game, but that doesn’t stop him from carrying himself like the captain. He leads all of the team’s huddle breakdowns, he never points a finger in blame to anyone for a loss and he always offers words of encouragement, so they can get better.

After the Seabreeze loss on Saturday, Moore’s mother, Denese, sent this text message to McCoy: “Today, when I picked Christopher up from the game, I asked him about the game and how he enjoyed himself. Christopher said, ‘We didn’t win. 60-48. Seabreeze win.’ He got quiet and seemed to be in deep thought and then said, ‘Get better, finish, focus, believe, work hard, district champs, win.’”

There’s no wonder why he’s the team captain and an inspiration at Mainland High School.