Sophomore basketball walk-on earns scholarship in emotional fashion

Fearless Ambition.

Joe Kirby has a tattoo on his left bicep that reads, “Fearless Ambition” in Japanese characters. That is his credo, and it recently earned him recognition from Richmond basketball coach Chris Mooney.

On August 23, Mooney awarded Kirby--a 6-foot-1-inch sophomore walk-on guard from Pines, Florida--with the team’s 13th and final full scholarship.

While the team was at Mooney’s house for its preseason dinner, the coach gave a speech to his players about the program’s recent history of success, travels abroad and the memorable times that the players have shared. The speech culminated with the announcement that Kirby would receive a scholarship. The team erupted with excitement for their teammate.

“Joe is a great player and he’s a great teammate,” junior guard ShawnDre’ Jones said. “He works extremely hard and he really deserves everything that he is receiving right now. He is in the gym every night. I know when he first got here I could find him in the gym at like 6 in the morning before lift, so he works very hard.”

Mooney said that he didn’t see this as a charitable cause or action in any way, but rather an opportunity to reward a hard-working player. “He’s incredibly deserving and he is a good player, and he competes with everyone,” Mooney said.

Kirby was a First Team All-County player in a strong high-school program at The Sagemont School in Weston, Florida, which Mooney and his staff visit annually to scout players. Mooney was recruiting another player when he noticed Kirby and his high school coach, Adam Ross, “couldn’t speak more highly of him,” Mooney said.

The support system behind Kirby extends far beyond the parameters of the university. His immediate family is extremely close and this scholarship brought boundless happiness to them all, he said.

"Mom cried obviously, like all moms do, and dad gave me the old, ‘Good, now get back to work’ speech.” He called his mother, Natausha Kirby, his biggest supporter.

While growing up, Kirby was involved in an Athletic Amateur Union (AAU) program, which allows children to travel around the country and compete at a young age. Kirby’s mother couldn’t always make it to his away games, but she often found ways to travel and surprise her son, Kirby said.

“One day we went to Ohio and it was the first time getting on the plane by myself without my family,” Kirby said. “And we get up there and I play my first game, nervous and stuff, and sad that I’m away from home. Then by the second quarter, I look in the stands and see my mom, which was surprising to say the least, and then it brought ease to my heart and knocked the nerves away and I was able to play better.”

His mother was also the person to guide Kirby to focus solely on basketball, which he started in sixth grade, after he suffered a neck injury while playing football, his favorite sport at the time.

Kirby said he had no problem devoting himself to a different sport, regardless of his skill level when he began. He said he recognized early that it would take a copious amount of time to be as skilled as he wanted to be, but his new scholarship exemplifies his willingness to put in that time.

“Sometimes I’ll wake up in the morning around six to go get some extra shots up,” Kirby said. From morning to night, Kirby stays focused on getting better. When he’s not in the classroom, weight room or study hall, he uses his extra time to work out on his own. He often does ball-handling drills alone in the Robins Center while playing his favorite music on the arena speakers.

Kirby originally chose to attend the University of Richmond, despite interest from other high-level programs, because he was intrigued by the combination of Division-1 basketball and top-tier academics.

“When I first got here I felt like I fit in really well with the guys and they really made me feel at home,” he said. “The coaches were great. They’re all loving and caring and at the same time pushed me to be the best that I could be.

“I definitely consider him (Mooney) more than just a coach, more like a mentor or somebody I look up to because of the way he carries himself.”

Despite being a walk-on player, Kirby never noticed any discrepancies between how the coaches treated him with comparison to scholarship players. “They treat you just like every other player on the team,” he said. “So in the back of my mind obviously I knew I was a walk-on, which obviously brings its own motivation. But they made me feel like one of the scholarship players, so I don’t think I felt any different.”

With the scholarship now in effect, Mooney said that it would not change Kirby’s role on the team because he had already proven himself to be a good player. Mooney does see the possibility for him to earn playing time in the coming season, though.

“If he feels like he needs to play me a lot or a little, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to help the team in whatever way I can,” Kirby said.

Kirby’s “Fearless Ambition” tattoo is not alone on his left arm. It is joined by a group of roses that surround the phrase, “Love Yours.” That tattoo is especially significant now, because it symbolizes his appreciation for all of the supportive people in his life.

“What people don’t realize is that (money and material possessions) don’t always bring happiness,” he said. “So ‘Love Yours’ to me means to love what you have and it also means love your family, those who mean the most to you.”