BREMEN, Ala. — In this interview, I talked to Cold Springs multisport standout Seth Williams. Seth had so many favorite memories to touch on from his high school days, but there was one memory that stood out from all of the others.
“There are so many great memories that I have made over the past four years. One of them is probably the Friday night lights. There was just something about going out on the field with my brothers that made me feel some type of way that I have never felt before,” Williams said. “My favorite basketball memory was winning the county championship my junior year. I felt like that night could be our night; our team could do the impossible. I think we won that game with unity and, of course, coaching. Everyone contributed to the win that night. Coach (Tim) Willoughby taught us how to slow the game down and let opportunities create themselves. After the game, coach came up to me and said that Regina would be proud. After he said that, I looked at him and said that she would be proud of both of us and that’s why this memory really stuck out to me.”
He added,
“My favorite high school memories would have to be surrounding myself with friends that would do anything for me. Being able to count on them to help me out in a situation made me really appreciate and enjoy every moment. Mrs. Adams and coach Cornelius made my high school experience better by offering help or guidance if I was ever in a difficult situation. Their desire and kindness have helped me become a better person.”
Seth played for a couple of great coaches in high school and learned so much from them in the process.
“Coach (Justin) Cornelius was a great coach. I really enjoyed playing for him these past few years. He helped me see that my education comes first,” Williams said. “He could not stress it enough that in order to handle our business on Friday nights, we had to handle our business in the classroom first. He’s a great guy. If I ever needed anything, I knew I could count on him to pull through for me. He was always pushing me to be better than yesterday.”
Seth continued,
“It was a real eye-opener. My freshman year was the first year I played under coach Willoughby, and I didn’t know what to expect. The only thing I heard about him was that he liked to yell and throw things around during games. But after that year, I learned that he likes to play the game a very distinct way that most other coaches don’t. He likes to pound the ball inside and finish at the rim. This type of coaching taught me to be patient and to trust my teammates. He also taught us to keep our heads straight throughout all the craziness of the game.”
Seth learned a pretty good bit during his time at Cold Springs and he feels blessed to have gone to a school that he felt had his back from the start.
“I learned that accountability goes a long way. It could be fans showing up to games to cheer us on or to help clean the gym or fields after games,” Williams said. “This really meant a lot to me and showed me that small things matter too. Without the fans and parents, the games would be less exciting and less enjoyable. Whenever we needed help, I always knew the community had our back. The thing that makes Cold Springs a special place to me is that you get to know everyone there. Since we are a small school, it makes it easier to be able to bond with just about everyone. Another reason it is special is because it taught me how to step up and handle different roles throughout the year. I learned positions this year that I have never played before because I felt like, as one of the leaders on the team, I needed to step up.”
Seth taught the underclassmen so much his senior year and will miss being at Cold Springs next year.
“I felt that it was important to teach the underclassmen how to be a good role model because next year, they will be the ones that younger students and athletes will look up to,” Williams said. “I hope they can learn from my mistakes and help better themselves for next year. I also hope that they learn that education comes before sports.”
Seth added,
“I will miss the bonds that I have made and sports. I grew up with most of my classmates and the memories I built up with them from the past 10 years will hold a very special place in my heart. Sports will be the toughest thing to let go because any sport that I have played always pushed me to my limits and taught me that hard work and dedication pays off. Basketball was my favorite sport, and I will hate to see it go, but as they say, all good things must come to an end.”
Seth shared some advice to the students that will be starting high school in August.
“I would tell them to enjoy and appreciate their time as a high school student. Your time as a student is too short to worry about. I would also tell them that whatever they do, give it 100% and nothing less because anything worth having requires hard work.”
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