Harrisburg resident puts his heart and soul into new book for parents and proves that “Ball Ain’t Life”

Here was a man who dedicated most of his 48-year life to basketball, including outstanding achievements at the collegiate level.

Here was a man who had built one of the most popular gyms in Cabarrus County, Concord’s Scholar Athletics, a facility focused on enhancing the athletic experience of youth.

Here was a man who, with his wife Angel, raised four athletic children and strived to guide them on the path to excellence in every way possible.

And yet, while trying to get his kids – ALL of his kids – as far up as they can go, Nix witnessed an era of poor decisions in youth sports.

Bad decisions by the coaches who are supposed to guide the kids. Bad decisions by the people who organize sporting events across the country. And sometimes, through no fault of their own, bad decisions by the parents.

The system collapsed, and quickly.

So Nix, a Harrisburg resident, started writing in 2019.

He scribbled notes in noisy, crowded gyms, sitting amidst throngs of emotional parents cheering on their children. He wrote on trips that were sometimes business-related, sometimes sports-related. He wrote between coaching and running two successful businesses.

And on Friday, Nix’s first book, “Ball Ain’t Life: A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Grassroots Basketball,” will be released.

In Ball Ain’t Life, an independent book, Nix draws on his experiences as a player, coach and father to put together a toolkit for parents he thought they needed.

When he first introduced his children to the sport, such advice would certainly have helped him, he said.

“It was written on planes, trains and automobiles,” Nix said of his book. “I’m unique in that I probably traveled over a million miles in my career, raising the kids alone – tournaments every weekend, traveling every weekend. I sat there and just watched everything that was happening.”

“I started taking notes. I had experience as a player and then as a father talking to coaches and it just became a passion because I noticed so many mistakes that people were making, including myself. And then I saw a lot of abuses. Having four kids in six years, I noticed a lot of ways to save money. There was so much that I felt I needed to share.”

In Ball Ain’t Life, Nix provides insight into issues that plague youth sports, such as dealing with coaches, playing time, recruiting, finding the right AAU team, dealing with abuse, and more.

Abuse, Nix said, is widespread in youth sports and can take many different forms.

“There are all kinds of abuse, from sexual abuse to physical abuse to emotional abuse, and I’ve seen the lasting effects of it,” Nix said. “I’ve seen coaches verbally abuse kids and parents stand by and take it; (some coaches) go crazy just to win.”

“I think abuse plays a significant role. I’ve seen things on overnight trips. I’ve seen fights – almost every weekend. I’ve just seen so many things, and parents need to be aware of these things. Abuse is not something to be taken lightly. And there’s just a better way. There’s a better way for coaches to motivate and inspire kids, and they don’t have to be abusive.”

Nix, the son of an Air Force lieutenant colonel (Paul) and a schoolteacher (Marjorie), was extremely disciplined under the guidance of his late parents.

A good student, he developed into a standout point guard at UNC Greensboro. He and his teammates on the Spartans’ 1995-96 Big South Conference regular season and tournament titles were inducted into UNCG’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012. Nix himself was the 1994-95 Big South Rookie of the Year and scored 1,000 points in his career.

Nix moved to Harrisburg in 2000, shortly after he and Angel married. Their family later included four children: eldest son Derrick Jr. (affectionately known as DJ), daughters Courtney and Maria, and youngest son Sean.

They are all excellent students and athletes, and his three oldest children currently play at the Division I level.

DJ rose to national fame as an All-State basketball player at the Cannon School, helping the Cougars to two consecutive state championships, and is a rising junior forward at Cornell University in the Ivy League.

Courtney was an all-state volleyball player at Cannon and, after spending a year on the Clemson team, is an up-and-coming sophomore libero at Memphis.

Maria also competed at the state level as a volleyball player at Cannon, helping the team to its first ever state championship. She is also a rising freshman at Butler University.

Sean is a rising sophomore at Cannon and a starting guard on his AAU team Curry, and his future looks bright as well.

Each of Nix’s children has benefited from Scholar Athletics, which he opened in 2013. The gym will soon be closed, he said, but Nix assures that this is only so he can build a new one that is bigger and better.

In addition to Scholar Athletics, Nix owns a consulting group called the National Institute of Leadership and Organizational Development.

In between raising his children with Angel – which included attending AAU basketball and volleyball games, college and high school games, attending recruiting visits and managing to keep the romance in his marriage – Nix also found time to write the book “Ball Ain’t Life.”

From what one hears, and from the rave reviews it has received nationwide so far, the book is an absolute must-read.

For Nix, it was a must to write it.

He saw so many people pursuing basketball at any cost – education, relationships, happiness and versatility.

The sad truth, he said, is that for many people, ball is life.

“I just think you miss so much when you focus so closely,” Nix said. “So many kids don’t get their homework done because they’re playing basketball ALL the time.”

“We came up with the phrase ‘Use the game’. You have to use the game, don’t let it use you. That’s my message. I want to show you how you can get a lot more out of this game.”

Nix’s book is 288 pages long and he admits he is proud to have completed it, especially because he knows how much valuable information it can offer parents and their children. He is currently working on an audio version that parents can use on the go.

“I’m grateful and relieved because I never thought I’d finish reading it,” Nix said. “I’m really excited because parents who read this book are going to get something different. This isn’t just plain talk, this is what works. And I know it works because I’ve done it with my kids and other people’s kids.”

“This book was literally written on bleachers. It was written on airplanes and on car rides. I said, ‘Someone has to know about this.'”

“Ball Ain’t Life: A Parent’s Guide to Navigating Grassroots Basketball” is available on most platforms including Amazon and Kindle. To reserve, visit [email protected] or call 704-594-1307.