b'HeusedtoREGISTER NOW FOR CAMP & 202627 SCHOOL YEARsay,IfmyheightOUR WARM AND WELCOMING SCHOOL PROVIDES reaches67,IA HANDS-ON, PLAY BASED CURRICULUM FOR willgiveupev- CHILDREN AGES 18 MONTHS TO 5 YEARS OLDSchedules to fit your familys needs year rounderythingtoplay8am5:30pm, 9am2pm or 9am12pm basketball,sheulti-indoor play spacesBE PART OF says.Andhere- r n oon enrichment o s OUR VIBRANTm YOUNG FAMILYnting w rkshopallydidgrowtoo utdoor t e e sensor COMMUNITY! space a f r ya67 in his collegeg e p e xploration Schedule rsophomoreyear.a a visit!a mily levents etumblingOn that trip, fatef u r art973-763-0113a tpreschool@bethelnj.orgnintervened.Har-bethelnj.orgriganmetabas-222 Irvington AvenueSouth Orangeketball skill coach Harrigan with some of his teammates. whoconnected himwithauni-I feel like Im doing a disservice toversity team manager. It happened all my teachers by just naming one.like magic, Hyunsook says. Even Therearesomanythatcometoif I had planned it, it wouldnt have mind. been so smooth.Unlike many elite athletes, Har- Harrigans father agrees. My wife riganwasntthemiddle-schoolstarset up the whole thing. The owner of coachesimaginedwasdestinedforthegymknewacollegebasketball offersandrankings.Basketballmanager.Heaskedifthemanager didntbecomeseriousformeuntilwanted to see Jun play. And he did.around 8th grade, he says. I mostlySuddenly, a door opened.played soccer growing up. Harrigan moved from Rutgers and Headmiredolderlocalplayers,began training at Myongji University. whoareathleteshedescribeswithButthetransitionwasnteasy.He awe. I was far behind when I startedhad learned a little Korean at home basketball, so I was amazed when Ibecause his mom is from Korea, but would watch them. needed to learn more in a hurry. Also, His father, Stephen, confirms thehe had taken a break from basketball timeline. We started kicking the balland spent college lifting weights, not around at age 2 or 3. Me being Eng- shooting free throws. I had to snap lish, I wanted him to play soccer, hemy body back in shape, he says. It says. He did for a while, but basket- took a lot of work.ball became the thing. Our next-doorHethrewhimselfintopractice neighborshadahoop,hisfriendswithunrelentingcommitment.If played and it all came together. Ididntgetbetterandcouldntgo Still, a professional basketball ca- pro, going home I wouldve felt like reer did not seem to be on the horizon. a failure, he says. I left everything Comingoutofhighschool,II ever knew. It was a shot at a bet-wasnt good enough to get a full-rideter life for myself, so I knew I had to scholarship, Harrigan says. So I de- make sacrifices.cided to go to Rutgers and focus onHis mother watched the transfor-my academics. mation from afar. As a mom I was For most families, that would beso happy he had a chance to pursue theendofthesportschapter.Forhis basketball dream, she says. He Harrigan, the story was just about tostill has challenges like language and begin. culture, but I hope it broadens his Two years into Rutgers, Harriganmind. Im just happy he can make traveledwithhisfamilytoSoutha living doing what he loves. Its a Korea to visit his grandfather. It wasblessing for anyone.supposed to be a family trip duringBy2023,Harriganenteredthe Covid,notalife-alteringmoment.Korean Basketball League draft. His But thats exactly what it became. father flew across the world to be by Harrigans mother, Hyunsook, re- his side, expecting a late-first-round members it vividly. ormid-secondroundselection.I feature story /17'