FORT JACKSON, SC -- Like many boys growing up during the 1990s, who had a passion for basketball, Darius Lane dreamed of becoming the next Michael Jordan. When he and his family moved to Fort Jackson in 1995, 9-year-old Lane had already mapped out plans in his mind for turning his hoop dreams into reality.
With a lot of practice and the help of his father Darral Lane, then a new drill sergeant and coach for Lane's CYSS basketball team, Lane just knew he would forge his way to a glamorous career as a professional basketball player. For the next several years, Lane practiced the sport faithfully, playing for Child, Youth and School Services, and on every team at each school he attended, from Dent Middle School and Richland Northeast High School, to Charleston Southern University, where he was noticed for his talent and awarded a basketball scholarship to Benedict College.
Though Lane learned many life lessons through his active participation in the CYSS youth club, it was his dad who would have the greatest impact on the aspiring sport star's career. "Everybody should have something to fall back on in case Plan A doesn't work out," the elder Lane told his son. "You never know what is going to happen in the future, so instead of banking on one specific thing, you should have the option of taking up another field if your main one doesn't work out."
Though it might have seemed something a teenager would let flow in one ear and right out the other, it was advice the younger Lane took heed to. It was advice the 18-year-old relied on after he and his girlfriend had a baby girl. Thrust into fatherhood at such a young age, his priorities changed fast. Lane, with the support of his family, continued to pursue his college education, but now, instead of focusing solely on basketball, Lane channeled his energy and efforts into a more pragmatic career plan.
With a true desire to build a career around physical education, a major not offered at Benedict College, Lane moved forward with his new pursuit to get a Bachelor of Science in recreation.
During his junior year, he experienced an emotional setback when his father, who had retired from the military years before and had become a policeman for Richland County, suffered a fatal heart attack while making an arrest.
"When my father passed, it was a rough time for me," Lane recalled. "It was such a shock to me. I had never dealt with an immediate family member passing away before."
Lane said he didn't want to do anything for a while, but eventually made his way back to Benedict College, where he found solace once again playing basketball. "I love to play," Lane said. "And my coaches and teammates welcomed me back with open arms and really lifted my spirits."
While working on his degree, Lane took a job at the same youth center where his father had coached him as a boy, where he had nurtured his love for basketball and where he had befriended so many people who he would later consider a second family. For Lane, his position at the CYSS offered him an opportunity to give back to the folks at Fort Jackson who had taken him under their wings, and to become a mentor for military kids like him who aspire to do great things.
"I've been an Army brat my entire life," Lane said. "I can relate to military kids. They're special. I jumped at the chance to come back and work with them."
Lane, now 23, was recently promoted as middle school and teen assistant director for CYSS and is coaching kids in his own way. He advises those he encounters on how to achieve their own goals. Recently, he was chosen to be a keynote speaker at the Youth of the Year Awards ceremony. He was also asked to accompany six Fort Jackson teens, along with another CYSS teen adviser, as they traveled to Pittsburgh, Pa. to attend the Boys and Girls Club's 43rd annual National Keystone Conference. James Andrews, CYSS director, has watched Lane grow from a boy into manhood throughout the 20 years he has worked at the agency.
Fort Jackson's young community has benefited immeasurably from Lane's dedication and commitment to the club, Andrews said.
"He understands what these (military) kids are going through," Andrews said. "He understands their lingo and uses their language to talk to them and steer them in the right direction. "Kids respect him, staff members respect him. He's one of my everyday heroes," Andrews said.
Lane said he's still vying to play basketball overseas, but in the meantime, he is extremely happy in his role as a mentor and said he learns from the kids, as well. He said as he continues throughout his journey to success, he'll always pass on his father's advice and encourage youth to dream more than one dream, set goals, and tackle life head on in order to overcome all obstacles.
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