"I Set A Goal For Myself To Make My Family Proud..." The Inspiring Story Of Meshack Lufile.
Motivation, some might say, is the key to success. Whether it’s going to school every day to make your parents proud or playing a sport in front of your family in hopes of receiving recognition, human beings are social beings that crave respect and a form of appreciation from those they care about. The more recognition and appreciation someone receives in doing what they love from the ones they care about, the more motivated that person feels to continue to strive for it. Meshack Lufile, a member of the Guelph Nighthawks, is a prime example of how the aspect of motivation changed the course of his life.
Born in Burlington, Ontario, on October 21, 1992, Meshack Lufile was introduced to a sports household. Before Lufile became a pro-athlete, both his parents participated in various sports and were both sought out to be professionals in their 20’s. Lufile’s mother would play professional basketball in the Congo while his father was a professional wrestler. This was something quite extraordinary for Meshack and his other brothers to be apart of considering that both their parents have already stamped themselves in the sports world. This resulted in Meshack having a bond, unlike no other for playing sports at a young; however, basketball wasn’t a path Meshack had in mind.
Meshack’s parents made sure to always educate their kids on what hard work and diligence are all about. As a kid, Meshack grew up in a poor community near Burlington, Ontario, which meant that he had to work harder than any other average kid. Both his parents were hard workers and needed to work continuously to provide a proper lifestyle for their kids. Even though they may have sacrificed some of their own time to have fun or take a break, both Lufile’s parents valued keeping their children happy over anything else. This resulted in Meshack appreciating the importance of hard work. Instead of wasting time, Meshack would try to find any way to be productive and take life much more seriously as he found his motivation to one day relieve the stress of his parents. His goal all of his life is to make his parents and family proud while impacting the next generation. However, how did Meshack get to where he is today, and where did this all start?
Growing up, Meshack was surrounded by other kids who had the ambition to one day becoming a professional athlete. Rather than staying at home and playing video games, Meshack and his brothers Chadrack, Abednego, and Elijah would go to the basketball court and scrimmage with each other or with other children in the neighbourhood. However, during this time, basketball was just a leisure sport for Meshack as he was more interested in the educational field. Going to school and getting a proper education was viewed as a blessing for Lufile instead of a burden. For most children, school can be quite intimidating, yet when it came to Meshack, all he wanted to do was get a degree and make his family proud. Even though playing sports was another passion of his, going to school every day was something he felt strongly passionate about and was obsessed with one day leaving an impact while inspiring the next generation. The strict work ethic that he received at a young age kept his passion flowing as he would continuously work hard and aim to feed his goals while also making his family proud. However, outside of the educational spectrum, Meshack was also a young athlete in the making.
During his days in elementary and middle school, Meshack would mainly play volleyball. Meshack’s favourite sport during this time was volleyball and was hoping to play through college. However, when it came to his older brother, he focused more on basketball than anything else. Even though Meshack would play with him at their local YMCA, his older brother was much more committed to the sport. Meshack was passionate about basketball and would play yet; he never thought of it as a way to provide for himself and his family. Instead, Meshack played sports solely for fun and had goals to play in college until one day; something impacted him that changed his perspective.
Meshack was heavily motivated by his older brother when it came to playing sports, specifically basketball. Even though his older brother Chadrack and him are only two years apart, Meshack always viewed him as a role model. If Meshack ever did something wrong or needed advice on anything, he could always go to his older brother and ask him for anything at any time. That’s a special bond to have with anyone, especially when it’s your own family. However, when it came to basketball, Chadrack would always try to encourage basketball to Meshack and his other siblings as he felt the need to express it. Yet, the factor that inspired Meshack to play basketball at a high level was all the success Chadrack received when he was in high school and his early days in college. Instead of feeling jealous or envious of his brother, Meshack felt inspired and decided that he wanted to follow his brother’s path to take basketball to the next level. Meshack realized that basketball could be an outlet to help reach his true passion which is, to help society in any way while also impacting and inspiring the next generation. The moment Meshack ties his first-ever basketball sneakers, that was the day that he found nothing but love and passion for the game of basketball. Shortly afterwards, Chadrack took note of his brother’s decision and wanted to mentor and help him in any shape or form.
Looking at Meshack’s story so far, the one thing that I found consistent was, how much he valued his family. From wanting to have a proper education and one day receiving a degree to wanting to play basketball at a high level, Meshack was always motivated to honour his family and make them proud. The idea of hard work and appreciating what you have is something Meshack had to value at a young age and, as a result, stayed motivated while also developing a great work ethic. Meshack was influenced by his family to always do the right thing hence why he wanted to inspire the next generation the same way his parents did.
At the start of high school, Meshack took basketball a lot more seriously. His brothers would play every day after school and would help train one another to improve their skillset. The bond that Meshack built with his brothers is what kept them all in check in basketball. If Meshack or any of his other brothers ever slipped, he knew that his brothers would lift him up and push him harder than ever. Even though there were circumstances where Meshack had an off day, his brothers always would help him back up, and he would do the same when his brothers reached that point. However, education was still an essential thing for Meshack as he was very passionate about social work and helping children in need. As a result, Meshack trained night and day and worked on his craft consistently and was crowned one of the best players in Ontario and Canada. His hard work and discipline throughout high school allowed him to get a scholarship at Cape Breton University, where he would start his basketball journey.
College Career
Once his days in high school were over, Meshack would attend Cape Breton University, where he would play all four seasons. In his first year, he averaged 8 points, and 4 rebounds a game in just 17 minutes a game as only a freshman. Even though he wanted more minutes, he realized that he had to earn them and started to work harder than ever in the off-season while also preparing himself for the school year. In his sophomore year, he gained more muscle and felt more confident on the court. He averaged, 12 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1 block a game with playing only 18 minutes a game. Meshacks improvement on both ends of the floor was taken to account by his team as they were starting to recognize the work ethic that he had while also balancing his school work to get his degree. Despite his evident work ethic, he was still coming off the bench in his junior year as he only received 20 minutes of playtime while averaging 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks a game. Even though Meshack had a minute or two of extra playing time, it was hard for him to improve as he wasn’t given the keys to play full starter minutes. However, that all changed in his senior year, where he was granted as the starting center for the team. This was a statement season for Meshack as he was considering playing overseas as a professional. In his senior year, he helped lead his team to nationals and won various personal accolades, including defensive player of the year. He averaged a staggering 18 points, 7 rebounds, and a steal and a block a game in just 24 minutes of play. Meshack was certain to get his nod at the starting forward and center position, and when he did, he made sure he played well as if his life was hanging on the balance. Yet, the most significant accomplishment he achieved during his time with Cape Breton University was, walking on stage and receiving his degree in front of his family and friends.
“Walking on that stage and receiving my degree while making my family proud is the most important thing to me because it showed my hard work and dedication. A lot of people don’t have a degree, and I think it’s very important to have one.”
Professional Career
After receiving his degree and moving on from college, Meshack had two options. The two options were, he could either work in his field of expertise or continue playing basketball at a professional level. Even though he loves his area of expertise, his passion for the game fo basketball was just starting to rev up. Meshack, as a result, went overseas to play in Holland in a league called, DBL where he represented the Aris Leeuwarden. During his time there, he received the most minutes of his entire career while averaging 12 points, 6 rebounds while shooting the ball with incredible efficiency at 58%. After his experience with Holland, Meshack signed a contract with the Island Storm.
Meshack’s stint with the Storm was an experience that was potentially detrimental to his career. Even though he barely played 5 minutes a game, Meshack only played half the season due to a terrible leg injury that he suffered. This injury was severe at the time; however, Meshack kept on going and found a way to keep high morale during this tough process. Even though this did derail him, he found other ways to escape and kept on focusing on the future.
Once his injury was passed, Meshack went back to Holland, where he was back to playing starter minutes. Meshack was thrilled to be back on the court and was ready to help his team win until one day early in the season; he suffered a back injury that changed the rest of his life. This injury gave him perspective and opened his eyes to how important it is to make sure you aid your body with a proper diet, stretching and various workouts. The back injury that Meshack, unfortunately, had to face taught him values as this was the biggest lesson he learned in his career. Despite the adversity, Meshack remembered his parents and immediately felt motivated again.
Instead of rushing to play basketball, Meshack had to attend to his body and focused on getting fully healthy again. This rehabbing process for Meshack was crucial for him as he started to participate in basketball camps to help regain complete health and control of his body. In the following year, Meshack went back to the NBLC, where he played alongside his brother Chadrack as a member of the Halifax Hurricanes. This season, Meshack felt unbeatable. His game propelled from a health standpoint as he managed to play every game of the season. Meshack posted up 5 points and 3 rebounds in only 12 minutes of play while also recovering from his significant injuries.
In the following summer, Meshack would join his two other brothers, Abednego and Chadrack as a member of the Guelph Nighthawks. Meshack only played half the season and averaged similar numbers to his stint with the Halifax Hurricanes while also playing fewer minutes. Meshack kept on pushing through and never gave up as he realized that 2019 was the year for him to recover from potentially career-ending injuries. Surely enough, Meshack managed to get another opportunity and went to Romania, where he would have the best season of his career. In Romania, he averaged 16 points, 9 rebounds, and a block and steal a game while playing an outstanding 34 minutes a game!
The fact that Meshack never gave up and continued working hard is a testimony to the early teachings he received from his parents. Even though he may have felt discouraged or about to give up, the idea of making his family proud was far more important and kept him motivated to continue to work hard. The lesson that can be taken from Meshack Lufile’s journey to basketball is, to find a healthy source of motivation, and to never give up on your dreams because if you work hard, the rest will take care of itself.
