WS Chronicle

Forsyth Country Day School is sending yet another athlete to the next level to further his education and fulfill his dream of playing college sports. Jay Mitchell will be heading to Converse College in the fall to play basketball and track and field.

Converse, located in Spartanburg, S.C., is a formerly all-girls college and is just now starting a men’s basketball program and Mitchell wanted to attend to help grow the program from the ground up.

“Converse was an all-girls school up until this year and with the coach reaching out to me to play for his program next year, I was very interested in being able to start a foundation for a program,” said Mitchell.  

Mitchell’s father, James, also played basketball on the collegiate level and was his basketball coach as a youth.  Mitchell says he was inspired to play the game because of his father.

It wasn’t until high school when Mitchell realized that he had basketball talent beyond high school. He began to grow more into his body and felt as though he was getting better each time he stepped foot onto the court. His athleticism also began to blossom around that time as well, he said.

“My jumping ability is obviously my best ability, because I can jump over anybody that is in my way,“ he said. “My basketball IQ is also very high, so that is also one of my best qualities.”

Mitchell attended West Forsyth for his first three years of high school. He reclassed following his junior year and concluded high school with the Furies. He feels his game has progressed steadily throughout his prep career, especially with the added responsibility that has been continually placed on his shoulders.

“I have been placed in a position of leadership, so a lot of my teammates look up to me and I just had to perform at my best at all costs,” he continued. “I lead the team in scoring, and I am one of the best defensive players on most of the teams that I play on and I am always willing to take over on all levels at all aspects of the game.”

Mitchell says his game is not perfect, so one of his goals is to work on his ball-handling skills to make him an even more dynamic player on the next level.

Mitchell has no apprehension about leaving home to be on his own in college. He is eager to take on a new challenge and has set high expectations for himself on and off the court. He plans to major in sports management and marketing.

“I expect to get in there and handle my business on and off the court,” he went on to say. “I just want to try and make an impact and get involved by being a team player.”

With his exceptional leaping ability, Mitchell figured he would try out for the track and field team in the jumping events. His plan was to start last year, but with the pandemic shutting down all spring sports, he had to wait until this year to give it a try.

“Throughout my high school career, a lot of people were telling me that I should go out and give it a shot,” he said about trying track and field. “So, I finally gave in and listened to them and just wanted to go out there and see what I could do.”

Mitchell participates in the long jump, triple jump and the high jump. It is the high jump where he shines the most. Mitchell has already set the school record by jumping 6’8” in the high jump and is already one of the best jumpers in the state of North Carolina.  His goal is to break the long and triple jump records as well before the end of the season.

“I knew I could jump and I just kind of set the goal of breaking the school record before I graduated high school,” he said. “After I did it, I was told that I was first in the state, first in the conference, and number 13 in the country.”

Mitchell says he has spoken to the basketball and track and field coaches at Converse about competing in both sports. They have given him the go-ahead to try and compete in both, he said. 

Mitchell’s parents, Sherri and James, were honored for their son to be offered a full scholarship and they are eager to see what he can do on the collegiate level in the classroom, as well as with sports.

“We are eternally grateful, and we are so excited that he was finally able to make a decision, because we realize what a golden opportunity this is,” said Mrs. Mitchell. “There are many athletes that excel at many sports, so for him (Jay) to get an opportunity to be able to go to the next level and pay for his education by doing something that he loves is just phenomenal for him and for us.”

Mr. Mitchell says he has seen the talent in his son for a few years, but it wasn’t until Jay began to really “get serious” about the sport that he really began to blossom.

The Mitchells are confident that they have instilled in Jay all the tools he needs to succeed in college. They are eager to see him compete and fulfill his dream.

“In the classroom I certainly see him continuing to excel,” Mrs. Mitchell said. “Converse is very similar to Forsyth Country Day in that they have a small family environment and the classes are small.”

Mr. Mitchell added, “I expect him to excel on and off the court and to go down and work hard and do what he is supposed to do to be successful. That’s what I expect from him once he gets there.”