The photograph was taken within the fall of 2019 on a sizzling afternoon at Reseda Excessive. Dranel Rhodes, a 16-year-old senior receiver, held up his smiling 12-year-old brother, Amare, on his shoulders. They have been inseparable, little brother following round large brother in all places.
It was a narrative about brothers taking part in for Reseda’s soccer crew. Dranel’s oldest brother, Lenard, had performed for the Regents and Amare would sooner or later make it three.
Besides there was a household tragedy. On Jan. 7, 2022, Dranel was attending Ottawa College Arizona. Gamers have been in a dorm room playing around with a gun. It went off. The bullet killed Dranel. He was 19.
Again dwelling, Amare was deeply affected. He was a freshman attending Reseda. He would switch to Birmingham within the fall of 2022, play in a single sport and drop out of faculty.
“He disappeared,” Birmingham coach Jim Rose recalled.
Amare left together with his grieving mom. He stopped going to highschool. He gave up soccer.
“I was definitely done with football and school,” Amare stated sitting in a darkish classroom this week. “I thought I’d never be back here ever.”
His father, Lenard Sr., finally discovered him, gained custody, obtained him grief counseling and enrolled him in an unbiased research program. The primary precedence was enhancing his grades and discovering a approach to transfer ahead. He wanted to make the choice to return.
“I do regret it,” Amare stated of dropping out of faculty. “But it’s something that made me stronger and I can look back and be proud. Some take that fall and can’t get back up. I trusted God he’d get me back up.”
He needed to learn to research once more. It left him far behind within the classroom. He fought his approach to change into academically eligible and enrolled at Granada Hills Kennedy this previous summer time. His first soccer practices in two years left his physique hurting. He was 5 toes 9, 140 kilos and out of practice.
“Coming to practice the next day, my muscles felt they were going to bust,” he stated.
Twelve weeks later, Amare is prospering. Final week within the Metropolis Part Division I quarterfinals, he caught 5 passes for 205 yards and one landing in a win over Westchester. He additionally had an interception. He made it by means of 10 weeks of report playing cards academically eligible. He has a protracted street forward, however he says, “I just get it done.”
Amare Rhodes, who missed the 2022 and 2023 soccer seasons, has change into a standout receiver/cornerback at Granada Hills Kennedy.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Instances)
His father watched the playoff sport within the stands. He stated he was pleased with Amare however insisted the true victory got here months in the past on that first day again to a daily highschool.
“Amare won once he stepped back on the field and did everything he had to do emotionally and physically,” he stated. “He had to get his grades up. He fought hard. It’s still a work in progress. Football has been the best thing. He’s had a release.”
Kennedy coach Troy Cassidy stated, “The guys love him. He’s very energetic.”
Lenard Sr. coached all three of his sons in youth soccer and knew that they had expertise.
Amare simply needed to “get back on the bike and start riding,” he stated.
Each time Amare is on a subject or touring round areas he as soon as walked with Dranel, he turns into emotional. He’ll always remember these Reseda days being with Dranel within the locker room and on the sector.
“It was something I can remember for the rest of my life,” he stated. “The experiences were something that I will carry with me forever because it made me a strong human being mentally and physically. It prepared me for a lot of things outside of football.”
Lenard Sr. honors Dranel yearly with a toy giveaway throughout Christmas and in addition a mix for soccer gamers.
That photograph I took in August of 2019 introduced again nice recollections. Dranel was so completely happy that Amare was with him. The subsequent yr, the pandemic got here, disrupting sports activities and lives in all places. Dranel would enroll at Mt. San Antonio Faculty, then Ottawa, an NAIA college, earlier than tragedy struck.
Amare was left behind to cope with the absence of his brother.
“It was a long journey,” his father stated. “He went through a lot.”
What turned Amare’s life round?
“My parents,” he stated. “I just felt I was letting them down and myself down and letting my brother down, which is the worst of all. Something clicked and woke me up. It was me that had to get up, wake up to reality. And do the things that would make me succeed later in life.”
Amare is again smiling, making catches, having enjoyable.
On senior night time, Kennedy occurred to be taking part in Reseda.
“That was crazy,” Amare stated.
Amare caught a 60-yard landing cross on the primary play of the sport.
Someplace, Dranel was proud and smiling.
