Growing up in and around Washington DC helped to shape Garric Young's mind in a very distinct way.
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The US capital city is remarkable for its beauty, history, and appreciation of culture. It offers free entry to its many memorials, museums, and its zoo, all of which Young drank in as a child.
"It's absurd, it's really a blessing," he said.
"My grandma used to take me all the time to the museums ... there's so many cultures you can learn about, because a lot of people from other countries travel to go there.
"You have pretty much everything at your fingertips, I loved it."
![Though he is a lifelong fan of the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA, Garric Young has always admired Kobe Bryant as well. Picture by Zac Lowe. Though he is a lifelong fan of the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA, Garric Young has always admired Kobe Bryant as well. Picture by Zac Lowe.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ijfQKXbsEKgSKGW5xB5NiF/be4a8c27-b6b3-4910-a8f4-8ce399e4aadf.jpg/r9_62_3680_2666_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
At 25 years old, Young spent last year playing basketball in Germany and Canada. And, as of two weeks ago, he landed in Tamworth to prepare for the 2024 season, during which he will become the latest American import to represent the Thunderbolts.
There is no doubt in Young's mind that this desire to explore the world is linked to his upbringing.
"I think it definitely cultivated a love for learning and experiencing different cultures," he said.
"I've loved it so far, being able to see new people, learn new ideas, new concepts, and ways of life."
And he "like[s] it a lot" in Tamworth. During his first few days in town, the community has been "really open and really nice".
Crucially, so have his new teammates.
"They're a really great group of guys. They were super-welcoming, everyone came up and introduced themselves, and invited me over," Young said.
"I think personality-wise, it will be perfect. And basketball-wise, it should be good too."
At six feet five inches tall, Young described himself as a "kind of like a Swiss army knife". He is capable of doing "whatever the team needs", but at this point he believes he will mostly play the role of a power forward.
![Garric Young and Max Clark will be the Thunderbolts' two American imports for the 2024 season. Picture by Zac Lowe. Garric Young and Max Clark will be the Thunderbolts' two American imports for the 2024 season. Picture by Zac Lowe.](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/ijfQKXbsEKgSKGW5xB5NiF/55a5e466-1725-4a30-902f-79ae88f3432c.jpg/r4_0_2000_1209_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
While he lives in Tamworth for the duration of the season, Young will spend his days coaching local kids, much like imports Allante Harper and Kyle Gupton did last year.
But unlike many of those he will teach, Young began his own basketball journey relatively late.
It wasn't until he was in high school that the former football fanatic adopted the sport at the behest of one of the coaches, and "just fell in love with it".
He went on to play at Mount St Mary's University in Maryland, before transferring to West Virginia Wesleyan in West Virginia, and spent his final year of college basketball representing Colorado State.
The experience of playing in three different teams which took him across the country was a fitting prelude to Young's time travelling the world since graduating.
And it helped prepare him for the challenge of being so far away from his family.
"I think I got adjusted to it when I went to school in Colorado, because it was basically across the country," Young said.
"But it's still tough, I'm a family man. I love them, I miss them all the time, but I make sure I stay in contact with them. We still have our family FaceTimes just to stay in contact."