Teen of the Week: DeAngelo builds relationships through sports and family | News, Sports, Jobs

Leo DeAngelo together with his family after scoring his 1,000th level for Parkersburg Catholic basketball lately. Pictured are his brother Alex DeAngelo, nephew Vinnie DeAngelo, his mom Kristin DeAngelo, Leo and his father Louis DeAngelo Jr. Alex lately handed away. (Photo supplied)

PARKERSBURG – For Leonardo “Leo” DeAngelo, it’s about constructing relationships whether or not it’s through taking part in sports or working at his family’s restaurant as he prepares for a future in gross sales. However, it’s the connection to his family that continues to be the strongest.

The 18-year-old senior at Parkersburg Catholic High School has been on Catholic’s basketball staff all through highschool, performs on the faculty’s golf staff, performs pickleball together with his pals for enjoyable, is concerned in the Interact Club and works at his father or mother’s restaurant, Southern Craft on Emerson Avenue.

“I am a family guy,” he stated. “I love my family.”

He is the youngest of 5 siblings. It was his oldest brothers, Louis and Alex, who used to play basketball all the time when he was youthful and helped him develop his abilities early on. His mom Kristen (Davis) and father Louis are initially from the Parkersburg space and are Parkersburg Catholic High School alumni. Kristen was First Team All State for 1988-89 and holds the steal document for 18 steals in a single sport. His mother and father moved to Louisiana 20-30 years in the past. The family got here again to the space 6-7 years in the past.

Recently in a Jan. 2 sport towards Fort Frye, Leo DeAngelo surpassed 1,000 factors for his highschool profession throughout the fourth quarter of a 69-66 win over the Cadets. He scored a game-high 22 factors, together with 17 in the second half.

Leonardo “Leo” DeAngelo taking part in basketball for Parkersburg Catholic High School at a state event. (Photo supplied)

“This is probably my best high school memory for basketball,” DeAngelo was quoted at the time after the sport. “Coming from an 0-22 record my freshman year and to be 7-1 this year, I’m just excited. I honestly thought I could do this, but it took a lot of work and a lot of time in the gym.”

His brother Alex was there alongside together with his family to have fun that milestone.

However, Alex handed away earlier this month.

“It has been rough,” DeAngelo stated. “He actually taught me all the pieces.

“He was always there. He always showed up to all of my games. Literally, every single one he was always there. He taught me to never give up.”

Leo Haid, Ashton Lang, Leo DeAngelo and Caron Logston standing exterior Parkersburg Catholic High School on the first day of faculty for his or her Senior 12 months. (Photo supplied)

He bought concerned in golf through his sister’s boyfriend, Blake Lewis, who was an All-State golfer at Parkersburg Catholic High School.

“He taught me how to play,” DeAngelo stated. “I similar to to be exterior.

“I just like the nature part. When I go by myself, it is just so calming. It is something to do to get away.”

He additionally likes to spend time at driving ranges with pals simply hitting golf balls.

Once, one of his pals wished to play Pickleball and that’s how he bought began taking part in.

Leo DeAngelo out on the hyperlinks as a member of Parkersburg Catholic High School’s golf staff. (Photo supplied)

“We went out and played and I just had a blast,” DeAngelo stated. “I like the movement. It is not a huge court and there is a certain amount of strategy to it.”

Through sports, he has realized about teamwork, relationships and communication.

“Communication is a big part of it,” DeAngelo stated. “You have to speak.

“Even when things are going rough you still have to communicate.”

While taking part in golf he can find yourself taking part in in mashes the place he’s with individuals he doesn’t know.

Leo DeAngelo (heart) together with his siblings at his family’s restaurant, Southern Craft, the place all of them work. Pictured are Alex, Aiden, Leo, Izzy and Louis. Alex lately handed away. (Photo supplied)

“You have to learn how to talk to people,” DeAngelo stated.

Playing pickleball and being concerned in Interact can also be about speaking.

“It is all about building relationships,” he stated.

Interact Clubs are sponsored by Rotary Clubs and present service tasks to the group.

DeAngelo highlighted tasks like meals drives and different fundraisers accomplished through Interact that helped him develop his management and teamwork abilities additional.

Leo DeAngelo (left) together with his family throughout an outing. Family is essential to the Parkersburg Catholic High School Senior. His brother Alex (in the hat) lately handed away. (Photo supplied)

“They help people and bring the community together,” he stated. “Getting involved is important because it helps others.”

DeAngelo works at his father or mother’s restaurant, Southern Craft on Emerson Avenue. The restaurant serves cajun meals, seafood, burgers and extra.

“I love that place,” he stated. “It is a family run enterprise.

“All the cooks are family. All my brothers and sister are servers.”

Being a family enterprise, DeAngelo stated they must help each other for the enterprise to stay profitable.

“It is family,” he stated. “Even when issues are going dangerous, you must stick by them. Right there subsequent to them.

After highschool, he’s planning to go to Ohio University to check enterprise as he needs to be a medical system gross sales consultant. He needs to remain near sports and is finally promoting leg braces, casts and different gear that offers with sports associated accidents.

He has a buddy whose father does that for a residing.

“I am a big sports guy and know when I get older I will eventually have to get away from it and playing,” he stated. “I thought that this is something that can keep me connected to sports as most injuries this equipment is used for comes from sports.”

He just isn’t planning to proceed taking part in basketball or golf in school, until it’s one thing like intramural basketball.

All of his experiences in sports and at the family restaurant in working as half of a gaggle, speaking and constructing relationships will assist him in a profession in gross sales.

“It is about teamwork and everyone has to be on the same page on everything,” DeAngelo stated. “Everybody has to be in touch with everything that is going on.”

As DeAngelo seems to be in the direction of the future he’ll keep in mind all the pieces his family was capable of present to him to assist him achieve success, particularly his brother Alex.

“I think about the endless hours of basketball we played and the way he always brought energy, and joy wherever he went,” DeAngelo stated. “One of the greatest issues he taught me was to all the time present up as a result of it doesn’t matter what, he was all the time there for me, at each single one of my basketball video games.

“When I think of Alex, I think of all the laughs, the countless memories, and most of all, the love he showed through every moment we spent together.”

Contact Brett Dunlap at [email protected]