Josiah Railey is no normal basketball player. The absolute labor and time that goes into his work could label him as crazy. While he is just a sophomore at Watauga High School, his athletic ability is like no other. Josiah played small forward for the Watauga High School team last year and will continue playing for the school this season. His volume and level of play have been extremely impressive.
Even though he is great, Railey is still human. The amount he has been able to play throughout his life has been limited due to some injuries throughout his career. However, this does not stop him from striving to be the best. Through injury, he does everything he can to contribute to the team, still practicing in any way he can.
“Even if I am injured I still show up at practice to watch and study plays,” said Railey. “If my right arm is injured I'm going to dribble with my left. I am obsessed with the game and I'm going to try and contribute in any way possible.”
In the fifth grade, Railey had an injury that put him out of play for a couple of months. He had Osgood-Schlatter Syndrome, which is an overuse condition or injury of the knee that causes a painful bump and swelling on the shinbone below the knee.
“I’ve had a lot of injuries throughout playing basketball,” Railey said. “During my fifth-grade season, I had something called Osgood-Schlatter Syndrome. I can still feel it sometimes when I land on it wrong.”
Railey’s father shaped him into the polished worker he is today. He played basketball as well, pushing him to get into the sport and wanting him to practice and work on his skills.
“My father got me into the game of basketball,” Railey said. “He pushed and encouraged me to play the game he used to love growing up.”
Railey gives a lot of his success and skill to his faith in God. He credits his strong faith in helping him get through hard times.
“I give a lot of my success to my belief and faith in God throughout my life,” Railey said. “He gives me strength and helps me get through hard times in basketball and in life in general.”
With success and accomplishments also comes a lot of pressure on performance. Railey knows he needs to keep a cool and calm composure on and off the court. Keeping a level head is important for him throughout anything he does.
“I can’t stand the type of people that have a cocky personality,” Railey said. “I try to not replicate these actions knowing how I'd come off to others. I try to do the same thing while playing, not getting too hot-headed or cocky, [because it] helps me focus on my game.”
Though Railey does spend a lot of time on his sport, he does like things other than basketball. He loves spending time with friends any time he can. He also enjoys kicking back and playing video games.
“I like to go and watch movies,” he said. “I love to play games like Call of Duty on my PlayStation. I spend time with friends anytime I can, spending time with them over weekends.”
Josiah Railey is a hard worker with a strong work ethic that enjoys what he does. With a bright future ahead and multiple college interests at a young age, Josiah always wants to be the best in whatever he does.
“I’m always going to continue to push and strive to be the best player that I can be even through the injuries and hardships.”
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