Community Corner
Whiz Kid of the Week: Noah Simon
As a fourth-grader this past year, Noah helped lead his basketball team to an undefeated season
Age: 10
School:
Accomplishment: At only 10 years old, Noah Simon helped his basketball team earn an undefeated season this year.
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Key to Awesomeness: Noah sure does miss the basketball hoop in his bedroom.
It was perfect: a Pop-A-Shot brand like you’d find in an arcade that stood across from his bed. The frame broke when the 10-year-old started dunking on it, so his mom nailed just the rim to the wall, but it didn't work the same.
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“It’s about to come down,” he said. “The good thing is we have another one, but we haven’t had time to put it up because of all the moving because our stepsisters and stepdad are moving in.”
The hoop was important because right now, basketball is his life. He was a star on his South Euclid city basketball league team, the Warriors, at both guard positions. The team went 8-0 before going into the league finals this past winter, only to lose to the Bulls.
"It's aggressive, but not too aggressive," he said about the sport. "It's so much fun and you have to rely on your team as much as yourself."
He’s been playing for three years, both for the Beachwood league, where he lives, and for South Euclid. Last fall and spring he attended basketball clinics at The Agnon School hosted by Tamir Goodman, dubbed the “Jewish Jordan” by Sports Illustrated who played for Maccabi Tel Aviv and Maccabi Haifa in Israel. Noah credits the clinics with elevating his game and making him one of the pivotal pieces in his team going undefeated during the regular season.
“He taught us how to shoot well and it really taught me how to be a good basketball player,” Noah said. “I think that helped us go 8-0.”
He also plays baseball and will start football this August. Kathy Peskin, spokeswoman for The Agnon School, a Jewish community school in Beachwood, said Noah is known for his athletic ability.
“Noah is a great team player,” she said. “He has terrific athletic ability and he’s just very active.”
He’ll enter the fifth grade in the fall and won’t be eligible to play basketball for The Agnon School until sixth grade but said he can’t wait to do so.
“I’m very excited for that,” he said.