SUFFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Basketball has meant a lot to Rick Hite. The sport has been at the center of some of his life's greatest moments.
"It's given me everything," he said. "I met my wife through basketball. We've had kids, all played basketball."
"There's something basketball on around him," added his daughter, Rylie. "Whether it's on his computer, his phone, the TV, he's always doing something basketball."
The game has become more than a family affair. It's the latest chapter of a legacy. While Rick has been the head coach of the King's Fork boys team for the last nine seasons, Rylie has grown into a star guard for the Bulldog girls. The senior has scored more than 1,000 career points and is a McDonald's All-American game nominee.
"I was a softball player at first," Rylie recalled. "I started playing softball, loved softball. Then basketball just took over. Ever since it's been basketball. Since I was nine, non-stop."
It's as if she was born with a basketball in her hand. Rick has fond memories of a young Rylie, holding her in his arms as he coached. As her passion for the sport grew, he helped to shape her love of the game.
"From putting in the work, breaking down the film, the weight room, everything," the senior guard said of what her dad has passed down. "A lot of what he talks about I take in and put it to the game."
"A lot of things in her world I won't be able to fix," Rick added. "She can fix it by hard work, paying attention, getting through adversity and carving out her own niche."
Rylie has created a name for herself on the court. Meanwhile, Rick juggles being a coach with being a dad. He admits that's a line that can be difficult to walk, but come game night, the father-daughter duo is on the same page. It's a role he cherishes, even if he isn't in the building.
"He's gotten way better," Rylie chuckled. "I'll look at him or he'll just make a noise or tell me something. I can hear it all the time, so I just listen and keep going."
"When I'm coaching my boys team and she's at another location, I'm always checking my phone for updates," the head coach noted. "She's grown enough where she knows what she needs to do out there."
As the clock winds down on Rylie's career, she looks to cap off high school with a state championship ring next month. Rick hopes to lead his boys to the same triumph, but no matter what happens, the tandem has created four years of memories in the same gym that will last a lifetime.
"I didn't only get to spend it with my dad, but I got to spend my first year with my brother," pointed out the senior. "Dad really just kick-started everything and it's just fun. I'll just keep these moments with me forever."
"It's been well-worth it to watch her journey and to be able to be so close to her as she goes through her journey," her dad added. "I wouldn't trade it with anybody."
Even after Rylie leaves high school, her basketball career isn't over. She's taking her skills to East Carolina in the fall.
