The Heart of a Team John Castile was—quite literally—born into a team. As the youngest of seven, he learned early on what it meant to be only one part of a larger whole. “You have to negotiate,” he says, remembering back to how his childhood shaped his thinking. “And, you’re typically negotiating with people who have more experience. Being number seven of seven means you’re accustomed to doing more with less… accustomed to other people going through [life] before you.” Those early experiences—and learning how to work within such a large family unit, had a strong influence on his work ethic from the beginning. Because his parents were older, Castile developed a value structure that “naturally” gravitated toward work. Even as a young child, he wasn’t afraid of putting in long hours to get a job done. Eventually, this began to show in his own life. In 1984, as a high school student in Columbia, he was named “Mr. Basketball” for the state of South Carolina—an honor that recognized students for not only their sports proficiency, but also their academic and personal development. Still, even while being decorated as one of the top athletes in the state, Castile was noted for his emphasis on being a team player. In an article published in the Spartanburg Herald-Journal on March 1, 1984, his coach from Eau Claire High School—George Glymph—was quoted as saying, “He honestly cares nothing about shooting. He’d rather dish off to another player who has the hot hand.” In turn, Castile notes Glymph was influential to him as a teenager, calling him a “pivotal personality in my development.” Under Glymph, Castile says, is where he learned the true value of being part of a team. “[It was] being a part of something that is larger than the individual; it’s kind of like a family,” Castile remembers of his high school team. “You have a role in that family. And just because you’re not the person that scores the most points or has the most rebounds or whatever, understanding the value of being a part of that I find to be so important, because the group is so much larger than just the individual.” Photo by Carter Tippins/FishEye Photography
Later that year, Castile found himself at Furman, once again playing basketball on a scholarship. Immediately, things were drastically different.
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Photo by Carter Tippins/FishEye Photography