Ten years have passed since Damario Sims graduated from Chico State with multiple successes on the basketball court and a degree in criminal justice. Coming out of both difficult and periodically dangerous times in his West Oakland neighborhood, then losing his mother when he was 15 (raised thereafter by his grandmother and then his uncle and aunt), roadblocks and obstacles presented him with formidable challenges.
But if there was one student-athlete at McClymonds High who
teachers and other professionals in his orbit knew would advance
and flourish despite deterrents, the smart money was on Sims. He
continually led the charge a la his effort in the McClymonds High
2007-2008 32-0 state championship season (a year after finishing
second) and his being an instrumental cog in the transformation of
the previous moribund Chico State men's basketball program into an
annual powerhouse.
As the first person in his family to attend college, he graduated in 2013 with a 3.3 grade point average, finishing seventh in career points scored at 1,191 as well as seventh in assists with 272. Sims garnered First Team All California Collegiate Athletic Conference honors while as a Wildcat.
With opportunities to play abroad, Sims instead went in the direction of his larger and wider view, feeling a greater desire to serve others whether that be in his old neighborhood, Oakland itself or elsewhere. He currently is doing so as a Santa Clara County Deputy Sheriff.
We talked with him recently on a myriad of subjects. He is one of
those few-and-far-between individuals who both exudes ebullient
energy and magically transfers such to others even during a
conversation.
"Life has been good," he offered.
He comes from a very close extended family which became a critical component to his early success. "Cousins are like brothers and sisters in my family." He was taken in by his elders when his Mom died. "But I was her baby and I lost that innocence with her death. Dwight Nathaniel (the McClymonds boys basketball coach and an influential East Bay sports figure) and some other coaches looked out for me."
Sims knows exactly why he chose criminal justice as a major, As he explained, it came about "because our neighborhood was pretty wild and we were drawing a lot of attention because of our success (at McClymonds). An Oakland Police Department sergeant and four officers were assigned to our basketball team. We got to know each other well and they took care of us. I became super intrigued and left high school wanting to be a cop." Regarding the weightiness of his decision, which would be lauded in most communities, Sims explained, "I couldn't say that out loud in my neighborhood."
Then, with multiple opportunities to sign on for a basketball
scholarship up and down the state, came his choice to go with
Coach Greg Clink and Chico State University. His decision was a
bona fide life changer. "Coach Clink demanded zero tolerance from
me. I couldn't take a play off whether it be basketball, in the
classroom or in the community."
While others may have crumbled with such strictness, Sims
flourished. It was a competitive atmosphere especially on the
court but also in the classroom. Call it a crucible of sorts, one
that Sims emerged from as a better person. "Chico is the only
place where I felt a bond due to my participation in athletics."
It turned into a brotherhood with players supporting one another
even after graduation. "Jake (Del Oro High) Lovisolo is my best
friend and a brother to me. He lives across the street. Most of
the guys on the team have attended each other's weddings and we
have no secrets, holding nothing back." Chico finished last in
win-loss records and academic rankings prior to Clink's arrival.
Sims and Clink have a special relationship. Sims provided insight into the inner workings of Clink's influence both on and off the court. "On a night when we beat Cal State East Bay for first place but we didn't play particularly well, Clink was talking with someone and displayed his life philosophy, saying "I'm not into winning games, I'm into playing well."
Sims continued, "Coach Clink has us (the team) over to his home
one day, something he did a lot, and we got to see how he
interacted with his wife Courtney and young sons Justin, Tyler and
Ryan." It was an intriguing scene, with a coach who always firmly
demanded the best from his student-athletes, being "a gentle man
around his family." It was something Sims has never forgotten.
As a senior, Sims was moved to point guard in order to get the
team's best talents greater minutes on the court. "It was a tough
role change," Sims admitted, "because we didn't have an identity
at the beginning of the season. But the team respected me enough
to accept the change."
Clink Speaks on Sims
Here's Clink on his special guy: "Damario was one of the key
catalysts in building our program. Not only was he a dynamic
player, but the energy and competitiveness and attitude he brought
everyday rubbed off on people. The program took a major turn
forward once he started playing. You could see it on the court
from the first time I put him in. I remember him hitting his first
three from the right corner and the excitement he had was
contagious. He was never afraid to show his emotions and the
players and coaches fed off that. He is one of the toughest guys I
have ever coached."
Sims added, "I've always had a sense of team and accountability
being bigger than myself. My need to be ready has always just
pushed me further."
About the entry into his law enforcement role, Sims explained
"the mental health aspect of seeing dead people close up and
vicious crimes against children used to bother me as did the
painting of negativity towards law enforcement with a broad brush.
But my family always supported me and I acted with professionalism
and with empathy. You can feel the emotions but they can't dictate
your actions."
Sims has also been playing an interesting role since George
Floyd's murder in 2020. "I've talked to members of the Stanford,
Nebraska, USF and Washington athletics programs, including
players. I've also talked with former teammates, current players
and we didn't sugarcoat anything. People weren't talking and we
needed to talk to help ease our minds."
As Clink put it, "in alignment with the times, we had two former players who are now deputy sheriffs (Rashad Parker, Alameda County and Damario Sims, Santa Clara County) participate in a Zoom meeting with our guys because of the emphasis right now on social justice and police, and they provided interesting perspectives on being Black in America and in law enforcement."
Sims periodically return to visit his old neighborhood. "A cousin recently got married and I did get recognized. But the conditions were obviously different."
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