KingSton Swayzer

By Kaitlyn Brown

Since he was young, KingSton Swayzer ‘27 has “loved the grind.” Having a dad as a coach has led to a successful career in basketball that he hopes will continue throughout high school.

“I’m really looking forward to playing with the upperclassmen,” KingSton commented on the upcoming City High boys basketball season. “I’m excited to expand my competition by playing against some bigger schools in Iowa, too.”

His first game was played in the Mercer Recreation League, and since then he has come a long way. With ups and downs throughout his career, KingSton has always found a way to stay motivated.

His dad, Coach Swayzer, leads the varsity team, but his coaching goes beyond the bounds of practice. While KingSton’s “obvious inspirations” are the all-time legends, he reflects on how his dad has had the biggest impact.

“I definitely have to say that my biggest motivation is my dad,” KingSton said. “He motivates me in his own ways, saying I suck and other things. I like proving him wrong all day.”

KingSton has one goal: a full-ride to a D1 school, with the possibility of a future in the NBA. His methods of achieving this goal include practicing morning and night.

“The best advice I have received is that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. It’s stuck with me my whole life. I feel like I am gifted when it comes to athletics, but if you have talent and you don’t work hard, you don’t get anything out of it.”

For KingSton, the hard work begins at the start of the day.

“Preparing for a game starts when you wake up, getting your mind right, doing yoga, and stretching,” shares the point guard/shooting guard originally from Decorah. “Right before the game, I turn my country music on. I love Zach Bryan.”

Getting hype is the key to a good season. KingSton is looking forward to playing in front of a student section here at City High, and he also hopes that this season brings more career highlights.

With a long history of playing basketball, KingSton has already achieved the goals that many basketball players share. “My biggest highlight is easily when I got my first in-game dunk. It was in 8th grade, so achieving that before high school was pretty hype.”

Catch KingSton on the court this season with his fellow boy’s basketball teammates, and if you are planning to sit in the student section for these games, “get hype and be loud.”