Basketball has always been a part of Shymere Madden’s life. His time on the court has helped tremendously in the classroom and now his senior year at Niagara Falls High School Shymere has a 4.0 GPA. He also enjoys taking AP classes to help them better prepare for college. 

“I’ve been playing like my whole life. That’s what I do and I feel like that helps me academically cause it makes me stay on top of my work cause you got to pass all your classes to play in Phys Ed. I feel like that makes me go harder to stay on top to play basketball,” Madden said. 

Madden has been a varsity basketball team member for the past two seasons and this season he found a starting role with the Wolverines. Even though many describe him as quiet, his job as a point guard has helped him step into a more vocal role. “I play point guard, I’m like the floor general, so I got to be vocal and talk. That’s helping me get better to be a leader,” he said. 

Madden leads by his actions and why he enjoys being point guard, it’s up to him to get the offense started. “You start the pace of the game, get the team going, it just starts the whole offense and gets a run going,” said Madden. 

Academics are important to his success on and off the court and head coach Carlos Bradberry has seen Madden excel academically since the very beginning. 

“Some of our kids, freshman and sophomore year, they’ll struggle a little bit. Since the ninth grade, [Madden] has been a straight 90-95 student, and he’s carried that through the past four years,” Niagara Falls head coach Carlos Bradberry said. 

Shymere’s presence on this team will have a lasting effect both on and off the court. The way he carries himself and his calm demeanor is something that his teammates often turn to. 

“Wish I had more kids like him, but it’s just great, he’s easy to coach, he doesn’t complain, he’s worked hard over the years, he’s gotten to a starting role now which has taken him three years, and he never complains about it. He just keeps working,” Bradberry said.