Native American ‘dunk master’ inspiring youth in western Montana

ARLEE — Out of the almost 5,000 individuals who dwell on the Flathead Indian Reservation, there’s just one who the neighborhood calls the dunk grasp.

Isaac Fisher, 23, has been taking part in basketball since he was a younger boy. He’s 6 toes, 10 inches in peak, however that’s not the one cause folks look as much as him.

“He’s a frontrunner, and he’s so younger proper now,” mentioned Arlee neighborhood basketball participant Erica Shelby. “He understands the problems on our Reservation and the way he was raised, and the way he’s attempting to raised his life. He’s only a actually good mannequin for all of our youth right here.”

Fisher teaches younger athletes on the Flathead Indian Reservation and in Missoula learn how to higher their expertise in basketball. The younger chief additionally continues perfecting his craft by one-on-one coaching in Missoula.

“Rising up on the Reservation, I do know there wasn’t a number of entry or coaching or stuff that does that,” Fisher mentioned. “So I sort of wish to convey that to the Flathead Indian Reservation and supply that to the children.”

Instructing these younger athletes in Arlee is his means of giving again to the neighborhood that formed him to be the individual he’s right this moment.

“Rising up, I had a tough hand of playing cards handled,” Fisher mentioned. “I used to be born right into a tough life with my mother and pa. They had been two, younger youngsters on the time nonetheless. They’d 4 boys. They nonetheless needed to drink and occasion and dwell that ‘Res’ life.”

At simply 2 years outdated, Fisher mentioned his mom and father had been headed their separate methods and the dad and mom needed to take two boys to dwell individually from the opposite two.

“My aunt and uncle had been like, ‘No, they’re brothers. They’ve to remain collectively. They will’t develop up with out figuring out who their brothers are,’” Fisher mentioned.

Fisher mentioned that interval of his life was tough, however he and his brothers had been later taken in by his aunt and uncle after sofa browsing in numerous homes of relations.

“Ever since we had been with them, it was simply basketball, basketball,” Fisher mentioned.

At 15 years outdated, Fisher began working towards his dunking expertise. After listening to a speech from Native American slam dunk artist Kenny Dobbs, Fisher determined he might grow to be a Native dunker himself.

“Go forward, simply title a Native American athlete or any well-known Native,” Fisher mentioned. “It’s not too many, proper? So, I’m simply attempting to be that man for these children. Be that optimistic affect, that individual for them to look as much as and say, ‘OK, I can attempt to do that. He can do it; I can do it.’”

Now, educating the youth on the Flathead Indian Reservation is his means of paying it ahead.

“These children really want a hero or like a mentor or one thing right here, particularly right here within the Valley,” mentioned Arlee resident and father Sonny Brockway. “They do not have lots of people like that. That is sort of their little dwelling away from dwelling. So many of those children, they arrive right here and it retains them out of hassle. Maintain them from doing issues they shouldn’t be doing and Isaac’s right here every so often to show them. He’s doing an important job. He’s a tremendous child.”

Brockway’s son trains with Fisher on the Arlee Neighborhood Heart. He mentioned he’s grateful that somebody locally has taken a real curiosity within the Flathead Reservation youth, and the truth that he’s Native, is a bonus.

“You don’t actually see many Native dunkers,” mentioned Bo Brockway, an Arlee basketball participant and one in all Fisher’s trainees. “I feel he’s actually cool, particularly coming from a small city like Arlee and doing all these loopy dunks. He’s gone to the most well-liked dunk contests on the planet.”

From Denver, to Spokane and within the Backyard Metropolis, Fisher competed in 4 dunk contests, gained three and took dwelling a second place title in a contest between him and dunk artist Dobbs.

“What made me wish to assist practice children and assist children on the whole simply on the Flathead Indian Reservation is my aunt and uncle, what they did for me and my 4 brothers at that younger age,” Fisher mentioned.

With out his aunt and uncle, Fisher mentioned he is aware of he would’ve had a unique life. One which’s distant from the Reservation and the courtroom. He mentioned that’s why he’s adamant about serving to the youth.

“I don’t need them falling into unhealthy stuff like gang-related stuff or alcohol, or, suicide is fairly heavy on the Reservation these days, and I simply don’t need any extra children doing that,” Fisher mentioned.

Neighborhood basketball participant and member of the Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Shelby, mentioned Fisher is her most important motivator to hit the fitness center and to be a greater individual locally.

“Oftentimes, our Native athletes are under-recruited due to detrimental stereotypes and Isaac is proof of that,” Shelby mentioned. “Basketball is greater than a recreation when it turns into an avenue to raised one’s life and Natives face extra obstacles than non-natives due to hurtful prejudices.”

She additionally mentioned Fisher is all the time on the fitness center both perfecting his dunking expertise or doing drills with younger athletes.

One of many athletes Fisher works with is Tony LaHaye, and he mentioned he’s motivated by Fisher and appears ahead to coaching on the Arlee Neighborhood Heart.

“I attempt to be taught my very own means, however he’s fairly good in any respect of them. All of the movies I watch on YouTube, I be taught much more from him,” LaHaye mentioned.

Along with him coaching younger athletes on the Arlee Neighborhood Heart, Fisher can also be teaching a youth basketball workforce in Missoula. He’s open to serving to extra athletes in Western Montana. Anybody can attain him by telephone at (406) 370- 7866 or electronic mail Isaac59821@icloud.com.