In his youth, National Park College guard KJ Corder looked up to his NBA role models
as superheroes. Little did he know, however, that years later, he would grow up to
help lead his hometown to basketball greatness.
“I first started playing basketball when I was around five or six years old,” Corder
said. “All the Michael Jordan and other basketball posters around the house influenced
me to play the game. I remember wanting to be just like them. My dad got me a basketball
goal and me and my little brothers Paris and Matt have been playing ever since then.”
As Corder grew with the game, so did his talent. The former Hot Springs Trojan attributes
much of his success to the guidance he received from his family.
“Individually, I think that being raised by two great parents—Jeff and Trish Corder—made
me into the man that I am today,” Corder said. “They always stayed on my back about
school, basketball, washing dishes—everything. My dad was my coach when I was younger
and he’s the one who made me tough, mentally. He always told me to never give up and
push harder because he wants me to take advantage of the opportunities that I have.
He always tells me that he’s living his dream through me by watching me on the court.”
Before he was a National Park Nighthawk, Corder was a young man with a dream to continue
playing the sport he loved at the next level.
“Right out of high school, I went to Henderson State University for a year and tried
to walk on to their basketball program,” Corder said. “However, their coaches didn’t
seem interested in me. I transferred to National Park College afterward because it
was cheaper and closer to home. I didn’t think I’d ever play basketball again, though.”
Corder’s second chance to play college basketball came when he least expected it.
“I remember signing up for intramural basketball here, just to have something fun
to do,” Corder said, “During one of my games, Coach Jason Hudnell approached me and
talked to me about starting the Nighthawks. I could tell that he was a nice, respectful
man who cared about starting something that we hadn’t had in a long time. I figured,
‘why not,’ and gave it a shot. I’ve never regretted it.”
As the only player from Hot Springs on the team, Corder takes great pride in representing
the community he calls home.
“Staying in Hot Springs to play basketball was important to me because, in many ways,
Hot Springs is still an unknown place, when it comes to athletics,” Corder said. “I
remember playing in AAU tournaments and telling people where I’m from and they had
no idea what I was talking about. By deciding to play here, I feel like I’m helping
put my hometown on the map. My goal is to give us more exposure so that we can give
other athletes more inspiration to come here and continue playing the sports they
love.”
Since day one, No. 13 has made quite the impact for National Park College. In an
inaugural season that defied expectations, Corder and the Nighthawks took Hot Springs
by storm with an impressive 12-5 record. As a sophomore, the guard averages 12 points
and 4.6 rebounds per game in the team’s historic first year in the NJCAA.
“My goal this year was to pave the way for people to come play in Hot Springs,” Corder
said. “To get offered scholarships and be able to play for free in their hometown.
I want to really inspire others because there are so many kids out there who expect
to go somewhere like a big Division I school right out of high school, but they don’t
understand that you can come to a place like National Park College, play junior college
basketball and have the time of your life.”
With just eight games remaining in his Nighthawk career, Corder aims to treat each
game like it’s his last.
“Our goal at this point of the season is just to go out there every night, play our
hardest and have fun while doing it,” Corder said. “Basketball lasts only so long
in life, and as a team, our sophomores only have a few games left together. We want
to win every game left on our schedule, but if we don’t, we want to make sure that
we gave it everything we had on the court.”
When he’s not on the floor in Nighthawk blue, Corder is spending time with his teammates—playing
Fortnite and making great memories together. For the sophomore, the comradery has
been the highlight of his junior college career.
“Being a Nighthawk these past two years has meant a lot to me,” Corder said. “After
high school, I never thought that I would be able to bond with another team, but meeting
new people like Seth Duke, Braylon Steen, Lowell Washington, Jarvis Ricks and Clyde
Ricks—they changed everything for me.”
Although he hasn’t made any plans yet, the sophomore is optimistic for his future
after National Park College.
“Right now, it’s still a little early for me to know what I want to do in life, but
I’ve been focusing on my academics for whenever I figure it out,” Corder said. “I
hope to continue playing basketball. I have a few schools looking at me right now
and I’d love to keep playing at the next level.”
As a role model to athletes in the Spa City, Corder encourages hard work and perseverance
as the key factors for success.
“For the young athletes out there, I would tell them to keep on grinding and working,”
Corder said. “Keep your head up. There was a point in time where I didn’t think that
I would ever play college basketball, but look at me now. Look at us now. Look at
how far we’ve come. We’re just one year into NJCAA play and we’re about to bring in
three more sports. Keep pushing and never give up and the rest will come.”
National Park College travels to Williams Baptist University today at 7 p.m.
