‘Every day is game day’: Meet four-year old coach Christopher

• Kalan Hooks, ESPNFeb 28, 2024, 09:15 AM ET When Christopher Bess remained in Pre-K, his school held a profession day. He dressed as a coach with a whistle, a t-shirt and a hat to imitate his daddy, Reginald Bess, the university coach for the Tarboro High School kids’ basketball team in North Carolina.Editor’s Picks

1 Associated Now, he’s going viral for being referred to as the” 2024 Youth Coach of the Year”and training together with his daddy. Before their games, Christopher pumps the team up with a pregame speech.A video of

Christopher’s pregame speech published on Feb. 23rd has now amassed over 1.3 million views on Instagram and has grown his account to over 70,000 fans in under a week. His social media page consists of other coaching techniques such as leading drills, suicides and breaking from the group gathers.

“When I coach my whole butt off, y’ all play y’ all whole butt off,” Christopher informed the Tarboro Vikings team in a pregame speech.

Reginald has actually delighted in the impact Christopher has made.

“I feel like him being a little African American kid, man, he’s making a big effect,” Reginald told ESPN. “It’s favorable to see because he’s simply a great kid. He’s constantly laughing, he’s always smiling and if he sees somebody not with a smile on their face he’ll ask like ‘What’s incorrect/’ or he’ll go up to them if he understands them like ‘Put a smile on your face!’ and no matter what they’re going through, even if they’re going through hell, they’ll put a smile on their face.”

Though Christopher is only four years old, he takes basketball and training seriously. He has a handful of game-day superstitions that he follows consistently.On days when the Tarboro High School basketball group has a game, Christopher wakes up and eats a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios– his favorite cereal– before going to “work. “After school, he comes home to become his game-day attire: a golf shirt with a Viking logo and “L’il Coach Bess” stitched below, a pair of khaki pants, his black Nike Air Max 270 sneakers and a pullover that he will not ditch up until the 3rd quarter.< img height ="320 "width="

570″src =”https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/39610710/”/ > Christopher Bess dressed up as a coach for profession day. Anaya Brinson

His older sibling, Reggie Bess, is a player on the university group and states Christopher is a difficult coach.

“In some cases I feel like Christopher gets on me more than my dad,” Reggie stated. “I’ll miss out on a basket or turn the ball over [and] he’s chewing out me [while] my daddy is like ‘Return on defense,’ and Christopher is still over there screaming about the turnover that took place 2 plays back. It’s fun to see him on the sidelines enjoying what he likes.”

Christopher’s presence leaves a positive effect on the team. Although his voice might be quieter than the players’, they still listen and do what the young coach calls for.

“Sometimes, Christopher is extremely, I think, beneficial,” Reggie said. “Often on defense, we might be in a zone and Christopher will state ‘Someone drop back-side’ and the back-side wing actually needs to drop, so Christopher will tell them and the wing really listens to him and drops. Little things like that make him even more important.”

When the Vikings play other groups, coaches treat Christopher as if he were an adult coach. Coaches resolve him respectfully, followed by replies to Christopher’s pregame garbage talk.

“Christopher is gon na be Christopher with a smile on his face and he’ll inform them ‘You ain’t gon na win tonight, this our night!'” Reginald told ESPN. “He enjoys to compete and talks garbage in a favorable way and the [opposing] coaches love that about him.”

When Christopher isn’t coaching along with his papa, he plays (and coaches) in the Upward Sports basketball league. However, his passion depends on training his group to win and tossing a towel on the ground for each mistake made.

” [Playing’s] a little too far,” Christopher stated with a smile. “You can take me as a coach, however as a player? No, that’s a bit too far.”