Beyond the Court: Exploring Faith and Basketball with Paul Hudson
I recently had the pleasure of speaking with Paul Hudson, a Student Life Assistant at Stony Brook University and a high school basketball coach. For Paul, basketball isn’t just a sport; it’s a calling, a shared experience among friends, a connection with his dad, and a way to live out his faith.
Growing up in the Bible Belt, Paul strongly identified with his faith but struggled to relate to how others dictated its expression. Through his work promoting intentional living, Paul shared in our interview his deep connection between basketball and his faith. He also discussed his motivation to provide mentorship and guidance to the students he coaches as they navigate both school and life.
Read the full interview below.
This interview was edited for length and clarity.
Suraj: Hi Paul! I’m looking forward to chatting with you. I started The Multicultural Man to celebrate cultural diversity and healthy masculinity through storytelling. Thanks for being willing to share your story with me today!
Paul: Anytime!
Suraj: Can we start by hearing a little about your cultural or religious background?
Paul: Yeah, so I was born in Brooklyn and I grew up in the Bible Belt of Charlotte, North Carolina to Christian parents with the Evangelical tradition.
Suraj: What was your experience like growing up in Charlotte?
Paul: I am an African American man and we lived in a suburban neighborhood. We were probably the only black family in the neighborhood. I went to a primarily white school and I always stood out because I was the tall black kid in the class. I’ve become comfortable in white spaces because it’s what I’ve adapted to.
Suraj: During this period, did you have any communities that you felt connected to or activities that you spent your time on?
Paul: Basketball had been a big part of my life. I have a lot of memories with childhood friends playing basketball.
Suraj: Where did your interest in basketball originate?
Paul: My dad loved the game and taught me at a pretty young age. When I wasn’t at school, I spent a lot of time at the gym just trying to get better. I did it because I wanted to make my dad proud. A lot of my identity was associated with how well I played on the court.
Suraj: It’s interesting to hear about your relationship to basketball. It seems that it was more than a game.
Paul: Among my childhood friends, it was almost a shared sense of adversity. We were all struggling to play well so that we felt more loved. It was a bad connection to make to the game, but it was the connection we made as kids.
Suraj: I’m curious if you felt that basketball was connected to your sense of masculinity.
Paul: It was a way to prove my masculinity. It gave me an identity.
Suraj: What is your relationship to basketball now?
Paul: I’m a basketball couch now for high schoolers. I’m hoping that the sport can give them the best opportunities possible. I hope they will look back and think of me as the coach that believed in them.
Suraj: I love that. Is being a basketball couch your main role now?
Paul: I work at a residential boarding school, so it’s a mix of residential life and basketball coaching.
Suraj: Very cool. So, as you know, The Multicultural Man celebrates healthy masculinity. How would you define healthy masculinity?
Paul: I’ll start by defining other types of masculinity first. Toxic masculinity is using anybody and anything to accomplish the goals of one’s own ego. It means not trusting anyone to come along with you. In terms of vulnerability, you don’t express yourself because you think people are against you or try to compete with you.
Suraj: So, what do you think healthy masculinity is?
Paul: Healthy masculinity allows you to hold up the golden rule. Treat others how you want to be treated. This means living to make your neighbor’s life better. Having a generous heart. It’s a level of service without expecting anything in return.
Suraj: I really like how you explained that. In a way, it has a similar goal to religion. Could you share a little more about the work you are doing in religion?
Paul: I’ve been working on a project with my fiancé to encourage people to live out their beliefs in a more intentional way. The way we have decided to do this is to express the way we see God in our day-to-day lives to the passions that we believe that God has given us individually.
Suraj: What inspired you to do this work?
Paul: I mentioned that I grew up in the Bible Belt. I was always told from church elders and people with more experience that the way you grow in your faith is to pray, to read the Bible, and to study the Bible. With basketball being a big part of my life, I always felt conflicted when I went to practice basketball because it didn’t align with how I was supposed to live out my faith. I got upset with this. I would like to believe that God gave me a passion for basketball. He gave me a passion for a lot of things that I closed myself off from because I thought that I just had to think and read about God all the time. But I think that God is present in everything that we do. If we just open our eyes to see that, it would allow us to live more free lives. I’m hoping if anyone else can relate to that, then they could live a more free life earlier on in their journey too.
Suraj: That is a fascinating thought. I’m sure that it will inspire others to live out their authentic lives.
Paul: I hope we can inspire people to be more intentional. I don’t want people to live out their faith without intention. I think this will help with the mental health crisis because we, as a society, neglect that part of ourselves as well.
Suraj: You definitely will inspire people. Thank you for sharing your story with me!
Paul: Thank you for having me.