Aberdeen Native Replaced Battlefields with Basketball Courts

Aberdeen native David Grace served in the Air Force for 20 years, undertaking many operations in Turkey, Georgia, Iraq and in the United States. Whether it was playing, coaching or refereeing, the one thing that remained constant in a life of traveling around the world was his love for basketball.

After a mid-life career change, which included Grace going back to college at the age of 35 while raising his teenaged children, he is now the assistant coach for the Oregon State Beavers.

Sitting courtside before the Beavers game against the Towson Tigers, Patch met with Grace to talk about serving in the military and coaching basketball.

Patch: Do you ever incorporate stories of your time in the military into pep talks with your basketball players?

David Grace: All the time. My players always ask me about the military even to this day. We talk about survival training and talk about the war. They want to know all the places I’ve been to. 

Patch: Are there any similarities between coaching basketball and fighting in a war?

DG: This is just like the military. Except in the military, they shoot real bullets. We move troops in the military to go fight a war. Well, we move basketball players to places like Towson to compete in a basketball game. So, it’s the same thing.

Patch: President Obama will be in attendance for today’s game because Michelle Obama is the sister of Oregon State head coach Craig Robinson. Does that bring any extra pressure?

DG: Today there’s pressure on our kids. Barack Obama will be here today, and you always want to perform well in front of the most powerful man in the world. It could be a distraction for our kids, but this is the third time we’ve played in front of him so we’re getting kind of used to it.

Patch: What was your childhood like?

DG: I was born in Havre de Grace and lived in Aberdeen almost my whole life. My father and relatives live in Aberdeen, so I call Aberdeen my home. I lived in Redwood Squares right off Bel Air Avenue.

Patch: Your childhood has been described as torn. Can you describe those years?

DG: I have great parents. You know, it’s just that when I was 6 years old they divorced, and I spent time in both households. It caused me to move around a lot in my youth, but I always made it back to Aberdeen and then leave again. But that was quite an experience looking back on it. It helped mold me—made me tougher.

Patch: What do you remember about living in Aberdeen?

DG: It was the best. I really enjoyed living there. I learned a lot. That’s where I formed all of my early year habits, and it’s where I began to love sports. Sports were big in my life. My dad was a big sports fanatic. I played all three sports: baseball, football and basketball. I competed against Billy Ripken. Billy and I competed against each other growing up. We also played on the same high school baseball team.

Patch: How did basketball first enter your life?

DG: I’ve loved basketball since I was 5 years old. I’m a big Maryland Terrapins fan to this day and growing up in Aberdeen, when Maryland played and it was on television, we watched it. I always wanted to play college basketball, but to play at the University of Maryland was always a dream of mine.

Patch: When was the last time you were in Aberdeen?

I was there this week. I got into town after playing in the Meadowlands in New Jersey. My father was very ill. He just had double bypass surgery. He just got out of the hospital on Thanksgiving, so I was up there to see him. My children came up from Atlanta, so we’re all here. It’s great timing. He wanted to come to the game tonight. He’s a big Oregon State Beaver fan as soon as I became a coach here, but he’s not healthy enough to come today.

The Oregon State Beavers beat the Towson Tigers 64-44.

Part two of the Q&A will include Grace's time while serving in Operation Desert Storm and how meeting Boo Williams inspired him to complete his degree so he could become a college basketball coach.