Henry Small –At a young age, Henry’s love for basketball was obviously noted .  It all began during his years while attending E.O. Smith Middle School.  Henry started learning the fundamentals and the basics of the game under the leadership of Coach Walter Pattiway.  Henry was a very quick learner and it later paid off.  The following school year, he transferred to I.M. Terrell Middle School where he was introduced to a new Coach, Randy Grimes.  Small didn’t waste any time showing off his unique skills, which caught the Coach’s eye and at that point his game was headed to a higher level.

During the summer months, Henry would always participate in games with the older guys at the neighborhood parks, be it Finnegan, Rose Wood or the Fonde Recreation Center. He knew that practice would only make his game better.  The following school year, Henry enrolled at Kashmere High, where he earned a spot on the varsity basketball squad under the leadership of Coach Weldon Drew. This was indeed a good start for an incoming sophomore.  During the years of 1972 through 1975, Henry and his team mates were named the best players back to back state championship team in 1975.  They were also given the title by EA Sports as the number “1” high school team in the Nation. During Henry’s playing time at Kashmere, their team held a state record of 78 game consecutive winning streaks.

After graduating from Kashmere High School in 1975, Henry received a scholarship to Northeastern Oklahoma located in Norman, Oklahoma where he was one of the starting players of the basketball team. In any given game while playing at “NEO”, Henry strived hard to help his team mates bring home as many wins as possible. His hard work and efforts would easily allow him to average 14 points and 6 assists.  After two years and having earned an associate degree, Henry left Oklahoma to join the University of Houston Cougars basketball team under the leadership of Coach Guy V. Lewis.  During his tenure at “U of H”, Henry continued to excel in the game.

After college, Henry had the opportunity to become a business partner with his dad, Robert. Together they operated Small’s Trucking Company from 1980 through 1997.  Having traveled the roads from state to state for 17 years, Henry was ready to give up the trucking business and focus on priorities, which meant local employment that would allow him to be home daily and closer to his family. He then became employed at Hightower High School located in Fort Bend ISD.  It was during his tenure at Hightower High, he was very active and instrumental in mentoring high school athletes, and he coached AAU Basketball as well as Pre-Season Basketball.  After numerous years of employment in Fort Bend and having the chance to continue sharing his knowledge in a sport “basketball” that he will forever love was one of Henry’s cherished accomplishments. On that note, Henry retired from the district in December of 2016.  Now retired, Henry still focus on basketball, but his true focus is enjoying quality time with his wife, Nancy and their only son, Jarren.