Destined for the Court: JJ Hayes’s Journey to PBA

From the time Jason (JJ) Hayes was four years old, he knew he was destined for basketball. The Cumming, Georgia native says some of his favorite childhood memories involve playing basketball with his dad, who was a player himself. Although Hayes’s dream to play collegiate basketball was always clear, his journey to PBA was by no means straightforward. In fact, his senior year of high school, PBA wasn’t even on his radar.

After being heavily recruited by several schools, JJ committed to play basketball at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA). In order to be officially admitted into the USMMA, he had to undergo a series of physical tests, which is how he discovered that he was color blind. Because of that, he was unable to attend USMMA.

“When people ask me about that situation, I tell them it was God intervening, and I truly believe he wanted me to go to PBA,” Hayes explains. In March 2022, during his senior year of high school, he was connected with Cole Rose, PBA’s men’s head basketball coach.

While it is challenging to navigate athletics, academics and maintain a social life, Hayes says he wouldn’t change his experience for the world. The highlight of his experience as a student-athlete is the inseparable bond he has formed with his teammates and coaches. He is also grateful for the way faith is integrated into every aspect of his life at PBA. His teammates, coaches and professors consistently point him toward the Lord and remind him what really matters in the grand scheme of things.

“I love that because PBA is a faith-based institution, we don’t have to tiptoe around our faith at all,” he says. “When we are in the locker room or in the classroom, we are open about our faith. We pray before every game. Coach Rose references scripture all the time. I love that we can embrace our faith, and PBA teaches us to be proud of it.”

During Hayes’s sophomore year, he applied and was accepted to represent the Sunshine State Conference on the Division II National Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). In this role, he is responsible for gathering feedback and reporting to the SAAC on behalf of PBA, relaying important events, hot topics and educational information to the campus and conference contacts.

He is also involved in SAAC’s mental health advisory group, a subcommittee that was created to advise the NCAA on emerging developments in mental health science and policy. The invaluable work they are doing is timely, as a 2021 Student- Athlete Well-Being Study conducted by the NCAA showed that rates of mental exhaustion, anxiety and depression remain one-and-a-half to two times higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic. “One of our goals is to get a sports psychologist on every campus,” Hayes explains. “It’s so important.”

As he prepares for his third season, Hayes is grateful for the growth he has experienced in his two years at PBA. During the 2023-2024 academic year, PBA’s men’s basketball team experienced back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2003 to 2005. Additionally, they had the most wins in Coach Rose’s coaching era, and their highest team scoring average. “I am looking forward to watching our program and our school continue to grow,” Hayes says. “It just gets better every year.”

To see the Sailfish athletics schedule, visit pbasailfish.com/calendar.