Many kids dream about becoming professional basketball players and those who get the opportunity may not forgo it for religious obligations.
Ike Sutton from Hillcrest High School in Ammon received much recognition for being a great basketball player. But, instead of starting his college basketball career immediately, he made the difficult decision to delay his collegiate sports career to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Sutton grew up playing basketball. He tried many sports as a kid, but basketball is what he clung to and enjoyed the most.
“I started playing basketball since I can even remember. I was playing since about five years old. My brother would always play with me and that's how my love of basketball began. So I just started playing basketball and then throughout growing up, I just stuck with it. Of course, playing some other sports, but I really just really fell in love with basketball,” Sutton said
He played basketball at Madison High School for two years before transferring to Hillcrest High School and even won the state championship with his team playing at Hillcrest.
With a state championship under his belt, Sutton was also recognized individually for his athletic ability. He won Co-All-Area Player of the Year by the Post Register, he won All-Area First Team multiple times meaning that he was one of the five best players in the Idaho Falls area and participated in the Idaho State All-Star Basketball Game meaning he was one of the best players in the state of Idaho.
When it came time to graduate, Sutton had to decide between continuing his basketball career at a university or following his childhood dreams of serving a mission. He faced many difficulties in making the decision. He questioned if he was doing the right thing, and where God needed him.
“Those difficulties, they've hit me pretty hard,” Sutton said. “But saying prayers and reading in the Book of Mormon, especially, has been able to help me to get over those hard times and know that I'm doing the right thing.”
Sutton received five offers from different universities wanting him to play for them. Many of these Universities were unwilling to wait for Sutton to finish his two-year mission before starting to play, however, Hawaii Pacific University was willing to wait and offered Sutton a spot on their team.
After committing to Hawaii Pacific, Sutton committed to the Lord and currently serves in the México Torreón Mission.
“Being out here on the mission, I've realized that there's a bigger purpose. It's bigger than basketball and basketball isn't who you are, it's something that you do. And so, really taking in being able to just play the game that I love is enough for me,” Sutton said, “I'm really
looking forward to serving the mission because I know that the blessings that are going to come from this are going to be things that I could never even imagine.”