Sissonville youth a busy winner: ; Taylor splits time between All-Star baseball, AAU and national Soap Box Derby

DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER

Not many athletes can say they have won a couple of state crowns,played for a national title, and competed for a world championshipall in different sports ... especially in a period of less than 12months.

Well Sissonville has just such a young athlete.

Make that a very young athlete.

This weekend 9-year-old Bryce Taylor leaves with the rest of hisWest Virginia Bombers AAU basketball team to compete in the national9-and-under tournament in Orlando, Florida.

That event lasts through July 21.

As soon as it finishes, Taylor will hop a plane and head forAkron, Ohio, for the All-American Soap Box Derby worldchampionships.

Last fall, Taylor's team won the under-10 state soccer crown atthe Kohl's Cup at Jackson's Mill.

Thursday night, the unassuming youngster was in action with theBombers in a summer league game at George Washington High.

With 1:02 to play in the first half he hit a 3-pointer from theleft side to break a 17-17 tie and start his team on a 19-4 run.

They went on to defeat a scrappy Lightning squad 43-39.

Afterwards he talked about his upcoming adventures.

"I think it's going to be fun," Taylor said. "We're going to begoing to water parks before the games and doing things after thegames."

His mother, Billie Jo, and his 11-year-old brother will be withhim on the Orlando trip.

When that tournament finishes, hopefully with the Bombers winningthe national title in the 9-and-under division, they put him on aplane to meet his father, Chad, in Akron.

"I'm flying by myself," Taylor said proudly. "I've flown before,but never by myself."

He knows competition at the Soap Box Derby will be tough.

"There's going to be like 500 racers up there," Taylor said."People from all around the world."

This is his second trip to Akron after winning the West VirginiaSoap Box Derby for the big races.

"Last year I was in the stock car division," said Taylor. "I camein ninth."

Those are the sleek, pointed cars. This year he moves up to thesuper stock division, where the cars are flatter and rounder.

His dad helped him build his car. It took them about a week.

Soap Box Derby racing runs in the youngster's blood. His fatherraced in the late 1980's and his grandfather, Pat, is a regionaldirector for the organization.

Taylor says he has no special secret for his racing success savefor a lucky coin.

"A guy gave it to me from Canada," Taylor said.

He began playing basketball and soccer around age 4. This is thefirst year he has played AAU basketball.

He also started in baseball at the same time.

His Little League All-Star team was eliminated about three weeksago, or otherwise the summer schedule could have been even morehectic.

Not that he of his parents mind.

"My philosophy is athletics teaches kids a lot about life," saidTaylor's father.

"It also teaches sportsmanship and just not to quit."

It is that part of his son's make-up he sees leading to hissuccess.

"He is like a bulldog," said his dad.

Taylor says his favorite sport is basketball.

Former Capital High and West Virginia State star athlete VarianCunningham coaches Taylor's hoops' squad and fully supports hisyoung player's endeavors.

"I love what he is doing," Cunningham said. "I love the way kidsstay busy, there's so much trouble to get into out there."

As for Taylor and his teammate's chances in Orlando, Cunninghamhas both experience there and a sobering memory.

"I played with Jason Williams and Randy Moss," he said. "We wentto Orlando and finished third."

That's not a bad crowd for a 9-year-old from Sissonville to bementioned with in the same breath.

Contact sportswriter J.T. Simms at jtsimms@dailymail.com or 348-1735.

Sissonville youth a busy winner: ; Taylor splits time between All-Star baseball, AAU and national Soap Box Derby

DAILY MAIL SPORTSWRITER

Not many athletes can say they have won a couple of state crowns,played for a national title, and competed for a world championshipall in different sports ... especially in a period of less than 12months.

Well Sissonville has just such a young athlete.

Make that a very young athlete.

This weekend 9-year-old Bryce Taylor leaves with the rest of hisWest Virginia Bombers AAU basketball team to compete in the national9-and-under tournament in Orlando, Florida.

That event lasts through July 21.

As soon as it finishes, Taylor will hop a plane and head forAkron, Ohio, for the All-American Soap Box Derby worldchampionships.

Last fall, Taylor's team won the under-10 state soccer crown atthe Kohl's Cup at Jackson's Mill.

Thursday night, the unassuming youngster was in action with theBombers in a summer league game at George Washington High.

With 1:02 to play in the first half he hit a 3-pointer from theleft side to break a 17-17 tie and start his team on a 19-4 run.

They went on to defeat a scrappy Lightning squad 43-39.

Afterwards he talked about his upcoming adventures.

"I think it's going to be fun," Taylor said. "We're going to begoing to water parks before the games and doing things after thegames."

His mother, Billie Jo, and his 11-year-old brother will be withhim on the Orlando trip.

When that tournament finishes, hopefully with the Bombers winningthe national title in the 9-and-under division, they put him on aplane to meet his father, Chad, in Akron.

"I'm flying by myself," Taylor said proudly. "I've flown before,but never by myself."

He knows competition at the Soap Box Derby will be tough.

"There's going to be like 500 racers up there," Taylor said."People from all around the world."

This is his second trip to Akron after winning the West VirginiaSoap Box Derby for the big races.

"Last year I was in the stock car division," said Taylor. "I camein ninth."

Those are the sleek, pointed cars. This year he moves up to thesuper stock division, where the cars are flatter and rounder.

His dad helped him build his car. It took them about a week.

Soap Box Derby racing runs in the youngster's blood. His fatherraced in the late 1980's and his grandfather, Pat, is a regionaldirector for the organization.

Taylor says he has no special secret for his racing success savefor a lucky coin.

"A guy gave it to me from Canada," Taylor said.

He began playing basketball and soccer around age 4. This is thefirst year he has played AAU basketball.

He also started in baseball at the same time.

His Little League All-Star team was eliminated about three weeksago, or otherwise the summer schedule could have been even morehectic.

Not that he of his parents mind.

"My philosophy is athletics teaches kids a lot about life," saidTaylor's father.

"It also teaches sportsmanship and just not to quit."

It is that part of his son's make-up he sees leading to hissuccess.

"He is like a bulldog," said his dad.

Taylor says his favorite sport is basketball.

Former Capital High and West Virginia State star athlete VarianCunningham coaches Taylor's hoops' squad and fully supports hisyoung player's endeavors.

"I love what he is doing," Cunningham said. "I love the way kidsstay busy, there's so much trouble to get into out there."

As for Taylor and his teammate's chances in Orlando, Cunninghamhas both experience there and a sobering memory.

"I played with Jason Williams and Randy Moss," he said. "We wentto Orlando and finished third."

That's not a bad crowd for a 9-year-old from Sissonville to bementioned with in the same breath.

Contact sportswriter J.T. Simms at jtsimms@dailymail.com or 348-1735.