Norman’s Beau Billingsly
By Bryce McKinnis
Youth athletes of great talent are numbered but not infrequent. Those with great character are harder to come by.
“I wish I could an answer, like I spent countless hours watching film and in the gym and just worked out all the kinks; Which I was watching a lot of film and in the gym, but really was that simple,” said Beau Billingsly, a senior basketball player at Norman High School and returning First-Team All-COAC selection, “Jesus was the answer to all my problems on the court and off.”
Billingsly, also the reigning District MVP, led the Tigers to a 22-6 finish last year. He committed to Texas A&M – Corpus Christi in September. To him, his walk with God lives in tandem with the sport of basketball.
“It’s the reason I get up and workout and helps me to be a better leader and better teammate every day,” Billingsly said. “When I’m keeping Jesus first, everything else falls in line behind Him.”
For an athlete of Billingsly’s caliber, it may be assumed that his basketball journey was an immediate and continual success. That couldn’t be farther from the truth.
“Just not having that perspective and really having to overcome the mental side of the game, the bad losses, sacrifices, it all came with a toll, and it’s hard to play free and the way I wanted to when I was so caught up in my own head,” Billingsly said. “A little over a year ago now, I really met Jesus and really felt His love and was just overwhelmed with His peace and presence. That literally took all the weight off of my chest in an instant, and I found a whole new joy in basketball.”
That peace brought his game, and his life, to a new level. When he isn’t shredding opposing defenders on the court, Billingsly also takes volunteerism seriously. He’s an active member of Tigers For Christ, an NHS organization that facilitates fellowship between Christian students, who regularly pray over the hallways. His goals for his anticipated senior year are sky high.
“This year’s team is probably the best team I’ve been a part of yet. We returned a bunch of studs and a lot of leadership and experience and have a lot of new, fresh talent with transfers and freshmen,” Billingsly said. “The guys love to compete and work hard. We’re a really tight-knit group, and we play for each other, which makes the game way more fun and easy. I expect nothing but success, and I’m blessed to be a part of such a special group.”
It’s a relief, now that he’s concluded his recruitment, for Billingsly to focus on leading the Tigers to success.
“TAMU-CC was ultimately the best fit for me because of the coaches and players. I only took one visit and knew when I got there that’s where I wanted to be,” Billingsly said. “The guys were all really connected, it seemed, and I feel like I could really tell the coaching staff cared about their guys. Coach [Jim] Shaw and Coach Dylan [Johnson] definitely made me feel right at home and showed me where I fit in and how I could come in and make an immediate impact my freshman year.”
Until then, it’s Norman Tigers against everybody.
“To be a Norman Tiger has been a big blessing. I’ve made lifelong relationships with these guys. I’ve played under the best coaching staff in the state, who all helped me get to where I’m at,” Billingsly said. “I’m so incredibly thankful that I get to finish my high school career as a Tiger.”
In five years, Billingsly hopes to be continuing his basketball career at the professional level. “Mainly, I see myself continuing what I’m doing now, chasing Jesus every day like it’s my last, loving those around me the way Jesus loves me and sharing Jesus every chance I get.”
