It wasn’t that long ago that Garrett Callahan became the 40th member of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits basketball team to score 1,000 points, and it wasn’t long before that when he led the Seneca Fighting Irish to a state championship and became the program’s all-time leading scorer. Yet, there’s something somewhat odd about seeing Callahan on a basketball court these days, probably because it seems unusual seeing him on the sidelines.

Last year, after playing overseas professionally in China, Callahan came home to set up the Illinois Ambush, an AAU basketball program based in Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, Champaign, and all the little cities in between. His new role, as both director and coach, is one that he enjoys, but he’s not completely used to yet.

“It’s hard, because a part of you still wants to go out there and just do it,” Callahan said. “During the course of the game I think so many things that I want to get out there to (the kids), but that’s a tough transition to make for me because I’ve never had to do that before. Luckily, these kids are smart and they know what I’m talking about, so even though it’s a little bit different for me, it’s still basketball and it’s a game I love.”