Veteran's Day: Crenshaw's Navy Journey To Ball State
November 10, 2020 | Men's Basketball
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By: Ball State Athletics
Ball State men's basketball assistant coach Matt Crenshaw has a great appreciation for Veteran's Day. Spending six of your formative years in the Navy will give you that perspective. Now in his third season on the bench for the Cardinals, Veteran's Day is often the starting line for each basketball season. But his experience in the Navy shapes his views a little more than most.
"For Veteran's Day, I give appreciation to those who served our country. It's something that's not forced, you voluntarily do it," Crenshaw said. "I spent this time thinking how the country tends to come together and truly work together in times of need and tragedy. I hope we can find that togetherness more often.
"Also for Memorial Day, I have a great appreciation for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Once you go through it, you appreciate it."
Crenshaw's story began after he graduated from high school in Virginia. He had some opportunities to play sports in college, but in the end opted to go into the military. After all, it was a family affair for him. His father, mother and uncle were all in the U.S. Army. As was his stepfather. With all that background and experience in that one military branch, Crenshaw became interested in forging his own path.
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"I had a lot of experiences with the army, knew it well," he said. "I was interested in exploring other opportunities in the military."
Crenshaw would enroll in U.S. Navy boot camp at the Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois in the fall of 1993. As an athlete who grew up in a military home, the physical challenges he could handle. The mental challenges presented to young officers took a bit more work, but Crenshaw quickly conquered those too. At the same time, he gathered lessons in teamwork, togetherness and leadership.
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"The mental aspects of boot camp prepare you for life and for being able to go through tough experiences," Crenshaw said. "When things are hard, I lean on the skills and lessons I learned in boot camp. The physical aspects didn't bother me. Those experiences helped me in college basketball, without a doubt."
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After boot camp, Crenshaw was for most of 1994 sent to the USS Kansas City (AOR-3), a fuel and supply replenishment ship, in Alameda, California. His second duty assignment was in Williamsburg, Virginia, at the NAVCHAPGRU until 1998 and lastly he served in Washington, D.C. until leaving the service in 2000. In all, Crenshaw worked on naval missions in Guantanamo Bay, Egypt, Spain and all over America.
The end game for many military officers is to go to college after service is complete, and Crenshaw was no different. He had sights on playing college sports, and gained confidence while playing with the top players in the military in organized tournaments.Â
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Left: Crenshaw (2nd from left) with his All-Armed Forces teammates. Right: Crenshaw poses with a medal.
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Crenshaw: "I knew I wanted to play football or basketball in college. When I was in Virginia, I was asked to go out for the All-Navy team. I ended up going out and made the team my first year. And going out into the community and playing on different bases, you see a lot of good players that played college or overseas. A lot of teammates had already completed their college careers and they were in my ear about playing in college. I began to take it more seriously and I felt like I could do it."
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Crenshaw played three years on the All-Navy team and also made the All-Armed Forces team comprised of top players from all military branches. His team advanced to the Shape International Basketball Tournament in Belgium and he would travel to play upward to 50-70 games per year with his local naval base teams. Crenshaw approximates his team had a 45-25 record.
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After leaving the navy, had a successful playing career at IUPUI and coached there 12 seasons before coming to BSU in 2018. He's a two-time IUPUI Athletics Hall of Fame inductee (as a player and with his 2003 championship team) and still holds the school's record for assists. He enjoyed employing the leadership lessons he learned in the military as a college player and now in his second decade as a college coach.
"Being in the military at a young age helped me understand the importance of leadership," Crenshaw said. "Leadership is invaluable, especially in athletics. It's about understanding togetherness and team helped me when I went to college. I came in and was quickly someone all my teammates to come to. And I found value in everyone.
"It's kind of like a team," Crenshaw said of his military days. "You're connecting people with different backgrounds and views for a common goal. And that's protecting the country and our freedoms."
