Children's book written by point guard on Colorado high school basketball team reaches No. 1 on Amazon
Lorenzo Contreras is a big reason why Smoky Hill High School in Aurora is one of the best basketball teams in Colorado.
"He's a fiery competitor," said Anthony Hardin, his coach.
Zo, as he is known, leads the Buffs in steals and assists. He was born to ball.
"From my youngest memory I had a ball in my hand," recalls Zo. "I just love the high speed and passion everyone has and I like being on a team where everybody looks out for each other."
Lorenzo's passion doesn't end on the basketball court. He's a published author who's written a children's book that reached No. 1 on Amazon.
The book is called "Sammy the Super Snail - Hero of the Garden."
"It was a summer project," said Zo. "I always loved writing and English is my favorite class in school and I just decided to give it a try."
It tells the story of a too small, too slow snail, who has big dreams.
"Throughout the story, Sammy always makes a difference in everything he does," Zo said. "He makes a difference in his garden and has a positive impact on everybody he meets which I feel like any kid can inherit that trait."
"I have a 7-year old and a 3-year-old daughter and they liked it," said Hardin. "They enjoyed it and got the moral of the story that size, shape and physical limits have nothing to do with you achieving your goals."
Zo's message to kids is admirable and he thinks it can resonate with him and his teammates as well.
"I feel like if everybody had Sammy's mentality, then we never would have lost a game this year," Zo said.
Lessons learned from a too small, too slow snail just might lead the big bad Buffaloes to its first-ever state championship.
