WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. — Ever told someone to go here and they go there?

Or told someone to do this but they do that?

Welcome to Eric Southward’s world. When you’re coaching up kids as young as four-years-old, they don’t always do what they’re told. 

“They’re young kids, you know. So, it’s going to happen,” Eric said. “You just take it for what it is.”

What it is is a group of very young boys and girls learning the game of basketball. For some, the ball is almost bigger than they are.

“I just redirect them and smile with them,” he said. “And as long as you’re having fun with them, they’re going to enjoy it and have fun with you as well too.”

This former Pasco High star has made basketball his business. He quit his teaching job to found Little Hoopsters Academy — the emphasis on "little." Eric gets these kids at a very young age to pass along his passion for hoops.

“First of all, I want them to enjoy the game and you know, have fun,” he said.

But you can have fun while learning the basics. Eric and his wife lead these kids through a variety of drills. You see a lot of smiles and you hear a lot of laughter. 

'At this age, they need to learn the fundamentals when it comes to dribbling, shooting and passing,” Southward said.

Eric wants to set a tone with these kids when it comes to basketball. Some of them will go on to play in high school — maybe even college and big dreams: the NBA. LeBron James had to start somewhere. 

“This is basically just a stepping stone for them to get them to the next level,” he said.

Eric grew up in a single parent household. Basketball was his safe haven. It was his way out. Eric’s gotten a lot from hoops. And he wants others to reap all the benefits that this sport offers.

“I was always the kid out there at night, midnight, just out there practicing on my game,” Eric said. “People probably thought I was crazy, but they knew Eric would be out there practicing on his craft. I just think for me, I got a lot out of this game.”

And by working with these young kids, Eric’s still getting something from basketball.

“I just love the game of basketball,” he said. “I love everything about the whole aspect of it. And to me, it’s not even a job. It’s just like waking up and being in paradise every single day, so, I love it.”