‘Driving’ the team to success

Maricopa is a long way from home for Lucius Ahaneku, a native of Biafra in eastern Nigeria.

A resident of the city since last summer, he makes what many would consider a long trip to Scottsdale on a regular basis as a bus driver for the athletic teams at Notre Dame Preparatory High School.

But in his short time with the school, he has already made a lasting impression. Enough so the freshman volleyball team honored him at its end-of-season banquet. And while he has some important plans to help others around the Valley, he hopes to be part of the Notre Dame family for a long time.

Anna Wazny, a freshman volleyball player, said Ahaneku was “just a positive light for the team” during its dominant 15-3 campaign this season.

“He was different; you could see he was a great person,” she said. “He worked to do what was best for us. The girls all love him.”

If the volleyball rolled away from the court, Ahaneku would run to grab it, Wazny shared. If the water bottles were knocked over, he picked them up. He carried the team’s cooler of food to the court. And he did it all with a smile on his face.

“He talked on and on how grateful he was and how he loved being with us,” Wazny added.
Ahaneku is quick to agree with that sentiment.

“Those girls are amazing. They are so talented and so humble,” he contended. “I knew nothing about volleyball before I came to Notre Dame. These girls made me fall in love with volleyball.

“Their humility led me to draw closer to them. I liked their team spirit. I kind of made myself part of the team. I was all out to support them in any way I could.”

Ahaneku worked at a school district in Seattle, where he lived for five years before coming to Maricopa. He said when he saw a job listing at the Catholic high school in Scottsdale, he was quick to apply and grateful for the opportunity.

“It gives me joy to talk about God freely with no restrictions,” he said. “When I looked at these girls and their behavior, I could tell their parents have done a great job.”

As for that “long” drive from Maricopa to Scottsdale to get ready to drive some more to the athletic contests, he revealed that “I don’t feel the pain of driving because I came to meet such wonderful people. I feel good going to work.”

The connection was so great, Ahaneku was encouraged by team members to attend the season-ending celebration. Little did he know he would be honored with gifts including a variety of gift cards and a framed photograph of him with the players and coaches.

“That was mind blowing,” he exclaimed. “It was a big surprise. I was not expecting that at all. I was so happy that in just a couple of months at Notre Dame my impact had been felt.”

Ahaneku said he likes all the coaches, athletic department members and administrative personnel and appreciates the steps they have taken to make him feel welcome. He looks to expand his presence in the future throughout the school, including with the volleyball players.

“Even if the game is not going in our favor, I want to encourage them by name and make sure their spirit stays up,” he said.

He will continue to inspire youth at the school even after he finalizes plans to start a new organization in Phoenix to assist the homeless. It is a mission he has been working on since arriving in Arizona.

“We want to provide food and clothing for the homeless and preach the word of God to them,” Ahaneku stated, “so we can keep them off the street. It is going to be a place of fruitfulness where God makes it proficient for his people.”

Ahaneku is married with three sons. He and his family have adapted well to Maricopa.
“People here are so nice,” he says. “We like the weather even though we came during the hot summer. Nigeria does not have that kind of temperatures.”