12-Year-Old From Midwest City Wins National Free Throw Contest

Ayden Birch is from Midwest City. And although he’s only twelve years old, you might want to remember his name.

“I like the Labron a lot and I like the Lakers,” said basketball phenom Ayden Birch.

However, he is loyal to his home team.“I mostly want to play for the Thunder and stay in Oklahoma,” said Birch.

He’s already preparing to play at the NBA level. “I mean I can shoot threes from the NBA line and like the logo,” said Birch.

The logo means half court. And he hits that shot consistently. “I just practice every day and work on my game and stuff,” said Birch.

He’s self-motivated, challenging himself to get better every day. He hates to lose, so when his dad told him about his free throw record. “My dad, he’s a really good free-throw shooter, and sometimes he makes like, a lot in a row, and one time he made ninety-nine, and so I just want to start trying it,” said Birch.

When Ayden and his family got wind of a free throw shooting competition it was the perfect challenge. “It’s a nationwide contest that has been going on since 1949,” said David Niles with the Elk Lodge.

The Elk Lodge sponsors the competition that starts at the local and then state levels. “From state, he goes to regional which includes Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma,” said Niles.

Ayden competed in the 12 and 13-year-old groups, making it all the way to nationals.

“You just have to stay focused, and if you miss you can’t worry about it too much because you’ll miss the next one,” said Birch.

Ayden stayed cool and calm only missing one free throw at the national competition, ultimately making him the national champion. “I was nervous and shaking for him, but he seemed pretty poised, I mean he’s got it,” said Niles.

“I was just looking at my uncle and he was really excited, and my mom was too,” said Birch.

“He also is enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in Massachusetts,” said Niles.

For his accomplishments, Birch was also recognized on the Oklahoma Senate floor. He says without question he will compete in the competition next year.