When the Swindell family moved from Meridian to High Point, N.C., over the summer, one of the immediate objectives was to find a school where James “J3” Swindell III could begin his high school basketball career.

J3 played for Russell Christian Academy last winter as an eighth-grader, splitting time between junior varsity and varsity, and would have again as a freshman this season, but when James Swindell Jr. and Mary Swindell got jobs in High Point, the family’s plans changed. Having lived in Meridian for the past 10 years, J3 said there were plenty of adjustments to make, including fitting in at a new school.

“I knew I was moving in July, but I didn’t think it would necessarily be before school started, so it was a big move,” J3 said. “We moved to a whole new area, so I had to get used to a lot of different things.”

After looking at several schools, the family settled on Westchester Country Day School, where J3 is a member of the Wildcats’ roster. The team is currently 5-4 overall, 2-0 in the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association’s Triad Basketball division.

“We’ve been on a streak — we’ve won three in a row,” J3 said. “We’re a young team, but we’re coming around.”

A new basketball team wasn’t the only adjustment for J3. After working out with members of the team over the summer, J3 said that allowed him to bond with his teammates and focus on other changes once school started.

“I had to get used to a different schedule,” J3 explained. “I don’t go to the same classes every day, and I have to wake up an hour earlier than I did when I lived in Meridian.”

One thing that hasn’t changed is early morning workouts with his father. When they lived in Meridian, J3 and James Jr. would go to Anderson’s Health and Fitness Center several days a week before school and practice on the gym’s basketball courts. Now, they do the same at their local YMCA, and James Jr. said he’s seen noticeable development in his son.

“He’s continued to work hard and has gotten physically stronger,” James II said. “He’s topping out at 6-foot-3 1/2, and his game is much more mature, and his basketball IQ is higher now. He’s playing against high-level competition on a daily basis and has had double digits in just about every game.”

The areas upon which J3 wanted to improve over the summer were his shooting and athleticism, which both became focal points during the gym sessions with his dad. 

“He’s been working with me on my shooting and has started working with me on my jumping,” J3 said. “He also works with me on my free throws, because I haven’t been shooting as well on the line as I should be, so that’s gotten better. I’ve been getting a lot more rebounds in games and shooting better than I did last year.”

Whether it’s at Anderson’s in Meridian or the YMCA in High Point, James Jr. said those early morning sessions have been critical in his son’s development as a basketball player.

“It gives us an opportunity to do a couple of things: watch film and work on those things in the mornings,” James Jr. said. “Having that one-on-one time translates to practices as well as games, and it’s huge for us to be able to do that.”

James Jr. played basketball for Limestone College during his college days, and J3 hopes to play college basketball as well after he graduates in 2023.

“It would mean that I can carry on with what my dad did, and it would be good for him to see me play,” J3 said.

While the family is happy after the move, as several of James Jr.’s family members live in High Point, he did say it was difficult moving away from Meridian after living there a decade.

“It was bittersweet,” James II said. “Leaving Meridian was tough — there are a lot of good people there and good experiences that we had — but coming home was a blessing.”