SOUDERTON – A.J. Picard cannot wipe the smile off his face.
Try though he might, Souderton’s senior captain simply cannot assume the serious look of his teammates for the ‘seniors only’ photo for the team’s program.
The scene at Monday’s practice says a whole lot about the young man who will be leading the Indians this season.
“He’s always happy when he’s on the court,” coach Perry Engard said. “If he’s ever nicked up or hurt, he doesn’t tell you about it because he doesn’t want to come out of the game.
“He embraces every moment because he realizes - after the reality of what happened in his life - it’s not going to be forever, and he appreciates every opportunity he has.”
Picard learned that valuable lesson sooner than most when his father and coach, Mark Picard, lost his battle with cancer when A.J. was in fifth grade.
“He was my role model,” A.J. said of his father. “He got me into football, basketball and baseball. He’s the one that painted the (basketball court) lines for me at my house, and he taught me a lot of stuff.
“Every time I play I dedicate every game for him. Everything is for him. I think this year before warm-ups, I’m going to point to the sky for him.”
And then Picard hopes to take the court and help lead his squad to a Continental Conference crown that has eluded Souderton since the 2006-07 season. 
“We’re focusing on what’s ahead of us,” Picard said. “Coach and I were just talking about that – we want to focus on winning the league first and then see what happens later.”
Picard, the Indians’ veteran point guard, will be a key piece of the puzzle.
A starter since he was a freshman, Picard has been happy to contribute in a supporting role – as a sophomore he took a backseat to seniors Ronnie Benson and Dan Werth, and last year he lived in the shadow of senior Jim Connolly.
“The best part about A.J. is he always understood his role,” Engard said. “He’s played second fiddle to those guys, and this year it’s his time to shine.”
Not that Picard hasn’t ‘shone’ before. He has.
In addition to distributing the basketball, he averaged just above 15 points a game last year, and his marvelous shooting ability was showcased in the Indians’ opening round 65-51 district win at Upper Darby when he lit up the net for 26 points, which included four three-pointers.
“You know you have a special player when they’re good enough to start varsity as a sophomore, and they want to know what their deficiencies are and are willing to work on them,” Engard said. “Ronnie was that kind of player, Jim was that kind of player, and A.J. is certainly that kind of player.“His defense has gotten better and better. He’s naturally lefthanded, but he’s an ambidextrous player as far as I’m concerned because at times I forget because he’s so good with both hands. Probably the best part about him is his selflessness. He’s always been willing to give way to others, and now he understands he has to carry a bigger burden. He’s ready to score. He feels it’s his time. You can see it.”
Picard has undoubtedly been preparing for this time since he first picked up a basketball as a youngster, and he says he came by his love of the sport naturally.
“My mom (Sara Picard) played in high school,” he said. “My dad got me a basketball net, and I started shooting. I just enjoyed it.”
Picard went through the usual ranks, playing for SHYBA and eventually joining the AAU circuit – he competes for both the Millennium All-Stars and Old School Cavaliers.
In seventh grade, he began working with PW assistant coach Chuck Moore and learned the finer points of playing point guard after playing at the two guard position his entire career.
He was an eager student.
“He’s a 24-7-365 basketball player who is a sponge,” Engard said. “He’s completely coachable. All the great ones who have come through here have been, and he’s no different.
“In speaking with Chuck Moore, he tells me how much of a willing pupil A.J. is. One of the things I tell the players is, ‘You’ve all gotten better, but A.J. has gotten better exponentially.’”After playing jayvee as a freshman, Picard was thrust into the starting point guard role as a sophomore.
“It was kind of nerveracking,” he said. “I had a lot of pressure on me replacing Frank Erkes, who played point guard the year before, and we had a very talented team.
“It was hard for me to share the ball because everyone was so good.”
Picard scored four points in the first two games combined. In the Indians’ third game – a 61-40 win at Council Rock North, the sophomore point guard exploded for 17 points.
“My offensive game wasn’t really there, so I decided to shoot,” Picard said of his mindset going into the Rock North game. “I had been feeding them the ball, and I decided I’d just try it, and it was going in.
“They gave me respect in return, and they started finding me.”
“It just seemed like everything flowed from that point on,” Engard said. “He felt more comfortable with the guys, and he developed a real good relationship with the seniors at the time – Ronnie Benson and Dan Werth, in particular.”
The Indians went on to earn a berth in states and pulled off the upset of the tournament when they stunned District 3 champion Reading 66-58 in front of a packed house at Garden Spot High School in an opening round game. Sending a Red Knight squad that was 30-0 home for the season is still at the top of the list of Picard’s best basketball memories.
“That was crazy,” he said. “Even last year, when we were interviewed, and we were asked our best moment – everyone said that game.
“There were about 2,000 Reading fans and 200 Souderton fans, but we went in as a team, and we came out as a team.”
While basketball has been Picard’s passion, it has also been his release. “When my dad passed away, I used to go out and take my emotion out playing basketball,” he said. “I would just go out and shoot, even if there was snow on the ground.
“If I’m angry or upset, I just go outside and start shooting, and it helps. Or at my house, I lower the net and just dunk.”
For Picard, there are no off days when it comes to basketball.
“Chuck is always telling me when AAU is over to take a rest for two or three days, but I can’t,” he said. “I always get my friends together, and we start playing. I love playing so much. It’s so much fun.”
It is not unusual for Picard to arrive early to practice and then stay after to work on his foul shots.
“My mom is big on that – a foul shot is a free shot, and you should make it,” he said.
A fierce competitor, Picard is the perfect choice to help lead a hungry Indian squad.
“He’s just a fantastic teammate and captain because he doesn’t have an enemy on the team,” Engard said. “Actually, I don’t think he has an enemy in the world. He never has an unkind word to say about anybody.
“What’s special about A.J. is he hasn’t had the guidance of a father. His mother has served both of those roles in his life, and A.J. has been more than open to coaching. He approaches me with more questions than any player I have ever had. To me, that’s just recognizing he can still get better, and that’s the best part about him.”
At Monday’s practice, Picard - who will share captain duties with Kyle Connolly and Samuel Wonderling - was already counting the hours until Friday’s opener.
“I was just telling my mom – it’s Monday, and I’m already sitting in class daydreaming about it,” Picard said. “A new gym, my senior year, the first game, a new team – it’s going to be so much fun.”
Picard is attracting looks from numerous Division 2 schools as well as some lower Division One teams. One thing is certain – Picard will play collegiate basketball, and he will have fun.
And don’t be surprised if coaching is part of Picard’s future.
“He works as a summer (basketball) camp counselor, and I love watching him around kids,” the Indians’ coach said. “My son, in particular, talks about him all the time. Kids can see who you are, and they see that A.J. is genuine. He’s the real article.”
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