This column serves as a spotlight, highlighting the everyday people who work and live in Callaway County. The Fulton Sun takes a moment with someone who is not usually featured in the news, but is just as instrumental in making our community the strong and beautiful place we all know and love.
Charles Belt is the new head men's basketball coach at William Woods University. Belt is originally from the west side of Chicago. He moved to town in April after receiving the job. This is Belt's first head coaching position in his nine years coaching basketball. He was previously the head assistant coach at Division II Northern Michigan University.
Q. What was your first job?
A. My first job was when I was 17 years old actually working at McDonald's. I was a cashier at the drive-thru.
Q. Who most inspires you?
A. My mom. She's a single parent. She raised me and my sister by herself in Chicago. Like any single parent in the world, she sacrificed plenty. She's my biggest critic and she's my biggest fan, so I am definitely inspired by my mom.
Q. What have you done in life that was most fulfilling?
A. I've had eight first-generation college graduates as a coach. Seeing the faces of the moms when those young men graduate is the best feeling anyone can ever have. It's better than any game I've won or any game I've played in.
Q. What is something that you are proud of that you have been recognized for?
A. Becoming a head coach. Getting this job, in its own way, is a way of being recognized. It's our athletic department and the university appreciating what I've done up to this point by giving me my own program. So, being a head coach is probably the closest I can come to recognition since I've never really won anything.
Q. What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt?
A. Cooking. I've always said that if I ever stepped away from basketball I'd become an amateur chef. My goal is to be on "Chopped" on the Food Network. So if I wasn't coaching, I'd be cooking.
Q. What profession would you not like to do?
A. Within coaching, even, I would never never want to coach in the NBA. Not one ounce of me. It's just so difficult, and I couldn't imagine having to deal with those personalities and the money involved and all that. I never ever ever wanted to coach in the NBA. There's a lot of stuff I'd do before I'd do that.
Q. What is something that nobody knows about you?
A. I am a very big math guy. I think sometimes, when you're in basketball, people never associate basketball and math. I was also on the chess team, and I love bowling.
Q. What is your favorite thing about Callaway County?
A. So far, it's been the people. It's been amazing the welcome I received in Fulton. The embrace of everyone here on our campus and the community. It's been extremely humbling and very welcoming.