One Spanish Fort teen experienced an Olympic-style competition over the weekend in Birmingham, where about 2,000 attended the Alabama Sports Festival State Games. Derrick Hosch, 18, entered the kicking competition—kick off, field goal and punting—and competed against four other athletes during the weekend’s games.

The 27th annual contest is the largest multi-sport competition in Alabama; it features sports from basketball and wrestling to archery and gymnastics. But Hosch found his niche in kicking—a sport he’s practiced since eighth grade. Derrick and his father, Joe, attended the event’s opening ceremony Friday and the competitions of Saturday and Sunday.

Though he didn’t place in the competition, Derrick said he learned a lot from the experience.

“I got a chance to compete with other kickers of the state and see how good I am compared to them,” Derrick said. “It gives me a good idea how well I do and how good I am.”

Joe agreed that the event was a great opportunity for his son.

“It was fun to watch and all the ones (kickers) there were definitely above average,” he said.

The most impressive part of the games, to Joe, was the Athletes Leadership Summit where Siran Stacey, formerly of the University of Alabama’s football team, spoke about overcoming obstacles.

“He gave an emotional, inspiring talk to all the athletes about right versus wrong,” Joe said. “He told his story—everybody told him that he couldn’t do it, couldn’t make it in college, but he became All-SEC (South Eastern Conference) and went on to the NFL.

“It was about pursuing your dreams.”

That message is one that Derrick’s mother, Debbie, teaches at home. She said such competitions and camps give her son an opportunity to learn from others.

“Every time he’s gone to a camp, he’s come home with something he can use,” she said. “It may be just one thing he sees somebody do.

“He went to a Southern Miss. camp a couple weeks ago and was named the best field goal kicker,” she said. “He pulled his right quad muscle, so he was not 100 percent; we had mixed emotions about him going into this (competition), but it was already planned and he wanted to go.

“It was a good opportunity for him to see other kickers and learn some stuff too.”

Debbie said she and Joe teach the importance of self motivation and willingness to attempt any dream.

“If he wants to do it, then he’s just got to go for it—he’s going to have to work hard,” she said. “It depends on how much he wants it and how much he’s willing to work for it.

“If you want to do something, go for it—try it.”

The Alabama Sports Festival State Games is an annual event that offers competition opportunities, camps, entertainment and 10 $1,000 college scholarships according to its Web site, alagames.com.