‘He does everything.’ Clover volleyball player Kaden Odoms not slowed by prosthetic leg

“Never let a ball drop.”

That’s the motto that Clover boys’ volleyball defensive specialist Kaden Odoms holds above all when he’s on the court.

It doesn’t matter how hard the ball is hit. It doesn’t matter where the ball is placed. It doesn’t matter that Kaden’s left leg was amputated from the knee down six weeks after birth and he’s wearing a prosthetic leg.

“Never let a ball drop.”

“I just have to be focused most of the time,” Kaden told the Herald. “It’s easy to be lazy on the back row because you’re not always hitting, but it’s one of the more difficult (positions) because you have to receive a lot. So my expectation is to try to get every ball, no matter what.”

As a kid, Kaden always had interest in every sport he tried.

His mother, Julie Odoms, recounts a moment following an amputation revision surgery when her son was 5. The surgery left him unable to wear his prosthetic during the recovery period. But Kaden would still go outside and play basketball in the driveway, hopping on his right foot.

It’s a memory that perfectly defines him.

Athletic. Determined. Fearless.

“This kid loved every kind of ball: basketball, baseball, football, you name it,” his mom said. “His first prosthetic that he had, they do wraps on them, and his had every sports ball on there ... and that’s all he wanted. He played recreational basketball and soccer through the Lake Wylie Athletic Association for years, and then he started playing tennis in middle school. He’s also on (Clover’s) boys’ tennis team in the spring. He’s super active. He does rock climbing. He goes hiking. He does everything. He doesn’t let it slow him down.”

Julie and Terry Odom said that their son’s resolve isn’t restricted to just athletics.

The junior pushes himself academically, taking higher-level classes and making sure he’s well prepared, and approaches everything in life in the same way. Terry knew how active his son was and didn’t raise him to hold back.

“We were never careful, we just let him go,” Terry said. “He’s always done everything. ... I mean, just wide open. We never put any restrictions on him.”

Kaden had always been a fan of volleyball and watched it on TV when it was on. A friend convinced Kaden to try for Clover’s boys’ volleyball team ahead of his sophomore year.

The program was established in 2022 behind head coach Will Plyler. The third-year coach had never coached a player with a prosthetic before, so his initial concerns were around Kaden’s limitations as a player.

However, Kaden quickly dispelled those notions.

“Automatically, your mind goes not what can they do, but what can’t they do,” Plyler said. “Kaden blew that out of the water as soon as we stepped on (the court). There was nothing about his demeanor, there was nothing about his attitude. If you didn’t know he had a prosthetic, you would never know... He’s a great young man. His personality and humor are incomparable to any of the guys here because he always has a smile on his face.”

Kaden said that playing volleyball draws a lot of eyes on him whenever he goes to a match — home or away.

Most people just stare or try to look inconspicuous while shooting several passing glances his way. The ones who are gracious enough to walk up to Kaden and ask him what happened, he’s always willing to tell his story.

“I got my prosthetic when I was a baby, so I’ve always had it,” Kaden said. “That’s probably why it’s been easier for me compared to others with prosthetics. Since I’ve always had it, I can adapt. I’ve adapted most of my life. So it’s been easier for me.”

This year is Clover’s first with a JV boys’ volleyball team.

That means instead of having over 20 players to monitor, develop and find game-speed reps for at their 6:45 a.m. practices, Plyler is now only responsible for 13.

Kaden didn’t play a lot last year but has entered his junior season with the same determination and passion that he’s carried throughout his life.

Plyler will always monitor Kaden’s footwork, platform and passing ability; however, the player’s character and mentality has never come into question.

“He’s playing really well,” Plyler said. “The biggest thing for me was he didn’t get a lot of playing time last year. We had a lot of guys over him ... but he never had a bad day. He came every day wanting to get better. I kind of take this from him, but he wants to be better today than he was yesterday.”

Clover opens the regular season at 6:45 p.m. Monday at home against Dorman.