LOS ANGELES – There aren't any students in sight yet, but the school year is already underway for high school teacher, Jamal Adams. 

Before dozens of teens fill his desks, Adams has to get his classroom ready for the upcoming year. And while plenty of characters from African American history line his walls every semester, it's the characters on the other end — those from the Loyola basketball courts — that truly stand out. 

"This is a young man, Terence Balagia," he said, referencing a photo on his wall, "who played for me at Loyola High School and I think he epitomizes my mission at Loyola.”

Adams has been a basketball coach for the Cubs for almost two decades. The basketball court has long served as a different type of classroom. 

"I think it’s a very real and tangible value to having sports in high schools," he explained. "I think the most important lesson sports give kids is a sense of belonging to something bigger than themselves.”

It's a lesson Terence Balagia can tell you about firsthand.

Balagia graduated from Loyola in 2002, playing basketball all four years. As he looks back on his time at Loyola with his daughter, Balagia reflected on what were some of the most significant and formative experiences in his life.

“To me, high school is not just about what you do in the classroom, but also your interactions with others, the relationships you build, and really learning to be a full and complete person," Balagia said. "I really can’t imagine me being the person I am today without high school sports.” 

Adams and Balagia share this idea in common, the thought that high school sports are important, if not necessary, to gaining a complete education. 

While sports are sometimes talked about simply as a means to playing at the next level, every athlete has something to gain from playing at all. 

"The vast preponderance of athletes will not play in college," Adams said. "But I like to think our legacy is helping those guys become great citizens."

Balagia who now works as a vice president at Goldman Sachs, said his experiences on the court have readied him for many of the roles he serves in today. 

"A lot of that is applicable -- working towards a common goal, and driving people to be their best selves," he said. 

"There’s that fight in me that says, you can push through this, you can do this. That flame was ignited in high school.”

A flame that was sparked by coaches like Adams and his teammates, and one that continues to shape him long after high school graduation.