Mike Vukovcan One of the greatest gifts that a person can receive in life is to be fortunate enough to have kids.
During that journey, you will experience a wide range of emotions from happiness, sadness, pride, frustration and many more along the way.
In the end, your goal should be trying to raise your child to be the best person he or she can be, to be the best version of themselves and you want to help guide them to be happy and successful in whatever path life takes them.
We’re fortunate to have many great people and parents in Hopewell Township that are doing all of that and more, including Mr. James Armstrong.
When it comes to good people, a person that stands for the right things in life and is all about being there and trying to teach and be a positive role model for his children, it’s Mr. James Armstrong.
I’ve had the fortune of knowing and interreacting with Mr. Armstrong for over a decade through various sporting and school events.
In all honesty, I can’t remember many times, if any, that he doesn’t approach you with a smile on his face, a strong handshake, a positive conversation and him asking you how you and your family are.
The smile isn’t fake and he’s as genuine and as nice a human being as you will find.
Mr. Armstrong was born and raised in Philadelphia but moved to Hopewell in 2004 and has lived here ever since. He is the father of 3 children, one of them being someone you’ve likely heard about, James “Boo Boo” Armstrong.
The story and success of Boo have been well chronicled by Vikings Sports Now and various other media outlets through Western Pennsylvania and the country. Through hard-work and a deep desire to be great, Boo Boo Armstrong has turned himself into one of the top quarterbacks in the country and after graduation, will be continuing his football journey at Penn State.
We’ve heard from Boo Boo plenty of times but haven’t heard from his idol and the person that raised him to become the person on and off the field that he is today and that’s Mr. James Armstrong, Sr.
VSN had the pleasure of sitting down and having a long, deep conversation with Mr. Armstrong about his son, the journey, the ups and downs and the future.
Throughout my two decades of being in the media, I’ve done many interviews. I can honestly say that my long conversation with Mr. Armstrong was as enjoyable and enlightening as I’ve ever had. I really appreciate his openness and honesty.
THE NAME ‘BOO BOO’:
We’re going to start with a fun topic and something that I’ve been asked about a lot throughout the years. Where did the name ‘Boo Boo’ come from?
“His older brother, Trey, also had a nickname of ‘Boo Gee Bear’, so when Boo came along, he couldn’t be “Boo Gee Bear’ and we came up with Boo Boo,” said Mr. Armstrong. “When people ask him about that and his name, all he knows is the name Boo Boo, he doesn’t know anything else. For his existence and as long as he can remember, it’s been Boo Boo. Ever since he came home, he was my Boo Boo. My aunt asks me do they still call James ‘Boo Boo’ and I told her he is ‘Boo Boo. That’s just what it is.”
With his ever-present smile, Mr. Armstrong relayed a story to me about a conversation he had with a resident in Hopewell about the nickname soon after moving to our hometown.
“I remember a time, Boo Boo had to be maybe 4-years old, and I was riding him on a bike and had him on a seat on the back of it. My handlebars started messing up and got loose and were moving. There was a man out in front of his house near the junior high and I said, ‘Excuse me sir, do you please have a pair of plyers that I can borrow’.
He said yes and came back out with a pair. I said thank you, this is my son, “Boo Boo’. He looked at me and laughed and in a nice way said I think he’s a little big to be called Boo Boo. He was like you’re going to have to change that soon, he’s getting too big to be calling him that.”
As we’ve now come to learn, the name hasn’t changed and the name ‘Boo Boo’ will stick with him forever.
GENERATIONAL ATHLETE:
Armstrong Jr. is a name we’ve been hearing about since the time he started playing youth sports in Hopewell.
Whether it was on the football field, on the basketball court or starting at the baseball fields at the Kane Road Complex, he’s been the best player at whatever sport he’s participated in. On a personal note, while there with my son who was playing, I remember watching Boo hitting home runs to right field at the 9/10-year-old field. This was a coach pitch league where kids were just hoping to make contact, however that wasn’t the case with Boo as he was clubbing home runs.
Competing on the football field will be his future but if he had chosen to, he could have been a D-1 baseball player and if he was a few inches taller, he very well could’ve been playing college basketball at a major college.
Hopewell sophomore James Armstrong
As various coaches around here like to say, ‘James ‘Boo Boo’ Armstrong is a generation athlete and it’s hard for me to imagine us seeing anyone like him for many, many, many years.
It was obvious to many, many people early on that Armstrong was special but when did his dad realize he was raising a kid that had a lot more talent than most and was special.
“Sports aside, he’s always been special to me,” said Mr. Armstrong. “We’ve had to go through a lot together. A lot. Honestly, all of that has been secondary to me. I’ve just always enjoyed watching him play and have had so much fun doing it. I’ve enjoyed cheering him on, I’ve enjoyed cheering his friends, I’ve enjoyed cheering his team. I’ve truly gotten so much joy from that, and it’s made me a stronger person, especially in our situation.”
“People would always say things to me. I remember this one woman over at Ambridge. She said that you know what, I think he might have been like 11 or 12, ‘you know who he reminds me of. There was another kid that played for Hopewell, the way he walks and carries himself, it was Rushel Shell’. I knew he was a great athlete at that point, but I was saying to myself ‘Rushel Shell’ (Laughing) He doesn’t need to be hearing stuff like that.”
DRIVE/WORK ETHIC:
Well, that kind of talk and comparisons haven’t stopped. While some might think that might have motivated him, that wasn’t the case.
The same goes when people describe his talent as ‘God Given’. Yes, it is BUT what we’ve been fortunate enough to be witnessing over the years is a personal desire for him to be great and to do whatever it takes to do so.
Many athletes say that they want to be great and to one day hopefully become a professional athlete. That’s pretty common. What isn’t common is to put in work truly necessary to make that happen.
Armstrong is a freak of nature however, there aren’t many kids, if any, that work as hard as he does away from team practices and activities. He’s obsessed with being great and legendary and is currently on the path of being just that.
“That’s always been there. Always. Here’s an early example, it’s a bit different but it applies and showed me early on how much he wanted it,” said Mr. Armstrong. Early on in youth football, there was a 130-pound weight limit. It was hard for him to make weight that year and he didn’t make it sometimes, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying.”
“He’d just eat salads and such in order to try and make weight in order to play. That was his early drive of wanting something and wanting to be there for his teammates, with his friends. He got to play sometimes but he didn’t get to play quarterback. He had to play the line but couldn’t play a skill position at that particular weight. That told me something right there, of him having that tenacity. He’d run and run and run before weigh-in with the weight vest on to make weight. To me, the thing that made that different was that he was still a young kid but had that desire and want to.”
LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND CRAZINESS OF RECRUITING:
The business of college athletics has never been more chaotic and controversial. The financial aspect of things coupled with the university’s desire to win makes things extremely difficult for most teen age kids.
Before committing to Penn State, Armstrong was recruited by and presented the opportunity to play at some of the top colleges in the country.
He was recruited by Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, Ole Miss, Colorado, Pitt, etc. Just imagine getting pursued and courted by these coaches, fan bases and NIL teams.
Some will say that would be easy and fun but they’re not in these athletes shoes and feeling the pressure and under this intense spotlight.
“It’s been a ride and we’re still riding,” said Mr. Armstrong. “My advice for him this entire journey has been that you’ve got to keep yourself grounded, you’ve got to keep yourself grounded. Don’t make yourself bigger than the situation. Despite everything that’s happening, he’s still a 16-year-old kid. He’s accomplished a lot and is in the headlines but he’s still just 16 years old.”
“It’s the arena that you’re getting yourself into. You have to know and be comfortable with what you’re getting into. I want you to stay a kid but guess what. If you’re just a kid, you can’t put your name in the lights and headlines like he is. You can’t grab this much attention and still be just a kid, it’s not going to allow you that. Once you’re able to realize and accept that, it then becomes how you handle that. You need to stay humble, have the right attitude. Really, that’s all he can do because as far as keeping a lid on the situation, it’s already out.”
While at home and in car rides, Mr Armstrong has had many conversations with his son about the present and the future.
Hopewell’s James Armstrong
Being the adult, the father is doing his best to pass along wisdom that he received from his father and being honest with him about what may be ahead.
“I’m just trying to prepare him for what’s ahead of him such as negative people and critics,” Mr. Armstrong told Vikings Sports Now. “When you’re getting the spotlight that he’s been fortunate to receive, negative things will eventually happen. It then becomes a question of how you handle that. Are you going to be able to deal with those situations. The attention and the phone calls from coaches are part of it but truly, he doesn’t care about that, he honestly just loves to be on the field and playing the game.”
Next Couple of Years Going to Be Enjoyable
Fortunately for his father and followers of Hopewell athletics, we still have two more seasons to watch Boo Boo on the football field and hopefully the basketball court and baseball field.
With his college decision out of the way, the goal now will be to win as much as possible and to enjoy all the moments he has remaining with his teammates.
Hopewell’s James Armstrong
For Mr. Armstrong he plans on enjoying his time cheering him on from the stands, as he’s done since the early days of hitting home runs and scoring touchdowns as a 7-year-old.
“This whole ride, this whole journey has been fun. It’s been fun this whole time, it’s been fun getting ready to come to the high school. It was fun that summer, it was fun that year.”
“The only negative is that one day it has to end, whether that’s college or whatever. Boo isn’t my boy now, he’s becoming a man and that’s what I want for him. I’m just saying, I like and wish he was my 8-year-old Boo Boo hitting a grand slam. All of the moments throughout the years have been exhilarating for me, me being able to call my father and letting him know what Boo Boo did. It’s not the same now as it was when he was a kid (laughing). Back then, after a moment like that, I’d go home and hold him, now he’s out with his friends. It’s different.”
Looking Ahead to the Future
Although he still has two years left of high school, the reality is that Boo will soon be leaving Beaver County and the comforts of living at home with his father.
Considering the bond that the two have developed since childhood that will not be easy for either party but in his normal fashion, Mr. Armstrong remained positive.
“We were talking the other day about the living situation, and he doesn’t know where he’s at. We were talking about are you ready to leave and ready to be by yourself. Do you want to say I’m gone and I’ll come see you on weekends. We had a back and forth about that and that was interesting.”
“I do know that sometimes you have to break away,” said Mr. Armstrong. “I tell him sometimes you have to go and think for yourself, and I don’t want to get in your way. As a father, I just want everything for him. I tell him, you’re not leaving, you’re just going to make me proud. That’s all you’re doing. While it’s sad, there’s also a happiness because he’s going to make his mark in this world. Have a positive impact in this world and go make the Armstrong name proud.”
