Mataio Irving, senior for Sam Houston High School's men's basketball team, has been selected as the City of Arlington's Student-Athlete of the Month for January 2017.

Sam Houston head coach Brandon Keeling says Mataio brings passion, energy, intensity and leadership to the Texans basketball team.

"He's like having a second coach on the court," Keeling said. "He has integrity and loves to compete. When you have guys like that, it makes coaching the team special."

Mataio thrives both on the court and inside the classroom. While he has dreams of continuing his basketball career at the next level, he also hopes to pursue a medical degree in college.

"Basketball is always going to be a part of me, but as I'm going through college, I want to try the medical field and become a surgeon," Irving said. "My biggest thing is helping others. And I feel like by me doing that, I'm helping by being a big part of the community. I just like giving back."

You can learn more about Arlington ISD's athletic programs across the school district by visiting http://aisdathletics.net/.

Congratulations to Mataio for being this month's honoree!