Kendal Williams has signed a professional basketball contract with Mgzavrebi-Armia in Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. (Delaware State News file photo)

For the first time in his life, Kendal Williams is leaving the country

The former Dover High and Delaware State University point guard’s dream is coming true halfway around the world.

Williams has signed a professional basketball contract with Mgzavrebi-Armia in Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia. Williams left Delaware on Sunday to join his new team, which is currently in fourth place in Georgia’s top league.

“This is what I’ve been wanting to do for a long time,” Williams said before he left. “I’ve been wanting to go over there and do what I love to do and represent myself as a professional player. I think it’s a great opportunity. I’ve always wanted to travel the world and I’m looking forward to learning about the culture, learning new languages, trying new food and learning about what they all do on a day-to-day basis.”

After graduating from Delaware State in May, Williams was back at Dover High for the new boys’ high school basketball season.

He was one of the Senators’ assistant coaches under his former head coach Stephen Wilson until receiving the contract offer.

“It’s tough to see someone you consider a son leave, but this is what he needs to do,” Wilson said. “This is what we’ve prepared for since he was in 10th grade. He belongs there and I think he’s going to represent our school and our community well.”

Wilson said he would have loved for Williams to stay on his staff for the full season, but was never going to stand in the way of Williams following his goal of playing professionally.

“I shed a little bit of a tear,” Wilson said. “It hurts that he’s not with us, but I can’t be selfish.”

It’s been a busy year for Williams.

Not only did he graduate from DSU, coach at Dover High and sign in Europe, but he also became a father. His son is nine months old.

“This is a step forward for my son to provide for him,” Williams said. “I had to wait my turn. I’d like to thank everyone that supported me, the whole city of Dover.”

Williams becomes the second player coached by Wilson at Dover High to play professional basketball.

Pieter Prinsloo, a teammate with Williams when the Senators made the 2010 state title game, played in Nicaragua and El Salvador, where he won a championship, this past season. Prinsloo, who played in college at Marist (N.Y.), signed his third contract of the year in September with a team in Romania.

Williams is also the third player from his senior class at DelState to move to Europe.

Kendall Gray (a Polytech grad) is currently with Medi Bayreuth in Germany after playing with the Detroit Pistons in the NBA’s Summer League. Tyshawn Bell (Caesar Rodney) signed in Austria after graduating and is now on BBC Magdeburg in Germany.

“I talked to those guys a lot and they were telling me to stay patient and stay ready,” Williams said. “They’re the guys who helped me get to this point, same with coach Wilson at Dover and coach (Keith) Walker at DelState. All those guys believed in me.”