5-year-old adorably mimics his basketball coach dad’s every move and wins over the internet

Little kids often look up to their parents and try to copy their actions and activities. 5-year-old Christopher Bess is no different. This youngster has garnered the attention of the internet by mimicking his basketball coach dad’s every move and mannerism. The preschooler from North Carolina is also lovingly known as Coach CB. According to TODAY, he frequently accompanies his dad, Reginald Bess, to his workplace, the basketball court of Tarboro High School.

In some of the viral videos uploaded on his official Instagram page @coachchristopherbess, Christopher can be seen pacing the courtside with serious expressions on his face. He gets down on his knees from time to time, imitating how his father observes the game closely. These are the mannerisms that he has picked up from observing his dad while he coaches the team. The young boy can be seen delivering energetic pep talks in the locker room before matches in some videos whereas in others, he draws cute game plans on his coaching board.

“He’s obsessed with basketball,” Christopher’s mom Natalie Bess told the news outlet. “During the NBA playoffs, we’ve been letting him stay up late because he gets so upset when we don’t. He changes into khaki pants and a white shirt with a collar and puts a chair right in front of the TV.” When Christopher was asked if he wanted to be a coach after growing up, the kid replied confidently that “he already was a coach.” “They have the exact same posture,” Natalie noted, highlighting how similar Christopher is to his father. "It's pretty incredible." During the matches, Christopher sits on the bench at the courtside too.

“We were a little worried, but the team is really supportive and they look out for him,” Natalie explained. “They’re really patient.” The young boy was named Tarboro High School 2024 Youth coach of the year and has raked up more than 260,000 followers on his Instagram profile. “They love him. They embrace him. Sometimes, I think they listen to him more and they listen to me. But it's just amazing to see high school guys pretty much gather around him. He's talking to them on the sideline, telling them to keep their head up," Reginald told Fox News in an interview. "It's just amazing just to see how the kids adapt to him."

Christopher has made a name for himself in the North Carolina community and he was invited to help coach the high school all-star game in 2024, as well. "He just got the invitation, so – we actually had it, but he asked me, he said, ‘Well, does that mean you sit on the bench and I got to stand up, or do you stand up and I sit on the bench?’ I said, ‘Well, you can stand up and coach, man,’" Reginald added.

Christopher also motivates his older brother, who is 14 years old and plays high school basketball. PEOPLE also got in touch with the Bess family and Natalie recalled how Christopher’s enthusiasm with coaching began. "Towards the end of last year, my husband started letting him sit at the end of the bench during games and practices," Natalie said. "The guys are so good with him. They look out for him and never make him (or me) feel like he's a bother. They're great with him." When questioned about his future in coaching, the kid said that he was aiming for “the NBA and NFL and WBNA and college.”