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It's nice to see a high school
coach -- in this case, former Richmond boys basketball coach Ken Carter -- being
recognized on the silver screen.
Samuel L. Jackson stars as "Coach
Carter," an inspirational tale that premieres Friday nationwide.
Here are a just a few real-life
examples of current inner-city East Bay boys basketball coaches making a big
difference:
* Hodari McGavock (Oakland Tech):
For 24 seasons, McGavock has given much more than 455 wins and two Northern
California Division I championships. A calm, Zen-like personality, a cool head,
McGavock is much more concerned with building families than dynasties. He doesn't
mind telling folks that Tech graduates Leon Powe (Cal), Quentin Thomas (North
Carolina), Ken Smith (Eastern Washington) and Armondo Surratt (USF) are all
college players. He's more proud that each is doing well in school. "Believe
it or not, every one of them is a better person than a player," McGavock
said.
What keeps him coming back? "I
love the kids and want them all to have a better life," he said.
* Dwight Nathaniel (McClymonds):
A tough, no-nonsense sort who grew up in West Oakland and attended McClymonds,
Nathaniel has coached more than 10 Division I players since taking over the
program in 1992. His most famous are current UConn guard Antonio Kellogg and
former USF forward Darrell Tucker. Nathaniel's most memorable moment, he said,
was a collect phone call he received at midnight from a former player now playing
in Canada.
"Coach did you hear about
the dunk I had up here? They've been talking about it for a week?" the
player said.
Nathaniel: "You're calling
me collect at midnight from another country to tell me about a dunk?"
The player: "No, not really.
The real reason I called was to thank you for all the extra time you spent with
me making me a better player and keeping me eligible and just caring. If you
hadn't spent all that time, I probably would be out on the streets selling dope."
Nathaniel said later: "That
call meant as much to me as any victory or championship."
* Lou Richie and Tony Freccero
(Bishop O'Dowd): These former Bishop O'Dowd players have been assistant coaches
for only a combined six years, but they are making an impact throughout the
Bay Area with their Triple Threat Academy camps.
The duo teamed with Hook Mitchell
among other community leaders last weekend to put on the first annual New Year's
Hook Camp. The teens were not only given basketball training from former NBA
star Brian Shaw and the state's winningest high school coach, Mike Phelps, but
Richie brought in eight professionals from all walks of life. Though basketball
junkies, Richie, 33, and Freccero, 27, preach and teach real-life skills. Their
youth and passion make it easy for teens to relate.
"My dad always told me that
coaches are the most important and influential people in the world," Richie
said. "I want to do this until the day I die."
* Bill Mellis, Ed Foster, Russell
Ware, Tom Bauer (Salesian): This foursome has put in a combined 36 years into
one of the Bay Area's most consistent, healthy and academically impressive programs.
Foster, one of three assistants to Mellis, has been there the longest, since
1992. "We wear a lot of hats on this job," Foster said. "We go
from being a father figure to a big brother to guidance counselor and, oh yes,
a basketball coach. ItÕs never easy but always rewarding."
* Rob Collins (Richmond): After
19 seasons coaching at Las Lomas and Acalanes, Collins moved from the suburbs
to take over for Carter three seasons ago. A hard-liner and disciplinarian,
Collins' heart is bigger than any movie screen. He donated his coaching stipend
last season to a depleted Richmond school district. Collins is a superb tactician
on the court and a better mentor off of it.
"Kids are kids whether they
live in Lafayette or Richmond," Collins said. "They might come from
different cultures and value different things, but they all want to be cared
about. I just want to give these kids someone they can trust and some mentorship
so they get to the next step in life."
Numbers, numbers, numbers: Gateway
sophomore center Dominique Hunter had herself quite a triple-double last week:
24 points, 14 rebounds and -- get this -- 19 blocks in a 54-16 Bay Counties
League win over San Domenico. . . . Sean Mosman, an all-Peninsula Athletic League
receiver at Aragon, has evident shaken off any rust for the basketball season.
He hit 16 of 19 free throws en route to 32 points in an 87-66 win over Mills
on Friday. ... Castlemont's boys lit up the Modesto Christian scoreboard for
a staggering 102 points on Friday. It's one of the highest point totals in school
history. One very big problem. Defending state Division V champion Modesto Christian
scored 116. "We couldn't stop them," Modesto Christian guard Adrian
Oliver told the Modesto Bee. "So we had to match them." The winners
hit 35 of 40 free throws, including 19 of 20 by Oliver, who scored a game-high
41. Chris Oakes, Castlemont's highly-touted 6-9 center, had 23 points.
Timko honored: Lincoln junior
outfielder/pitcher Jason Timko was named a preseason All-American by PUMA after
impressing scouts at a Baseball Factory and Team One Baseball camp in the fall.
Timko, who hit .369 last season and posted a 0.85 ERA for Lincoln last season,
participates in a PUMA All-American Tournament Friday through Sunday in Tempe,
Ari. He helped Lincoln to a 21-6 record as a sophomore which was a 13-win improvement
from the previous season.
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