First-year PCA hoops coach: Success gauged by more than wins

New Plymouth Christian Academy boys basketball coach John Bowman has seen the ebbs and flows of the Eagle program and is thrilled at the possibilities.

After spending six years working with the varsity team as an assistant, being the head coach of the junior varsity squad and working with the freshman team, Bowman gets an opportunity to lead the purple and gold and get the Eagles back to the top of the MIAC.

Being the varsity leader brings with it some inherent challenges.

“Yes, I am officially starting my sixth year in the PCA men’s program,” Bowman explains. “Becoming the Varsity Head Coach is going to be a bit different as we bring in our own schemes and philosophies. Those are the immediate challenges we see as we focus on the teams buying in on our vision.”

Before the games are played, there are tryouts. PCA got its tryout phase underway on Nov. 12.

“The tryout phase for any season can be a tough one,” Bowman said. “I have a heart for all the young men and women in our school and want what’s best for them. As we look at how we make the choices we do, we need to look at how to put each young man in a position to show off their
skills.”

Tryouts were thorough

PCA basketball hopefuls spent three days of tryouts that included scrimmages, drills and practice situations.

An estimated 45 student athletes tried out for the varsity team.

“At the varsity level, talent alone will not get you on this squad,” Bowman explained. “We will be evaluating all the intangibles as well. We have a vision of playing extremely fast this year.

“With speed, high IQ is a necessity. We have faith and trust that through all the young men a group of 12-15 will stand out.”

New coaches face natural challenges

New coaches are also faced with the task of building an identity, a culture.

Previous coaches, Matt Windle and Joel Clark built a solid foundation and Coach Bowman wants to add to it.

“We have identified three pillars of the program”, Bowman says, “Work hard, serve others, and glorify God. My expectation of the players is to take ownership of these pillars and focus on God first.

“If the players put their trust in those pillars, we will have a successful year. And my hope is for the players to be a light to every team they play, be a light in our community, and for others to simply say that there is something special going on in that program.”

Hope reigns for immediate future of program

PCA is coming off back-to-back sub-.500 seasons, but Bowman remains hopeful for the immediate future.

“Last year’s squad had a lot of talent, but we have a lot of new faces and a lot of growth from our returners. Coach Joel (Clark) and Coach Drew (Perrin) did a wonderful job with building godly men. They have a great mind for the game and coach with tremendous passion.

“To me, records are not an indication of success; we are going to win some games and lose others. All we can do is focus on our faith. God has a plan for this year’s team, and we will focus on that.”

MIAC title not out of the question

The Eagles will once again battle in the tough MIAC Conference, but Bowman believes PCA can make some noise.

“I believe we have a great chance at contending for a MIAC title this year,” he explained. “We added two transfers and a few freshmen that will have a great impact on how we play. The MIAC has many great teams, and we are excited to see how we stack-up throughout the year.”

Bowman is grateful for the opportunity to continue coaching, especially at the varsity level.

SocialHouseNews.com is grateful to Michael Costello for contributing this article to our good-news-only website.