Girls and Boys Get

Set for Tough Basketball

Season

            In this great state of Texas, high school athletics is built around one, main sport: football. It is the spine on which a school’s reputation is built. Some might even say it is the best sport in a Texas high school today. However, if you had to choose a close second, the answer would be basketball. When the excitement and joy of a football season come to an end, ‘b-ball’ is there to keep our adrenaline going. Being a former player myself, this sport does take up a special place in my heart. I am familiar with the tasks and challenges one meets when preparing for a long, strenuous season, but that is only because of my experience in the sport. For those who have only watched their children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, or friends from the sidelines, here is a small dose of what pre-season basketball is like for the boys and girls of Tom Bean High School.

Boys:

Will we see another ‘New Day’ revelation?

            The boys are a totally different story. After miraculously making the playoffs during the 2004/2005 season, the Tomcats have hit a brick wall. Key players have left, graduated, or just lost interest, and the young group of tightly knit players that soared in the middle school and pee wee ranks has fallen apart. Needless to say, it was once a promising future for Tomcat basketball, but now it’s not truly known how the Cats will perform on the court this season

Change of Leadership

            As most of the Men’s sporting programs have this year, the basketball program has undergone a coaching change. The colorful Coach Kevin Colston will be at the helm this season, and will be looking to restore pride to a program that has struggled in recent years. Perhaps his energetic attitude towards sport and life in general will raise the spirit of the Tomcat locker room.

Enthusiastic Start

            It’s no secret that Colston is excited to be where he is now. When asked about the upcoming season via e-mail, Coach replied with answers that were short but powerful. For example, I asked him about the attitude he hopes to bring to a team that has had its share of tough times. His response:

Enthusiasm and Pride!!!!!

            And that’s exactly how he wrote it. The next question was about what he wanted his players to get out of this upcoming season besides improved play on the court. His answer:

Growth as young men!!!!!!!!!!

Soul Searching

I can see now that Coach Colston might be a tough person to get a good, in depth quote from, but he seems the right man for the job. This team will need to do some soul searching, and it seems like that is already at work. Look on the basketball section of the website, and you’ll find links to pages upon pages of quotes and uplifting messages. The only way to turn this program around is to get down to the fundamentals and spiritual side of basketball.

‘New Day’

            Yes, I know. That’s the football slogan. But, it applies here as well. The boys are sort of starting from square one again. The Cats will most likely start their campaign when they play visiting Bonham on November the 13^th. They start district with a home game against Callisburg on December 18^th , following various tournaments and non-district games. One thing is for certain: the Tomcats will have the look of an enthusiastic and excited team come the start of the season.