District Governor International President
Jim Springer Ray Klinginsmith
Columbia, Tennessee Kirksville, Missouri
Today, we welcome back the two head coaches of the local round ball teams at UCHS for a preview of the upcoming 2010-11 Basketball Season.
Coach Sisco, is a 1988 Graduate of Union City High School, he earned a BS Degree from UTM in 1992, where he was a member of the UTM Men’s Basketball Team from 1988 to 1992. He served as a Graduate Assistant at UT Knoxville 1992-93. Coach Sisco has been at Union City High School for the last eleven years, and is starting his twelfth year as head boy’s basketball coach, sporting and overall record of 316-150 in 15 years coaching and an impressive 266-89 an UCHS.
Coach Suiter is a graduate of Martin Westview High School and went on to receive a BS Degree from UT Martin in 1992. He Received his Masters Degree from there in 1998 with an Education Major. He has been teaching and coaching for the past seventeen years, with an overall record of 252-203. This is his second year at Union City high School as the Girls Head Basketball Coach. In his first year at Union City, his record stands at 9 - 19. Prior to his debut here, he was Head Girl’s Coach at Obion County Central, leaving there with a 124-47 record, winning at least 21 games per season.
Next week, UTM’s Head Girls Basketball Coach, Kevin McMilland makes a return visit, entering his second year as head of that program and is only the eighth head coach in UT Martin’s women’s basketball history.
He spent two seasons as an assistant at Middle Tennessee State under head coach Rick Insell before turning his interest toward the high school ranks, and up until last year he had seventeen years as head coach of girl’s high school teams, where he amassed an overall 484-135 record and led the Gibson County Girl’s Program to a perfect 35-0 season and a Tennessee state championship.
While at Middle Tennessee, McMillan’s recruiting flourished as he put together one of the top 10 recruiting classes in the nation according to Blue Star Scouting Services in 2005. His recruiting classes helped Middle Tennessee claim back-to-back Sun Belt Championships in 2006 and 2007, along with a pair of berths NCAA Tournament.
Under his high school coaching leadership, 31 players have gone on to play in college. Before Gibson County he spent eight years at Martin Westview, compiling a record of 195-67, and taking that team to state tournament berths during four of those seasons.
Last Week,
UTM’s Second Year Men’s Head Basketball Coach Jason James paid a visit, bringing with him his three assistant coaches, who he introduced at the beginning of his presentation, they were, Dillan Dudley, Cornelous Jackson and Antwan Holloway. He had high praise of his assistants and said he was looking forward to the next season with them.
Coach James mentioned the wide range of emotions he and the team had experienced during his eight years with the program, saying they had been from the bottom of the valley to the top of the mountain with the OVC championship win in 2009. However he said "there have been certain constancies in Skyhawk Basketball that will not change, and one of these constancies is the quality of student athletes we bring into the program, we will continue to recruit those kind of players to be a part of what we do". His program stresses "doing what is right is what we preach every single day, not only when it is convenient, but doing what is right all the time" he said.
He also said they teach their recruits to be responsible citizens after their career on the basketball courts, to raise good families, stand on their own, to have jobs, be responsible citizens for their community, and just be good people.
"Building a good program at UTM is based on five principles", he said.
Trust, everyone pulling their own weight and do their job, fulfilling their personal responsibility to the team so your teammates can trust you.
Enthusiasm, players must be enthusiastic about playing basketball, and also enthusiastic about accomplishing things in life.
Hard Work, outwork your opponent every single day and perform well, your performance is what you will be judged on, not only in basketball but in life also, and to be better today than they were yesterday.
Toughness, both physical and mental, the tougher the person, the harder it will be for that person to fail.
