The Coach and His Men

It is 8:00 on a Wednesday night and Clark is playing at home. There is small number of fans in the crowd, mostly friends and families of the players. Clark wins in OT, the next day you can find a short bit about the game in The Columbian, but nothing really detailing the exciting game that took place the night before. There is a great article about the game in the Clark College newspaper The Independent, but only people at the school will get a chance to read it.

Two-year athletic programs are perhaps the most unloved side of college sports. Here there is no spotlight; no ESPN coverage, no glitz, no glamour, no love. The bond between players, coaches, fans has two years to build before it’s taken down and rebuilt. After their two year stay at the community college level is over, it is very common for the student athlete to go onto a university to finish their degree and this may or may not involve also playing sports. Coaches have to work twice as hard to turn their players into student athletes and prepare them for future success. The student athletes who develop over time on the men’s basketball team at Clark College are a prime example of this, and head Coach Mike Arnold knows he has a heavy burden to bear.

After speaking with Mike, I realized that he puts a heavy emphasis on education. He is a health and physical education instructor at the college as well as a head basketball coach, mentor, and friend. In The Independent, Mike states, “I really want my players to focus on their education, because I want them to see what is most important.” I asked him about this and he said that he likes to look out for his guys and wants to make sure they have opportunities when they graduate from Clark. Last year two players, Alex Mitchell and Drew Bergerson received full scholarships to four year universities. These scholarships represent a blending of academic and athletic talent and hard work. For some, the road may end after their two years at Clark. Others may continue their education at another place of higher learning. Whatever the outcome, Coach Arnold wants to see his players realize their potential.

At the next Clark men’s basketball game, you won’t see flashing lights, large cameras and or big names like Bill Walton giving opinions on the outcome of the game. However, what you will see is the determination of the players to give their all on and off the court, with a little inspiration from Coach Arnold.