Not long ago, Cheney High School boys basketball head coach Gregg Smith was in a conversation with a former Blackhawks coach when he was asked how old his kids were. The former Eastern Washington University player and CHS teacher told him, noting his oldest daughter was 10.
“He said, ‘You’ve got to spend time with her before she doesn’t want to spend time with you,” Smith said in a May 29 interview.
Contemplating that, the four-year Blackhawks leader decided to change his wife Julie’s status from a “married, single parent” and announced his resignation from the program, effective May 2. It’s a decision that didn’t come easily, given the strides the Blackhawks have made since his hiring in 2015.
After a 5-14 campaign the first year, in which Cheney won just one league game, the Blackhawks made some sort of progress each season under Smith. Cheney jumped to 8-12 overall in 2016-2017, and even with a similar record the following season, quadrupled their Great Northern League wins that year to 4-8.
Cheney had a similar mark this season, going 10-10 overall, a year that saw a record turnout for the program with 75 athletes, necessitating the creation of five teams.
“Those are football numbers,” Smith said of the turnout.
Smith leaves with a 31–48 record, 10-38 in GNL play and 2-4 in playoff competition. Those two wins came in 2017-2018 when the Blackhawks advanced out of districts for the first time since the state tournament team of 2008. Cheney upset Wapato in regionals before falling to North Kitsap in first round 2A state play.
Smith said there are many things he will miss by stepping away from coaching, beginning with the players. From the grind of practice to game day preparations to the game itself, Smith said the players who put on the Blackhawks uniform for him worked hard, excelled beyond what they could do at times and — most of all — competed.
“It comes down to missing the guys,” he said. “They work hard, and we ask a lot of them.”
Smith said that comes in practice, something he loved even as a player at EWU. Whether it’s working on shooting, rebounding, strategy or other drills, how a player practices defines what they do in a game.
“All those little independent competitions that you have in practice, watching how others compete and figure out how to compete,” he said. “You can’t compete in games if you don’t compete in practice. Some say ‘it’s only practice,’ but the reality is, it’s practice.”
Smith said he will also miss the camaraderie developed with his coaching staff as well as the players, a camaraderie born through competition. But he believes the Blackhawks cupboard isn’t bare for his successor, noting the new coach inherits a group of young players who have played together a lot, understand the need and have put in the off-season work in the training and weight rooms.
“Guys who are excited about the program,” he added.
Smith said one thing he would’ve liked to have done was develop the program more into the lower levels, creating a feeder system through parents and others that had more continuity with the high school program. He acknowledged that the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has rules about out-of-season contact with athletes, but feels there are ways to foster that without running afoul of the organization.
He also said athletes need to be encouraged to not just focus on one sport, but play as many other sports as possible. Multi-sports athletes are more prepared physically and mentally to practice and compete, he added.
For now, Smith said he’ll still come to Blackhawks games to encourage the athletes to success, and will learn more of the ins and outs of recreation league activities through his four kids, two girls ages 10 and two and two boys ages nine and seven.
“I’ll get the chance to throw the football with my sons,” he added.
John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].
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