Don’t expect to see ranting and raving from James Wilkins on the basketball court.
Gilroy High’s new girls basketball coach is a humble, low-key individual who gets his points across but not in the same way as a Bobby Knight or Larry Brown.
Rather than have the focus on him, Wilkins wants the focus to be on his girls.
“I would definitely like to see at least two of our players make it to the next level,” Wilkins says. “I’m there to give them every opportunity to advance, to teach them everything fundamentally about the game.”
Notice he didn’t declare a TCAL title or CCS advance as his top goal. That comes with time and effort. And yet Wilkins realizes that the impact he makes on his girls lives as individuals rather than as players is more important.
There won’t be any superstars, he promises. At the same time, he believes the talent level is such that the Mustangs can make as much noise as last year when they were 19-4, went through the TCAL unbeaten and advanced to the second round of the CCS, losing on a heart-wrenching, last-second shot to Carlmont.
“I believe a lot in chemistry,” Wilkins says. “I would rather have 10 mediocre players who work well together, than 10 superstars. We can build from that.”
He may have the best of both worlds, as he can build around Dana Schoeneman, Russhelle Preeshl, Amanda Spellman and his daughter, Vanessa, who seems to have inherited his jumping genes — James Wilkins says he could reverse dunk during his playing days.
Wilkins will hype his girls but not any of his exploits. It took a tip from his assistant coach, Ana Patejdl, before he would open up about the honor he received in Germany this summer. He was voted one of the 30 best athletes in the last 30 years in Germany, where he guided SSV Hagen to a national championship in the early 1970s. With his family in tow, he was honored and presented with two DVDs of his career.
“It was quite an experience,” he said.
Wilkins would prefer to focus on his players rather than himself. And he will keep the focus on them as long as they adhere to his philosophy of “one pulls for all. The only way we will be successful if one pulls for all, and we all help each other succeed.”
Wilkins will do his part and he wants the girls to do their part as well. He’ll let them make the noise, though.
“I’m a low-key type of person,” he says. “I don’t talk a lot. I believe action speaks louder than words.”
The action he took during the summer getting the girls playing in various leagues spoke volumes. And besides, the man of few words obviously said enough to impress the Gilroy school board.
