This is North Kitsap High School boys basketball coach Tony Chisholm’s favorite time of year.
In only two days, athletes will head into the friendly confines of gymnasiums, swimming pools and wrestling rooms for the unofficial grand opening of the winter sports season.
The North Kitsap High School/Kingston High School combined gymnastics team is the only winter sports squad that already has begun practice. They started Nov. 5.
Girls basketball, boys basketball, boys swimming and wrestling kickoff at NKHS and KHS Nov. 12.
As for Chisholm, the sight of basketballs bouncing and sounds of shoes squeaking on the hardwood as players run through his infamous defensive drills is something he’s looking forward to.
“For the last three weeks I’ve been getting the itch,” he said. “It’s getting to be that time of year. Everyone is heading indoors for sports this coming week. I’m pretty excited about it.”
Chisholm said he isn’t letting last year’s 2-18 regular season record get to him. He believes his team will improve by leaps and bounds this year, which marks his second as head coach of the Vikings.
“I feel like we’re going to have an opportunity to be successful,” he said. “We have a lot of returners and I feel with the guys we have that we’re a team with a lot of potential. We played tough against good competition in the Narrows League last year. Now is our chance to show them we belong.”
Kingston High School wrestling head coach Bobby Reece is excited about leading the Buccaneers grapplers in the program’s first year.
Reece won’t be alone as recently hired assistant coaches Chris Gilbreath and Jeremy Burnett will be alongside him and wrestlers this season.
“Chris was my coach when I was a kid,” Reece said. “Now he’s coaching with me.”
Reece said he wants to build a proud program in the Buccaneers inaugural wrestling season. He expects 30-35 grapplers to hit the mats for the first day of practice Monday.
“It’s my goal that we get off to a good start. Being a first year program, it’s important we have a good first year on and off the mat,” he said. “This is the year we’re going to set the standards for our program. Not everyone is going to like those standards, but those will be the standards they are expected to meet.”
Reece said he wants his athletes to not only give it their best effort on the mat, but also be even better when they’re out in the community.
“My No. 1 goal is that they have the right values and make the right decisions on the mat and off the mat,” he said. “The three things anyone is going to need in life is believing in yourself, work hard and don’t ever quit. Those are the three things that will carry you in life or you will get your butt kicked. Quitting never is an option.”
North Kitsap High School girls basketball coach Bill Hobaugh has had the first day of practice circled on his calendar for quite awhile now.
“I’m eagerly anticipating the first practice,” he said. “I’ve been thinking, ‘Lets get this started.’”
Hobaugh, who’s in his first year as head coach of the Vikings said his squad will be young this season.
“We’re basically starting from scratch this year,” he said. “We’re losing so many seniors off of last year’s team. A lot of our players will be new to the program, but that’s going to be exciting. I haven’t seen all of the girls yet. I’m hoping we have 30 players come out for practice. We’ll find out on Monday.”
