Past Traditions, Future Traditions

 

The future, it seems to dominate the human mind. What changes are to come? What should we expect to be different? For Whitworth Women’s Basketball, the future is holding on to the past. Whitworth University as a whole has had a sense of community since its establishment in 1890. The Lady Pirates basketball head coach Helen Higgs’ coaching style not only reflect her belief in the sense of community but she keeps that mentality even when she’s out there recruiting new players. As Higgs is going on her twenty-first year as head coach, she expects that traditions of community and winning to continue.

               

“I think we always look for the best people who are the best players that fulfill our needs. I watch how they relay with their teammates.” Higgs said.

In that quote, Higgs put the stamp of “best people” ahead of “best players”. That alone is highly reflective of the values that Higgs has embedded into her coaching mentality. Too many coaches are out there nowadays for simply the best player, and some of them in their pursuit of talent forget that just because someone is talented it does not mean that they are a good person. Vince Lombardi once claimed that one cannot coach if the players have not been taught. So Higgs teaches.

“We try to be team first. We try to [build] a sense of unity and as of family as much as you can. We usually do a lot of team building activities, and we usually have something once a week where the team can go like ‘hey! Let us get to know each other more than as basketball players’. I’m willing to give up some practice time for them to have that team time.” Higgs said.

               

Usually for coaches who put heavy emphasis on what kind of person a player is as opposed to how good a player is the team’s winning percentage pays a price as result. That has not been the case for Higgs’ Pirates. Higgs’ approach to the game as a coach and as a recruiter has resulted in nearly a 60% career winning percentage for the Pirates since 1993. Higgs has also led the Pirates to two conference championship wins, three conference tournament wins and three NCAA tournament appearances.

If one had any questions about the Lady Pirates’ future, the Pirates start to the 2014-2015 season ought to tell the story. The Pirates are currently ranked 16th in the nation with a 6-0 record despite life without last season’s leading scorer and rebounder Kayla Johnson who graduated. The Pirates began their season opener by beating a 4-0 Eastern Oregon team despite trailing by 12 with over 16 minutes left in the second half.

In sports, great players come and go but one of the people that have carried the past into the future is head coach Helen Higgs. Her formula may not have resulted in a championship yet but her formula has resulted in Whitworth being able to hold on to its winning ways and its community traditions. Whitworth Women’s Basketball has not taken away from the Whitworth community feeling but it has helped anchor it, and as long as Higgs remain the Pirates head coach, expect nothing else except for that continue.