1st Order of Fan Gear Available on 12/9

Items can be first picked up at the Home Girls Game that night!

Jordan Kappen Update

Professional basketball player, former teammate of Coach Allen, and friend of the program Jordan Kappen has been seen at Pine City over the last year hosting camps for our players in grades K-12.  Recently, he announced a new career avenue he would be taking in the following letter:

Dear Basketball,

From the moment I started robbing lay up lines and half time shots...
I fell in love with you.

Some kids showed up to kindergarten knowing how to read or ride a bike, for me; I could spider dribble.

Growing up in small town Wisconsin you gave me dreams that didn’t go much further than playing in a high school state tournament.

But that was ok.

A great deal of baller knowledge resulted because of you. Like, you can’t wear sweatbands “until you’re as good as Sam Okey” Or "No one handed passes until your hands' are the size of Sam Okey's”
(Thanks Dad; my first coach)

There'd be days in December I'd shovel the snow off the driveway to get some jumpers up. This is where I learned things that only the true ballers know. Like that it helped to have two basketballs for these snowy mornings. One to play with, and one to keep inside the front door, so that when the one I was playing with stopped bouncing, I could trade it for the warm one in the house.

Although I couldn't wear sweatbands, you still gave me the ultimate hoops affair for a young baller. I think I was part of the only 5th grade team ever outfitted in the layered warm up swag. Youth warm ups might run at tops 5 mins so shedding the warm up jacket, to the long sleeve, down to the shooting shirt before the game took some cleverness but we all did it for the hoopla.

College hoops was a haul filled with ups and downs plus having the biggest pain in the ass coach for 4 years. It's clear today Coach Gibbons was the toughest and better things that happened to me. He didn't overly recruit me and there were no promises. He simply asked after a few phone calls' so are you coming to Eau Claire or not? He is why I played with a chip on my shoulder, why I believe it's not about talent but outworking, how to overachieve, what it means to hold myself accountable, his zero tolerance policy prepared me, but most importantly playing a large part in me leaving that campus a much better person. He's kept his promise that there's nothing he won't do for me once I graduated. To Coach Gibbons, what you are as a person is much more important than what you are as a basketball player.

When my 4 years was up involuntary retirement kicked in resulting with an actual desk job and benefits with actual regular hours.

The idea of researching recruitment strategies to get more kids entering college seemed interesting enough initially as it allowed me to help out the youth. But the part I wasn't ready for was when I'd look around and see my coworkers drinking coffee around the printer, talking about the new ways they'd arranged their desks or the arrival of their new office supplies. Trying to function in this just walloped me.

For most college athletes the divorce with you is bitter sweet. Bitter that there is no more competing. Sweet meaning there are no more demanding practices or coaches telling you what to do. There wasn't much sweetness in it for me.

I still had too much of an appetite to ball. And not the noon ball get togethers or local men's leagues so you can grab a beer with the guys after.

So soon I made my mind up to end my career with you on my own terms. All I needed was a team. It didn't matter to me that my only option after a tryout' constituted playing in Springfield, IL in the IBA minor league that not too many people even knew about.

Somehow playing a season in the unknown minor league lead to the ultimate mission.

Even though sometimes you made me feel like an unemployed college graduate, I got to travel around the countries as a basketball globetrotter in one of the most ruthless, cutthroat job markets.

Did I make the NBA? No..I mean it’s basically impossible.

It wasn’t about making the NBA...

Maybe I didn't get anywhere close to the NBA.

But I played in a high school state tournament; twice. Drilled jumpers in Australia. And dropped 42 points in Europe.

What if I would have just quit after riding the pine for 2 years in college? Or when I was told my freshman year to wear my travel gear on the bench because there were no more team shorts to match my jersey?

I would have missed all the best parts of my basketball journey man.

When I signed that last professional contract I would have never guessed that was my path..

Especially in 2014 when FIBA sent me that email saying roughly 6000 students played division III college basketball that season and just 27 of those players signed a pro contract that year.

Voted to the Italian All-Star Game. Italian 3-Point Shootout Champion. That 42 piece in Italy.

Was it the NBA? No

Was it the Final Four? No

But it, it’s something very, very few ballers get a chance to do. And for that, I will always be grateful to you, and proud of the hard-work I put in.

OK finally, Next stop…

HELLO MILWAUKEE BUCKS!

Lucky enough I get to stay in the hoops scene directing youth basketball programs for the Bucks.

This ones bitter sweet man. It took a lot to work the hoops out of my system, but I'm leaving on my own terms, and that was the argument with you Thank you for this crazy journey.

(Written this morning between the tears and my pick up basketball session)

Impact Testing

If you did not have Impact Testing this fall (You were not in football) then you must do it this Wednesday (11/30) after school.

Meet down in the gym by the training room.  You will head up to test after the trainer is done with the athletes that need her (Around 330).  You should be done by 430.

This is for ALL boys basketball players who did not play football this fall.

UMD Men's Basketball Game

After the scrimmage on Saturday, The Dragons went to UMD to watch The Bulldogs take on Michigan Tech.  After the game, a team dinner was had in Duluth.

Traveling with the teams was: Austin Hansmann, Adam Seals, Jake Rademacher, Nathan Kleppe, Clay Logan, Jake Lunceford, Riley Palmer, Nick Hansmann, Quentin Miklya, Jake Adams, Konnor Jusczak, Seth Logan, Casey Foster, Brandon Haskovec, Tanner Wicktor, Koleman Lind, Christian Fromm, Nate Webster, Cordell Major, and Damien Schwab.  Coach Allen, Rademacher, and Hansmann were also along for the trip.

JV/V Preseason Scrimmage

On Saturday, the Dragon JV/V teams traveled to Virginia, MN for their annual preseason scrimmage.   Pine City was able to get in 3 separate scrimmages on the day against Virginia, Eveleth-Gilbert, and International Falls; three teams they do not face during the regular season or playoffs.  This opportunity gives the teams a great chance to face competition from another school that are also not commonly known teams.

Team Building with Rick Rassier

The Pine City basketball team brought in renowned team builder Rick Rassier to work with members of our 7-12 teams on Friday after Thanksgiving.  Rick brought with him not only a great message but also fun activities to make our players think about what and why they are apart of this program!




The Highlight of the night might have been Rick's version of DODGEBALL: