Alumnus Chris Sartorius returns to coach JV boys basketball
Alumnus Chris Sartorius coaches the JV boys basketball team. Returning to coach at his old high school fulfilled Sartorius’ dream. “It’s always been a dream of mine to come back and coach at my old high school, because of the positive and fun experience I had playing basketball here,” Sartorius said. “I’m very excited for the opportunity.”
December 12, 2018
After nine years of coaching at the college level, alumnus Chris Sartorius fulfilled his dream of coaching at his former high school.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to come back and coach at my old high school because of the positive and fun experience I had playing basketball here. I had coach [John] Wright and coach [Rich] Rodgers as my coaches, so I’m very excited for the opportunity,” Sartorius said.
Sartorius stepped down from coaching at the University of Arkansas and moved to Chicago.
“I fell in love with a girl. I moved to Chicago to be closer to her and I had an opportunity to come back home so it’s been great,” Sartorius said.
Activities Director Brian Kessler hired Sartorius as the new JV coach for his passion for basketball and the life of a student athlete.
“Whenever we are looking for a new coach we look for [knowledge] of the game [and] understanding high school aged kids, how they function and what motivates them,” Kessler said. “[We also look for] someone who is organized [and] communicates extremely well, someone who understands the rule of a coach and the life of a child,” Kessler said.
Varsity head coach John Wright thinks that Sartorius is a good fit for the basketball program.
“He represents the type of character that we want our program to be known for,” Wright said. “And that’s respect.’
Sartorius wants the JV athletes to succeed and to go on to play at the varsity level.
“Our biggest focus is getting better everyday, we want to make sure we teach the fundamentals of basketball, emphasizing good fundamental team defense, good communication and develop our guys that eventually get an opportunity to play on varsity and do really well,” Sartorius said.
Sartorius plans on learning from his previous experience playing under the direction of Wright to make himself a better coach.
“I came back to learn from coach Wright. He has 20 plus years of coaching experience and has a lot of wealth and knowledge,” Sartorius said. “Also, coach Rodgers has 50 plus years, so for me I’m like a sponge and I’m ready to learn as much as I can from those guys.”
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