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Box to focus on varsity boys’ basketball basics at Galt High School
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(L-R) Steve Justice and Steve Box
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By Kerensa Uyeta-Buckley
Herald Sports
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Steve Box knows a little something about Galt High School basketball.
The first-year GHS boys’ basketball coach played against Galt High School when he was in high school and coached against the Warriors last December as a varsity assistant coach with Bear River High School.
Having seen Galt’s talent and players, the veteran basketball coach is prepared to guide the Warriors with an approach focused on straightforward basketball.
Box hopes to teach players the fundamentals of the game and cover the basics, so that players are knowledgeable about a variety of plays.
“My style of coaching is very straightforward, not much of a system coach,” Box said Friday.
Box said that he shies away from teaching systems so that players will have better opportunities on the court.
“I believe in teaching my players how to play basketball, get them to read situations versus being tied into doing things as per the system,” Box said.
Box coached at the junior varsity and varsity levels at Bear River for five years, from 2002-2007, before accepting a position to teach engineering at Galt.
Prior to that, Box coached high school basketball in Japan for three years.
In all, Box says he has been coaching for about 16 years.
Before he started coaching, Box played basketball in high school and as a boy.
“I played basketball most of my life, although not as much after I graduated from high school as I have been coaching. I played against Coach Nottoli and Galt when I was in high school (88 and 89),” Box said.
One big goal for the boys’ varsity program’s future is to develop a wider community around Galt basketball.
Box says that he is interested in tying basketball feeder programs more directly to the high school level.
The goal would be to develop the feeder program so that GHS can build a following in basketball that perhaps rivals the following football receives.“I mainly want to get the program where everything is normal, and start working on improving our connections with our feeder schools and the community,” Box said.
The 2007-08 basketball season will begin Nov.26 with a home game against Del Campo.
The Warriors will play in three tournaments, including hosting their own Realty World Warrior Classic Dec. 6-8, and five other preseason games.
Galt will then start the Sierra Valley Conference season Jan. 8.
Having led workouts for several weeks now, Box said he has talked with his players and is getting familiar with his team.
Box said he sees himself at Galt for at least the next several years, which will allow him to develop Galt’s feeder programs and to build the varsity program as well.
<>Justice looks to be a ‘team player’ as new Galt freshman basketball coach
Preparation for players’ future is main goal
By Kerensa Uyeta-Buckley
Herald Sports- As the coach of Galt High School’s freshman boys’ basketball team, Steve Justice knows that he has the first chance to get his players ready for four years of competitive basketball.
Justice has coached Galt Parks and Recreation youth basketball and football in recent years, and coached girls’ junior high basketball in the Bay Area.
As a result, he has seen his players move up to other levels and it is this future he would like to prepare his players for.
“I just want to be a team player for JV and varsity, because I’m the first person these guys get coached by, so I want to move them up so that when they’re ready… they know the offense, they know the defense and they can be successful,” Justice said Friday during the freshman basketball team’s workout.
Justice said that he hopes to see his players rise up to whatever challenges they encounter this season as they develop skills that they will need in the coming years on the court.
While Justice would like to see the Warriors have a successful season, he ultimately says that preparation is his number one goal.
“If we don’t win, I want them to have a good experience and be able to be ready for the next level so that we could build the program up,” Justice said.
Justice, who grew up on the east coast, has been around basketball all of his life.
He played basketball in high school and has been coaching in the years that have followed.
“I love the game. I want to learn, but I also want to teach and I want to bring back the fans in Galt. I want to see our gym filled up every time these young men come out,” Justice said.
With the basketball preseason set to start Tuesday against Granite Bay for the freshman Warriors, Justice is one of several GHS basketball coaches who says he is hoping the community can get involved in the sport and attend home games at Warrior Gym.
“We just want to see the town get excited about our high school. I’m from the east coast, and basketball and football, everybody comes out,” Justice said.
Part of the experience of playing high school basketball or youth sports is seeing fans root for one’s team.
Justice would like to see that experience fulfilled for Galt players this season.
“Being a high school kid, if your parents and the neighbors are there cheering you on, there’s nothing like that. You’ll never get another experience like that.
I think if the community of Galt gets behind and fills up the stands, we could have a nice, successful season,” said Justice.
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