COMMENTARY: ‘Our Community Needs This’

By Nathan Allen

Posted: November 16, 2009 at 4:57 a.m.

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SPRINGDALE — It’s easy to see the dramatic change that’s sweeping through Springdale High’s boys basketball program these days.

The players — all 24 of them — are showing signs of having fun. They’re enjoying being around each other and for the first time in a long time, these players not only believe they’ll just be competitive this season, they believe they can win.

The positive vibes aren’t because of some weird coincidence or because basketball season happens to be right around the corner.

It’s because of first-year coach Brad Stamps.

“The biggest thing is that (Stamps) emphasizes to not only work hard, but have fun,” junior guard Shelton Baird said. “He knows how to relate to all of us and I can promise you, that’s something that’s important to every player on this team.”

Baird, who led the 7A-West Conference in scoring last season with 25.8 points per game, is a perfect example of how effective Stamps can be.

Last May, after Stamps had been hired as Springdale’s basketball coach to replace former coach Bill Taylor, Baird considered moving to Topeka, Kan., with his father, who took a coaching job at Highland Park High. Baird even went as far as to enroll at the school.

But after some reconsideration, Baird said he decided to stay in Springdale with his mother because he didn’t want to leave his teammates and he wanted the chance to play for Stamps.

And other players feel the exact same way.

Senior T.J. Andrews admitted that, while playing for the Bulldogs last season, he wasn’t very happy. There were times under Taylor that Andrews wished he wasn’t even playing basketball at all.

Late last season, three players — including Andrews — quit the team because “the chemistry and the leadership wasn’t completely right.” Despite the defections, the Bulldogs still earned a state tournament berth under Taylor, who left after the season.

“It was really tough. There were times I wanted to play, and there were times I didn’t,” Andrews said. “This season, under (Stamps), it’s like night and day. We all love him, we love what he’s trying to do with us and we believe in him. I think we finally believe in ourselves.”

Since Stamps was hired on April 30, the upbeat former Shiloh Christian coach who also was an assistant at crosstown Springdale Har-Ber, has constantly preached to his players that being successful on the court isn’t the only thing that’s important. Stamps wants his players to be involved in the community; he wants them to do well in class and he wants them to make smart decisions.

His message has been received loud and clear.

“I want us to play hard, play smart, play together and have fun,” Stamps said. “If we do just three of those four things, good things are going to happen. It’s a culture right now where these kids believe in each other and they believe what we’re trying to do as coaches.”

Following Saturday’s Red-White scrimmage at Bulldog Gymnasium, senior Joseph Kellogg probably said it best.

“I’m having the time of my life, and I can’t wait to see what this team can do,” Kellogg said. “Even though we went to the state tournament last year, I think we can be a better team with (Stamps) on our side.

“All the players deserve better, this school deserves better and our community needs this.”

NATHAN ALLEN IS A NORTHWEST ARKANSAS NEWSPAPERS SPORTS WRITER. HIS COLUMN APPEARS EACH MONDAY.

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