SPRINGDALE — Scotty Person likes to joke with his closest friends that he’s miserable from November to the middle of March.
For Person, it’s his own little way of dealing with the headaches of a basketball season.
Don’t be confused, though, because Person isn’t literally miserable. Like any other high school basketball coach, Person takes his job very seriously — he wants his team to be successful in every way possible, whether it’s on or off the court.
As soon as a game ends, Person doesn’t reflect on how good of a win or bad of a loss it was; he simply starts thinking about the next game and what it will take to be victorious.
About two weeks ago, I sat down with Person, Springdale High’s girls basketball coach, for about 30 minutes before one of the Lady Bulldogs’ preseason practices.
We talked about his expectations for the season, what he hopes his team can accomplish and how he’s trying to elevate Springdale’s basketball program “to the next level.”
There was something else I took away from the short conversation, something Person and I never even discussed — perseverance.
Person, who’s entering his fifth year with the Lady Bulldogs, is as excited as he’s ever been about the possibilities with his team. Springdale features eight returning players that won 14 games a year ago and advanced to the Class 7A State Tournament for the first time under his tenure, a huge step for a team that hasn’t won many games over the last four years.
For Person, however, none of that matters. He doesn’t worry or think about the past; he doesn’t question anything he’s ever done or even regret being where he’s at today. Instead, he keeps a positive attitude, constantly looks ahead and continues to persevere.
That’s who Person is, and always will be.
“I’m not here to look at things we’ve done the last couple of years and analyze it,” Person said. “I’m here to make this team better every year, to show our players that I believe in them and that we can be a successful basketball team.
“I think our players have bought into that, I think they believe in us and I think we could have a great season.”
Last week, Springdale lost its preseason benefit game at Gentry 47-44. It was an eye-opening experience that the Lady Bulldogs needed, Person said. Two days later, in its season opener at Van Buren, Springdale beat the Lady Pointers 55-46 after overcoming a nine-point deficit in the final 13 minutes of the game.
Springdale fought back and persevered to get the victory, something Person said was important for his team.
The day before playing Van Buren, Person showed his players the game film from the Gentry loss, spending about two hours in a classroom-type situation to point out various mistakes and how they could be fi xed.
“We went from losing to Gentry to having a great practice and opening our season with a win,” said Person, whose team hosts Russellville on Tuesday night. “It was awesome. Our girls responded, they fought back and they made the kind of good decisions we’ve been coaching for a long time.”
It’s the kind of thing Person wants to see from his team more often, the kind of thing that makes him proud to be a coach and the kind of thing that’ll make the Lady Red’Dogs a tough team to beat this season.
NATHAN ALLEN IS A NORTHWEST ARKANSAS NEWSPAPERS SPORTS WRITER. HIS COLUMN APPEARS EACH MONDAY.
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