Changes may be in effect at Little Rock Hall High School, but for Warriors boys basketball Coach Jon Coleman, the team's goals remain the same.
"We always want to play for and win a state title," he said. "This upcoming season will be my 11th year as head coach, and I'm excited about that. But the one thing you realize in this profession is that time flies."
Despite spending more than a decade as the team's head coach, the past 29 years at the school itself and 31 years in the Little Rock School District, the start of the 2020-21 school year may seem more like Day 1 for Coleman.
Hall will now be known as Little Rock Hall STEAM Magnet High School. STEAM is an acronym for "Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math," which means a new curriculum will be in place. Because of the changes surrounding the direction of the school, employees had the option to re-apply for their jobs or apply at different schools within the district. Coleman, as well as girls head basketball Coach Selita Farr, were eventually re-hired at Hall to lead their respective programs.
With those formalities out of the way, it's back to business for both.
Coleman and Farr, who has taken the Lady Warriors to the state tournament in 11 of her 20 seasons, were allowed to hold workouts with their teams this week after being away from them since mid-March when schools were shut down statewide because of the coronavirus pandemic, but they're expected to actually begin those sessions Monday. Coleman said he's glad he'll finally be able to practice with his players again after not seeing them for the majority of the spring.
"I think for the most part, physically, a lot of the kids have kind of been stuck in the house," he said. "Everybody isn't blessed to be able to be in a facility to work out in. So I'm sure the kids will be glad to get back and do team-type of things, too.
"The main part, though, will be to just kind of slowly get them acclimated back into good physical condition. After that, then we'll start helping them improve their skill set."
Coleman, who is 205-88 at Hall and has led the team to three state titles, said he feels that it won't take much for his players to get going once they're in the gym. But he does think it'll be a different feeling, simply because of the circumstances that they'll have to adapt to.
"Just for the simple fact that it's new and you want everybody to be safe," he explained in reference to the covid-19 return to play requirements that were put in place by Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas Department of Health. "I don't think it'll take the kids long to get acclimated, though. Right now, I think they have to have their own balls and things like that.
"But we want to make sure that we have the social distancing in effect and keep things sanitized. So it'll be something different. We have to be open minded and make sure we're as safe as possible because it seems like we find out new information on [coronavirus] every day."
The Warriors have never had a losing record under Coleman, but they finished 11-11 last season. Hall lost six seniors from that team, including all-state forward Dylon Sessions. Yet, that doesn't mean the long-time coach is apprehensive about the future.
"Each and every year, I'm excited and ready to go," said Coleman, who graduated from the University of Arkansas alum. "When that changes, that's when I'll feel like it's time to sit down or find something else to do. But for me, I'm happy to be able to see the guys.
"I've seen them some on Zoom, but to kind of interact with everybody again will be a good feeling."
Sports on 06/05/2020