NS. MARYS – An Ohio Valley Athletic Conference Hall of Fame coach returns to the hardwood.
Longtime Paden City basketball and volleyball leader Fred King is now looking to make a name for himself in the Little Kanawha Conference.
He accepted the recently vacated position in St. Marys Girls’ basketball. The takeover of Howie Meeks, who had to resign due to his new duties as sporting director and assistant principal, does not allow him to train.
King has spent the last three seasons at River High School as assistant coach to Rick Isaly after a year-long hiatus. During his time with the Pilots, he had « the privilege » of coaching names like Lauren Flannery, Kelsey Hartland and Hannah Raber. « I’ve seen a lot of girls’ basketball players in the past three years, » said King.
« You (River) treated me really well. There were great trainers and parents there. It was hard to go, ”he said. However, King said the opportunity to train the Blue Devils was too good to miss. After moving to the St. Marys neighborhood and a substitute teacher post, he saw the children and « their thirst for excellence » and « they go beyond the system ».
This includes playing on AAU teams, going to open gyms, and being in the weight room to get stronger. It also didn’t hurt that the same girls are already part of the established program that left Meeks behind. A deep closet extends back to third grade thanks to the former head coaches who work with the youth.
« What I have to do now is keep the train on the tracks and take it a step further if possible, » said King.
That would only mean one thing: a national championship. It was the only performance that Meeks ‘was missing at the top. The group played for four titles but fell to Huntington St. Joe in all. The narrowest miss with seven points in 2011.
King plans to pursue that goal by developing an all-inclusive program similar to River’s. Players don’t necessarily have to get through the system. “I want to leave the door open for children who are marginal and want to do sport. Maybe it’s the kids who aren’t quite ready to play AAU ball, but we have something for them too. We want to keep the program’s youth league like the Devilettes, ”said King.
St. Marys fans can expect all of the players who join the team to be part of a very structured and set-oriented system, King said. « We want to enable good athletes with good skills to exercise their God-given talents. »
Several LKC trainers have already expressed their enthusiasm for the setting. Especially the Williamstown boys’ head coach Scott Sauro can’t wait to see the Fred and Fred Show when the Yellowjackets and Blue Devils get together.
« I told him it would be like going to a geriatric ward and looking or seeing » One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, « said King. “Fred Sauro and I go way back. He won his first championship at Sisterville High School, and at that time Williamstown was very average and had a stepping stone from the Lady Tiger Invitational. « King begins his tenure as St. Marys against the 2021-22 season on December 3rd the class A runner-up, Cameron, opened.
« It’s not about me, » he emphasized. “I’ve had my time. Now is the time for the kids. I am not a rah-rah-egocentric person. It’s all about the kids. ”
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