Cleveland GBB Preview

Article from St Peter Herald's Pat Beck about hiring of Coach Thompson

Jason Thompson will be the new Cleveland girls varsity basketball coach this season. Thompson takes over for George Schoenborn, who stepped down last spring after three years as head coach.

Thompson is originally from Elmore, south of Blue Earth on the Iowa border. After graduating from high school there, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from Winona State University. He currently resides in Owatonna and is an AVP/Controller for Roundbank in Waseca.

Thompson played basketball all through high school and has more than 6 years of head coaching experience within the Owatonna basketball program. The last 2 years he was the assistant varsity basketball coach and the junior varsity head coach. He said he is both enthusiastic and ready to lead the Cleveland girls program.
“Having grown up in a smaller town setting of Elmore and then coming from a basketball rich tradition in Owatonna, I feel I have a great balance to lead Cleveland girls basketball,” Thompson said. “I feel that I am well prepared with my experience to take over and develop a winning program. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to coach at Cleveland. I can’t express how excited I am to get this season started. In addition, having now met the players and the parents, my excitement just continues to build.”

Thompson said strategy and teaching is what he enjoys most about the game.

“I like taking a team and developing its skills and putting each player in a position to succeed. In my opinion, effort, positive attitude and a good basketball IQ make the best player. You don’t necessarily have to have the best skills, although that helps, but if you are willing to work hard and be coachable you will become a better player each day.”

Success this year will mean getting better after each outing, he said.
“I want to improve each and every day as the season progresses. We should be a much better team at the end of the season than what we will be at the beginning of the season.”

Thompson said that a shallow bench will be the largest hurdle for the Clippers this season.
“The limited number of girls that we currently have within grades 9-12 will be the biggest challenge. However, meeting the girls during our pre-season meeting, I firmly believe that they have great attitudes and will be willing to work hard to accomplish our team goals.”

To build up the program, he hopes to become involved in Cleveland girls basketball at all stages, instilling a strong work ethic while making the experience enjoyable.

“In my position as head coach of the program, I would like to be involved and engaged with all grade levels from the elementary level through the varsity level to keep excitement building and growing throughout the girls basketball program. I want to connect with all players by developing their basketball, leadership and life skills in a fun, positive and hardworking culture, so that they may use these skills the rest of their lives.”

www.southernminn.com/st_peter_herald/sports/local/article_c1af2e95-57b5-58d4-8903-9c95894ff2ab.html