Basketball Coach Mike Mathis Switching From Girls to Guys Head Coach
by Mackenzie White for Walkersville High School Lion’s Pride
After 19 years of building one of the most successful girls basketball programs in the county, coach Mike Mathis will be switching his expertise to the opposite gender this coming season. He was just recently named Walkersville’s boys head basketball coach.
Throughout Mathis’s 19 seasons, he was able to not only maintain a winning record and seal a state championship in 2003, but leave a lasting impression on each girl he coached as well. Perhaps the player he influenced most throughout all seasons is his daughter, McKenzie.
McKenzie will be graduating this year and continuing her academic and athletic career at Shenandoah University. When asking her what it was like to be able to be coached by her dad for so long, and she responded “It was an amazing experience to be able to play for my dad. Every accomplishment was that much sweeter because we got to share them together. Although it’s very hard to play for a parent at times, it’s all worth it in the end.”
In regards to her thoughts on him coaching the boys, McKenzie continued “I’m looking forward to seeing what my dad can do with the boys team. I know he’s up for the challenge and he is excited to work with all of them and make them better just like he did with the girls program.”
When asking Coach Mathis himself how it felt to be leaving the girls program, he responded “It was very emotional. We put so much time into building the program into what it is today. The program was such a big part of my life and my family’s life, and that is definitely going to be different. But I am looking forward to developing the boys’ program.”
Elaborating on his expectations for the boys program, Mike continued “My goal is to build the boys program into what we have on the girls side. I want our players, school and community to take great pride in our program.”
With switching to the boys program, Coach Mathis will now have the opportunity to coach his son, Zack, who will be a junior next year.
Zack said “I think it will be fun to play for him. Although I will have high expectations from him, it will be a good experience. I know he will probably push me very hard. He has tons of coaching experience and knows the players on the team and in the program well. I think we will have a good year with him coaching.”
Not many parents have the opportunity to coach a child at such a competitive level, let alone both of their children. Mike said “I really enjoyed coaching McKenzie throughout her career and I just feel truly blessed to have an opportunity to coach Zack as well. I coach my kids the same way that I coach other kids, but I am a little tougher on my own kids.”
The boys team is lucky to have the privilege to play for a coach of such talent and respect, and the girls program will definitely miss him. Mathis will continue to leave his mark on Walkersville Basketball as a whole not only this year, but forever.
