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Basketball Coach Weeks’ Hopes High For Lady Falcons

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George Weeks

After leading the Lady Falcons to the school’s first OIA Division I championship last February, head basketball coach George Weeks and his 2008-09 edition can expect to receive every opponent’s best effort this time around. Coach Weeks took some time away from his schedule recently to answer questions from MidWeek on the eve of his second season at Kalani.

What is your earliest basketball-related memory? My earliest memory was living in an apartment complex in Florida when I was in third grade. My mother had given me a rubber Spalding basketball for Christmas, and there was a basket in the parking lot outside. I used to play pickup games, “HORSE” and “AROUND THE WORLD,” with the older kids as much as I could. I played and shot so much that all the nubs on the ball had worn away and the ball was completely bald and smooth. But I knew I wasn’t getting a new ball any time soon, so I just kept playing with it.

Who has had the biggest impact on you in your life? My wife Tammy and my son Tanner. My wife has always pointed me in the right direction from the day I met her and has always been supportive. My son has impacted me in that he made me grow up quickly and also understand that there are things far more important than basketball in life.

When did you know that you wanted to be a coach? I knew I wanted to be a coach when I was finally old enough to realize the impact that coaches in my life had on me growing up. My father was not around too much, so the coaches I had became my positive male role models. I wanted to start coaching to give back to those who were in a similar situation to mine. I’ve always loved the game, but I think it is the love of working with young folks and understanding the positive impact we as coaches can have on their lives off the floor (that) is the thing that really motivates any coach to do what they do. You have to go to history class and math class, but basketball is something that you choose to try out for. If you make the team, it is a privilege to play. As a result, I really feel like I have a special avenue to make a connection and make a difference with the kids I coach because they actually want to be in my classroom, which just happens to be the gymnasium.

How would you describe your assistant coaching staff? What do you look for when putting together a staff? I would describe my coaching staff as dedicated, loyal and loving. Kurt Johnson and Tenari Maafala are both great guys who care about the girls and the program as well as their brothers on the coaching staff. In looking for my staff, I am really looking for someone who is not afraid to question the things that I do on the court and challenge me to think about the way we do particular things while at the same time uniting with me and supporting me in my decisions once I have made them, right or wrong, to achieve the goals of the team.

Your teams have been very successful in executing the motion offense. What made your offense a good fit for Kalani? Prior to my arrival, the girls had been running a robotic Flex Motion for a couple of years. When I took over, I challenged them to learn how to read defenses and react accordingly. I feel like it was a good fit because I challenge my players to think on the court and make intelligent decisions, and I really feel like we have smart kids. We just took their intelligence and excellence in the classroom and asked them to apply it to the basketball court, which I think they did quite successfully.

Your defensive play in last year’s OIA Division I Tournament was among the best the tournament has seen in recent years as you held all three opponents under 30 points. Do you have the personnel to have that same kind of defensive effort this year? We put a huge emphasis on the defensive end of the court last year. For the OIA tournament, we had a different defensive game plan for each game. The girls executed the defensive plan for each game to perfection, and as a result, they were able to win the first OIA Division I Championship in school history and take the program to a new level. We have lost a tremendous amount of talent and experience to graduation, but if the girls we have this year understand that all defense takes is heart and attitude, they should hold their own on defense.

Who on the Kalani roster will surprise people in 2008? Although Violet Alama will be signing a letter of intent to play for Cal State Northridge, she is recovering from reconstructive ACL surgery and will most likely miss the entire season. The huge void she leaves will probably be filled by seniors Ashlyn Onaga and Jamie Higa, both of whom should see a lot of time at the guard positions. Ashlyn was the starting point guard on last year’s championship team who we expect a lot of leadership from, and Jamie is a strong player with excellent skills who has the potential to have a breakout year.