Sunday, March 8, 1992 - North Shore News -

31

Local man coaches national basketball team

SPORTS COLLECTABLES are al! the rage these days, but when you're the assistant coach of Canada's national basketball team, collectables come in the form of frequent

flyer points.

Since starting his coaching job with the national team, Phil Langley has traveled to more than 6 cities in the United States.

Although some think of it as being glamorous, travel can be a strain on a team’s performance. Very often the only sight they see are the airport, hotel and the building where they play.

“I¢’s as important to know how to travel and fight fatigue as it is to know how to crack a zone or run a certain type of offence,”’ said Langley.

When he moved to the North Shore in 1954, Langley played basketball at West Vancouver Secondary School under the coaching of the late Brian Upson.

This led to a sports scholarship at the University of B.C. where Langley played two years as an ali conference guard. Since that time he has taught and coached five years each at Sentinel Secondary

By Michael J. Gilgan Contributing Writer

School in West Vancouver and Argyle Secondary School in North Vancouver.

Before joining the national team, he coached for nine years at Windsor Secondary School in North Vancouver.

In 1982 Langiey began coaching provincial all-star teams and then coached the provincial rep teams unti} 1987 when he was appointed assistant coach with the junior na- tional team.

In 1988 he coached the Van- couver Nighthawks of the World Basketball League and has since taken a two-year leave of absence from Windsor to joing the na- tional team as assistant coach.

In his time as 2 coach, Langley has seen many students become

HIGH SCHOOL SCOREBOARD

HIGH SCHOOL scoreboard results for the week ending March 3:

ABBREVIATIONS: Arg = Argyle, Bal = Balmoral, Brac = Brackendale,

= Carson Graham, Coll = Colling- wood, Haad = Handsworth, Hil = Hilhide, HS = Howe Sound, STA = St. Thomas Aquinss, Sent = Sentinel, Sey = Seycove, Sath = Sutherland, WV = West

fest Vancouver, Wsr = Wind-

BASKETBALL

AAA” zone playoffs: Final {at Capilano College): WV 77, Hand 68. (WV advances to the BC. “AAA” championships at the Agrodome. Hand advances to a B.C. wildcard playoff berth in the B.C. championships.) Junior Boys Vancouver and district playoffs:

Consolation: Hugh Boyd 53, Wsr.

39. Wsr finishes fourth. Juvenile Boys

Vancouver and district champi- onships: First round: R.C. Palmer 64, Hill 60. Second round: Hill 56, New Westminster 39. Semi- final: Hugh Boyd 74, Hill 71. Hill finishes third.

Bantam Boys

Vancouver and district champi- onships: First round: STA 67, R.C. Palmer 60. Second round: STA 56, J.N. Burnett 46. Final: STA 73, J.N. Burnett 69. STA finishes first. Senior Girls

B.C. ‘‘AA” zone playoffs (at Lord Byng in Vancouver): Section play: Little Flower 61, Hand 39; Hand 55, Lord Byng 45; Wsr 58, Point Grey 56; Wsr 74, St. Patrick’s 61. Final: Little Flower 83, Wsr 55. Consolation: Hand 62, St. Patrick’s 55; Wsr 46, Hand 44. Little Flower and Wsr advance to the B.C. ‘‘AA’’ championships in Prince George. Junicr Girls

Vancouver and district champi- onships: Consolation: Sent 38, Burnaby Central 18; Sent 38, New Westminster 32. Sent finishes se- cond. Juvenile Giris

Vancouver and district champi- onships: Semi-final: Wsr 30, STA 26 (overtime). Final: New Westminster 43, Wsr 33. Wsr finishes second, STA third.

Community scoreboard

North Shore Coaches Soccer League Gly Gold Cup Playoffs

WEEK 3

Oly Roma3 Raven Rangers 2 Nordic 4 Rusty Guit J Accountemps 2 Fosters 1 Aberdane 2 OK. Tire 0 Seymour FC. 2 Sailor Hagar's } Avalon Canadians 3 Molson’s { NorVan 4 . Candia Taverna | WEEK FOUR

* Rusty Gul 3 Oly Roma 1 Nordic 4 Accountemps 2 Aberdane 2. Sailor Hagar’s } Avalon Canadians 2 Seytnour FC. 0

NorVan 3. Molson’s 0 Raven Rangers 7 Canadia Taverna 2

North Shore Industrial Hockey League Standings to March 1

© Raven Rangers Golden Bears Queens Cross Wings Pemberton Station Steamer Avalon Kings Jack Lonsdale’s Flyers Sailor Hagar's Seamen Mega Destroyers Nova Hawks Lunatics

Clinched Playoff Berth

wma ata Senne. ee ee

successful athletes bet says he is just as happy to see them succeed outside of the sport.

“You sce them blossom not on- ly as athletes but as students that go on to great careers. I’ve got guys that are practising medicine, law and business and some are coaching,”’ said Langley.

Langley recognizes the impor- tant role the coach plays in preparing students for life.

**It’s underestimated the impact a@ good coach can have on a kid's life...helping to shape their outlook not only towards a sport but towards commitment to goals and purpose,’’ said Langley.

Nowhere are Langley’s skills more apparent than in his sons Paul and Todd, both of whom have gone to university on athletic scholarships and continue to excel

in sports.

Coaching the national team, Langley now finds that the fundementals are the same at all levels of sport.

“You're still working on motivation, trying to get the best out of players and trying to get people to make commitments. Trying to make them push themselves to their limits,’’ said Langley.

But on the other hand, mature athletes are a new challenge for him.

“Some of them are married, some have children...a whole dif- ferent set of problems compared to the high school or college athlete,’’ said Langley.

When asked if he is superstitious, Langley said he changes his socks on a regular

basis and aoesn’t go for any of the hocus-pocus.

“The only worthwhile ritual is to be so well prepared that nothing is left to chance,’’ said Langley.

He will put his philosophy inte effect in Preparing his team for an upcoming tournament in Portland, Ore.

Playing off against nine coun- tries from North and South America, Team Canada needs to finish in the top four to qualify for the Olympics in Barcelona this summer. if they are successful, Langley will have a nice addition to his collection of frequent flyer points.

Team Canada plays the Seattle American Athletic Union All- Stars at the Capilano Ccllege Sportspiex on Monday at 8 p.m.

AFTER 47 YEARS IN BUSINESS, IVOR WILLIAMS SPORTS IS

CALLING IT QUITS!

ALL RACQUET: TENNIS- PRINCE HEAD WILSON YONNEX

PRINCE

BLACK KNIGHT

SLAZENGER

BADMINTON - YONNEX VICTOR

CARLTON

ALL ATHLETIC SHOES

SQUASH -

RUNNING, COURT, CROSS TRAINING

PRINCE K-SWISS

ASICS AVIA

ADIDAS f NIKE

NORDICA BOOTS. ALL STYLES, ALL MODELS REG: TO $595

ony* BG

23 YEARS SERVING

COLUMBIA

SPORTSWEAR 1 PIECE SKI-SUIT, REG $350}

2th aoe

ALI. CLOTHING SKI - EFFE NORDICA COLUMBIA SouLOIR

HEAD S FERA OBERMEYER

TENNIS & IRACK : FRED PERRY

Fl LE COQ SPORTIF

ALL ACCESSORIES

MURRAY MERKLEY CARRERA GORDINI BOLLE CONTRE DE FLORENCE

UVEX RAY-BAN SMITH VUARNET

sae LAST +4

ee RAYBAN

SUNGLASSES

ALL SKIS

VOLKL FISHER K-2 SALOMON DYNASTAR: ROSSIGNOL

ALL BOOTS

NORDICA ROSSIGNOL RAICHLE SALOMON

ALL BINDINGS

MARKER LOOK SALOMON TYROLIA

LE COO SPORTIF TENNIS WEAR NOW ALL