OCA: Elzie Clark video...

By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com

Having someone coach both the boys and girls basketball teams isn’t something all that new. It seems like it happens at 3-5 places per school year.

But I was intrigued after speaking to Oklahoma Christian Academy coach Elzie Clark about why he chose to do it.

After spending the last 10 years as the boys coach, why now? And it was his answers that fueled Tuesday’s story.

All he could talk about was what it meant to the kids – about giving them the best possible chance to succeed. If you have stability at the position, that’s more likely to happen.

Like he said: “You can be a part of a program or you can go to a place and BE the program.”

Got a chance to watch him in action Monday night. The boys game was fun because you got to see how Clark and assistant Robert Gregg work. A close game, they were making the necessary adjustments and pulled out a tough 69-61 win vs. Alex.

However, it was actually the girls game that was more intriguing to me. Facing a talented Amber-Pocasset team, Am-Po led 33-3 at half. But the second half, Clark never let the girls get down on themselves.