Wiles named coach of the year
By ROWENA PLETT
Staff writer
The Kansas Coaches Basketball Association (KCBA) has named Stan Wiles, Ramona, Junior High Basketball Coach of the Year.
Wiles will be inducted Aug. 1 into the KCBA Hall of Fame in a ceremony conducted in conjunction with the KCBA All-Star basketball games at Washburn University in Topeka.
Wiles has been a coach for 29 years. He coached at Hamilton for three years before coming to the Centre school district.
He just completed his 26th year at Lost Springs-Centre. His coaching duties have included high school volleyball, football, basketball, track, and golf as well as junior high football, basketball, and track.
He is an instructor in physical education.
"I am blessed with the opportunity of helping kids to grow and develop into strong, healthy, individuals," he said. "I also love teaching them how to dream and set goals by painting a picture for them of what it could be like. Then I get to step back and watch their passion grow. Students and athletes do not mind all the hard work if their goal is in focus and they're working at accomplishing it."
In his tenure as junior high boys' basketball coach at Centre for 19 years, five of his teams won the league title and five of nine teams won the league championship tournament, including the 2006-07 team.
In addition, seven teams played for third place in the league tournament and four placed third. In 16 of 19 years, Wiles' teams have finished fourth or better in the league tournament.
"I began coaching because I felt like I could make a difference in the athletes' lives," Wiles said. "My goal in coaching, especially at the junior high level, is to keep it simple, make it fun, and help the athletes develop passionate goals they can sink their heart and soul into.
"If an athlete knows where he is going and why he is going there, it is easier for him to accomplish the task. And the lessons learned through athletics can help a person become more successful in life."
