Carter and Harpers Dad and Amandas husband. Sales Rep and Marketing/Communications Director at 3 Diamond. Working with Charitable Gambling Organizations in MN.
I have resigned from coaching at North Branch.
Its heartbreaking-I've wanted to be a HS coach since I was in HS-but it was obvious that a new voice was needed/wanted.
We didn't win enough but I worked extremely hard and I loved & cared about my guys.
I LOVED BEING THE NB COACH!!
I don’t post a ton of bball stuff, anymore, but here are some thoughts on recruiting….planned on posting it a while ago and forgot it was in my drafts…these are just my opinions…
Sometimes sports parents get a bad reputation (sometimes its earned)-but we have 39 players/managers that were at the school by 7am on a sat (most driven by parents) to get on a charter bus (donated by a parent) and are eating a snack bag (put together by a parent). Thank you!
12 years sober today-My life has taken such an awesome turn over those 12 years! Substance abuse can take you into a dark spot...but there is always a light--sometimes just takes a brutal climb to get to it. (Kinda corny but true)...anyone fighting it and need to talk, DM me🙏
2 things I've learned in 4 years of coaching:
1. Nothing hurts a team/program more than drama from people outside of the locker room.
2. Chemistry is worth 8+ points per game.
Protect and feed chemistry and defend against and eliminate drama.
I wish I would have done a better job when I was a HS coach of taking the no contact week to relax and spend time with family instead of preparing/stressing about what was next on the court.
Give yourself a break, hoops will patiently wait until July 10.
Dad and son recruiting weekend
Starbucks ✅
Pizza Ranch on the way home✅
Continental Breakfast ✅
Late night pizza in the room✅
Swimming ✅
More junk food than mom allows✅
Good hoops ✅
Spending time with this little dude ❤️
Excited to be adding
@ToddDufault
to our staff for next season. The former head coach at Waseca and Chisago Lakes (111-84 career record as a head coach including a state appearance) will be a great addition to our program. Today is a good day for North Branch Basketball!
My 7th grade niece was called up to varsity and these are her traveling teammates/classmates for her first home game. How cool is that? Not jealous she is up or mad they might lose games in 7th grade ball (they are still doing great)...just being great teammates and friends. 👍🏀
I know I am probably flooding some timelines today-but this is too good to not share. We all get pressure to win, but as coaches these are the texts you want. Always keep your guys/gals your priority. Care about them and whatever happens happens. BTW, this young man is amazing.
If you think you’re a “stretch 4” because you can shoot it…but you are too slow to guard a 4 and too small to guard a 5, you are actually a “scout team 4” not a “stretch 4”.
Have to be able to guard your position.
#RandomRecruitingThought
A coach I haven’t met before came up to me at the tourney today and said “I’ve heard you guys are really building something up there in North Branch” One of those things that probably felt like a small compliment to him but meant a lot to me (and should mean a lot to my guys).
Loved my 3 years with
@CSPBearsMBB
but I’ve decided to break from coaching to spend more time with my kids who are growing up so fast.
@CoachFletchCSP
and the entire staff have become some of my best friends and if my son could play for someone, it would be him.
GoBears 🐻
My sons bedtime prayers are great. Tonight= "Dear God, let me be a great leader...(here I am thinking, wow we are doing something right)....of the Ninja Turtles..."
Hey, we all have aspirations.
Big personal day for me today: 10 years sober! So grateful for friends/family that stuck by me through the tough times and continue to support me. It's amazing how much a strong support system can help while going through some of the challenges that life throws at all of us.
Today is my 15 year sobriety—crazy! Almost forgot about it til my wife reminded me. That lady is awesome! (and she isn’t even on Twitter so I’m not just saying that for points at home) 👍🏼
We lost tonight 65-71. I love coaching, and I love this team. We're in quite the losing streak...but we're competing like crazy. We're building something special at NB, the time frame might not be what we want, but it is coming. Time to get better tomorrow.
THINGS I LEARNED
#1
FAMILY/COACHING BALANCE
You owe it to your team to be prepared but also to your family to be present. That 6th game film isn't making the difference-tuck in your kids, eat w/your spouse, go to bed early. Cut out/delegate non-essential BB duties
#TILCOACHING
Thanks everyone for the kind words...
@Amandajoy134
said she read one and started to cry so she will have to read them after work. Our program will miss her more than me. She did an incredible amount for us--like more than anyone can imagine!
She loved our guys like family. ❤
@Coach_Mietus
@JohnCarrier42
I hope I never get to a point in my coaching career that not only do I share the way I do things, but I also tell others the way they are doing them is wrong. Man or zone..both are fine. Force middle or baseline..both are fine. Cones or no cones..both are fine. Many ways to coach
My day job relies on bars and restaurants and my 2nd job is a HS BBall coach-tough week for both.
My kids could tell I was down today so my son gave me $0.81 from his piggy bank and my daughter gave me her 5 favorite rocks.
Kids are ok ❤
Keep your heads up-brighter days ahead.
And this is consistently the case in North Branch. We have issues like everywhere, but dont let the 2% negative outweigh the 98% positives that parents throw into programs. Figured there is enough negative on Twitter about parents that we needed something positive 👍
It's our 10 year anniversary today. Kind of feels like I dropped the ball since we arent celebrating it by being at a breakdown tourney or having
@Amandajoy134
do attendance at a youth camp...
Honestly, she is an amazing mom and wife. What she deals with so I can coach is crazy!
My ride or die... she was the backbone of our program at North Branch and now she is rocking the blue and gold. She is willing to wrestle our little ones so I get to do what I love.
And all I have to do is make sure she has Starbucks.
#family
#GoBears
🐻
THINGS I LEARNED
#2
THE 1/3 RULE
I had an asst tell me one time
1/3 of parents will like you
1/3 will want you gone
1/3 will decide based on what you do next
Don't worry about that...worry about your guys/gals. Nothing you can do to change some minds.
#TILCOACHING
As a coach after a tough loss, it's great to get a text like this from a former player. Always have said I get more from my guys than they get from me. Thank you
@Ramberg_13
My mom rocks. She just got done with cancer surgery & her process isn't over, but the news is good.
1. She's incredible
2. Her faith in God is as strong as anyone I know
3. Despite no cure-the medical advances are amazing.
Send her a note to brighten her day
@Bonniemaecarlso
So happy for
@CoachVoss_NB
and his program! Beating
#2
in state on their home field for their homecoming... doesn't get much better than that! VIKING PRIDE!
My last end of season thanks goes to my wife
@Amandajoy134
She came to almost every game w/our 4 & 6 year old. She's always there to listen, runs our youth & genuinely cares about every person associated w/our program❤
(She also follows me on Twitter so if I don't thank her 🤯)
Lost to Princeton tonight 64-82. Always tough when a senior class ends their careers. Blessed to have coached Austin, Colby, Conner, Rylen, and Zach. Going to miss them immensely but appreciate them leaving their jerseys in a better place than when they got here. Great kids!
We won last night 83-78 over a Chisago team that has been playing really well. Really happy for
@drewvan3erden
and
@CarterWhitman
, our two seniors combined for 43 points and as a team we made 19--3's! Time to get ready for Monticello on Monday.
I love the Gophers hiring
@GrindersWinDT
. My first year he let me come to a DeLaSalle 6:30am practice before a state game. I watched practice, then me and him just talked for an hour. He took the time to chat with some random coach from North Branch while preparing for state.
One thing I have noticed in my short time on Twitter, is a lot of coaches want to put things in two boxes: “right” or “wrong”. Some leave very little room for “DIFFERENT than I do it, but still works.”
Won tonight 82-66 vs Denfeld! I believe it's the 1st time we've been 3-0 since at least 2003-04 (as far back as I could find schedules). Our program is building and improving. Time to get better at practice tomorrow and head to Grand Rapids on Saturday. Thanks for the support NB!
Its weird to not have a banquet to recognize them but I am proud to announce:
Carter Whitman-All Conference
Drew VanEerden-All Conference Honorable mention
Both of them well deserved, going to miss them like crazy next year!
I completely disagree with coaches ripping parents that are upset they won't be able to watch their kids play this year. ITS THEIR KID! Doesn't make them selfish or a helicopter parent. Means they want to watch the most important person in their lives do something that they love.
My sons "best friends" played their last home game last night. Im gonna miss them, but my son is gonna be lost without them. We break down on "family" in our huddles, and it's more than just a word, its what we've become at North Branch Basketball!
Was able to coach my son in basketball for the first time today (granted i only had him for a couple minutes)...when putting him to bed he says "I'm so glad you were my coach today"...and that made the day a win 👍
The tweet every coach hates typing. Our season ended tonight against Hermantown. Thanks
@drewvan3erden
and
@CarterWhitman
for everything you've done in your careers.
Time to take a breath and let bodies and minds recover.
Love coaching high school basketball.
Proud of my guys for giving up a Saturday to go feed the families at Ronald McDonald. Amazing how blessed we all are and how insignificant a bad game seems when you see some of the challenges many families face. Love my team...special group of fellas.
This morning my 5 year old daughter:
"If you are happy, sad, or mad you still have joy because God is alive"
@eaglebrookmn
did well yesterday! I wish I parented well enough for that to be from me.
She also said "This sandwich is frickin hard to eat"
So there's that.
Really proud of our guys-huge win tonight against St. Francis in overtime. First time we have beaten the Saints since 2/15/11 😳 Had an awesome crowd, thank you!
@Skol_Zone
As coaching jobs open up, applicants need to remember:
Not only do schools have to choose you, but you also have to choose them.
Don't settle for a job that doesn't fit. Ask questions that are important to you: (Youth program, booster info, expectations, gym access, etc...)
Dylan Ramberg, first player in North Branch history with 600+ point, 300+ rebounds, 200+ assists, 80+ steals, and 40+ blocks. Great all around player, who played in 82 consecutive varsity games!
2018 graduate Dylan Ramberg pitching for Northwestern this spring (they are down in Florida). Thrilled for him-three year starter in basketball and obviously a very good baseball player-also an overall dynamite kid. Excited for this chapter for him.
Proud of
@CoachVoss_NB
and his team. Tough loss tonight but they represented our school well all year! Also thanks to
@NB_QBClub
for doing such a good job on Twitter so when fans weren't able to make it we could still follow our Vikings on Twitter
In season, recovering from injury, -8 degrees, 8am on a Sunday, and
@Antwan_Kimmons
drives to Cambridge to watch my son’s team play.
Shows what kind of dude he is. Amazing!
Couple things:
1. Summer workouts are optional. Coaches arent playing inferior players in Nov because they came to a June workout
2. Kids being kids for the summer=kids being in the gym & playing basketball with their friends.
3. In my 4 years it has been much more of the players
Went out with a couple of our coaches last night and realized how much I love my staff. They put in an incredible amount of time. They care about our guys and we've become a (sometimes dysfunctional) family.
Thanks Coach Minke, Terhaar, Ray, and Dufault.
My sons prayer last night "Dear God please let the basketball boys start winning and practice good..." Ha, thanks little man! Not sitting where we want to be, but looking forward and concentrating on what we can do today, which is compete like crazy at Big Lake.
Senior Night tonight-Have 2 guys that have been w/ me since I was the JV coach playing their final home game tonight. Drew & Carter join Brady, Dylan, Cam, Jonah, Brandon, Ben, Zach, Conner, Rylen, Austin, & Colby as guys I have been blessed to coach thru SR year! Love all of em
PLAY AAU LOCALLY
If you don’t have multiple D2 (or D1) offers, play on an AAU team that plays locally. Local D2 schools aren’t going to watch you in Las Vegas or South Carolina. You gotta be seen.
Won a close one in OT tonight vs Becker 81-79. Big plays by a lot of guys. Rehm had 19 & Trevor had 18. Carson had 14 including a 3 at the regulation buzzer and a big tip in in OT.
Reserves were great! Travis had 12 in the 1st half & Halseth had the basket at the buzzer to win.
Lost today to end our season. Wasn't the season that we expected/hoped for. Going to miss our seniors, Nate Halseth and Adam "OG" Richards...really good kids. Also, been nice having Luke Fisk and Anthony Hartleib back in the program as managers.
ELITE CAMPS = YES
If you are interested in a school and they invite you to their Elite Camp, go to it. Usually small numbers, good competition, and the whole staff there to evaluate.
Something people overlook with the HS shot clock...it isn’t just the crazy games where teams start stalling at the tip and it ends up 14-2. It’s the fairly evenly matched teams that one gets ahead by 6 with 8 minutes left and they pull it out to stall...it would get rid of that.
A lot going on obviously but excited to see how Princeton vs Hermantown & Cambridge vs Duluth East turn out. 4 dynamite programs whose coaches and players have worked like crazy for years to get to this point. HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL IS THE BEST! ⛹️♂️🥇
Great to watch one of our basketball managers compete in Adapted Bowling today. Kevin is a senior and has been involved with the basketball program as long as I have. We will miss him next year. (Thanks to Coach Dreissig, Carter, and Drew for coming to support Kev)
Last one today
THINGS I LEARNED
#3
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
It takes an incredible number of people to run a program and they're all important. Admin, assts, youth coaches, volunteers, custodians, boosters, etc-Treat them like they're vital to your success cause they are.
#TILCOACHING
Went upstairs and told my wife that Kobe died today and it seemed like such a crazy statement to make. You always think your sports heroes are indestructible, so to have one pass away suddenly just stops you in your tracks. Then to hear he had his daughter with him 😥🙏✝️
ACADEMICS IS NOT A SMALL THING
It would be hard to overstate the importance of grades. Coaches want low maintenance guys/gals. They are not looking to babysit you academically.
It's amazing what Coach Trampe has done in 2 years with
@NBGirlsHoops
Going from 4 wins the year before she took over to a 12-14 record this year is impressive. She walked into a very difficult situation and her and her staff continue to compete and improve. Good luck in playoffs
When I got hired, a major goal was to build a program where our guys wanted to be in the gym together. Check out this cool stat for our program:
Of the returning players that I know are planning on playing this year--100% are playing fall ball (27 of 27)! 💯
We lost to Sauk Rapids-Rice tonight 78-81 on a buzzer beater three. I absolutely love my team, love our effort, and am proud of them. We are so competitive and just haven't gotten over the hump, but it's coming. VIKING PRIDE!
Great to see
@Gazda54
back in his practice gear for the first time since getting injured December 15th. He showed the same work ethic in physical therapy as he does on the court. Hope to have him back soon! (Apparently the pic was taken with an iPhone 1...Pretty blurry...)
Our season ended Wednesday night. My wife, at 7PM last night (Thurs) said "I miss basketball season"... either
A.) She loves basketball and our team
B.) She realized how much more I will be home and isnt looking forward to it
@Amandajoy134
Happy for our guys, won at St Francis tonight 51-48. Played great defense and battled hard. Big plays by a number of guys... and got huge minutes from freshman Logan Murphy. Great to see my guys smiling and celebrating! On to the playoffs.....
Defeated Mora 77-66 tonight in our home opener. Carter led us in scoring with 16, Drew--14, Logan--12, and Carson--11. Big test at home on Thursday vs Duluth Denfeld-going to have to play much better to get a win! Awesome atmosphere tonight-thanks to the
@Skol_Zone
👍
Last pic from our trip to
@RMHC_UM
Great spending time with the guys off of the court. Any coaches looking for team building opportunities, I think this is a great one!
My Dude! I am so happy that you got into coaching. You pushed me to be a better coach and I love where our relationship has gone since you graduated. Cannot wait to watch you coach next year.
I wish the absolute best to my coach and mentor
@Coach_Kuhlman
. The life lessons I’ve learned and knowledge I gained about the game of basketball will always stick with me and I will pass it down to my players for years to come. Thank you for everything Coach K🤞🏻
I thought we had a great summer. Attendance was very good and effort was fantastic.
My assistants were prepared and always willing to jump into whatever I asked from them.
It was obviously tough behind the scenes, but on the court with the guys was just basketball. Loved it!
Congrats to
@Gazda54
for tying the all time rebound record at North Branch. He also owns the all time blocks record and will finish top ten in points. Great career with a few more games to go...
FOX9 said 50-75% of bars/restaurants could close in the next 4 weeks if there isn't a stimulus.
Order takeout if you can so they make it through.
I said this in March, these places are the ones that support sports programs the most, now we need to support them (again)!
Banquet was tonight. Thanks to Amanda, Loralie, and Michelle for setting up.
Once the stress/pressure of the season subsides it really hits you how much the guys mean to you and how much you will miss the seniors. Blessed to be able to coach hoops at North Branch.
What a week! Thanks to
@GopherMBB
,
@UtahMBB
, and
@WeberStateMBB
. Great way to kick off the season and awesome experience for our players and coaches.