Medway & Millis October 2018

Page 20 Medway & Millis Local Town Pages www.localtownpages.com October 2018
Sports
Medway Native Copeland to Coach Mustangs’ Boys Hoop Team
By KEN HAMWEY, Staff
Sports Writer
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With success as a jayvee coach
under his belt, Medway native
Eric Copeland stands poised
for success as the boys’ varsity
basketball coach.
Eric Copeland’s Medway
roots run deep.
A native of Medway, he
played basketball and soccer at
Medway High, graduated in
1992, then returned to coach
freshman and jayvee basketball
for the Mustangs after earning
his degree in criminal justice at
Western New England College
in Springfield. Married and the
father of three, the 44-year-old
Franklin police detective still lives
in town.
All those links to Medway are
impressive, but it’s his 20 years of
sub-varsity coaching experience
that no doubt landed him in the
driver’s seat when he interviewed
for the Mustangs’ varsity boys’
basketball job. Copeland will succeed
Jason Rojee, who stepped
down to devote more time to his
family. Rojee, however, will continue
to coach the varsity girls’
soccer team.
Copeland coached the Medway
frosh squad for three years,
and he’s coached the jayvees on
two separate occasions for a total
of five seasons. He also spent 12
years in Franklin’s basketball program
— six as a freshman coach,
five as a varsity assistant and
last year as the Panthers’ jayvee
coach.
Taking the reins of a varsity
program seems like a good fit
for Copeland and for Medway
High. When he last coached the
jayvees at Medway (2014-2017),
his teams experienced three winning
seasons, one of which was
an undefeated campaign.
“I’ve learned a lot from some
terrific coaches,’’ Copeland said.
“It’s not all about winning when
coaching freshmen and jayvees
— it’s about developing talent.
I strived to develop kids to be a
positive part of a program’s philosophy.
As a sub-varsity coach,
it’s important to get players to
buy into a team-first concept and
to build positive relationships.’’
Copeland has had some topnotch
mentors who’ve influenced
and sharpened his coaching
acumen. He’s worked for Don
Grimes and Rojee at Medway,
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and at Franklin he labored for
Dean O’Connor and CJ Neely.
His coach at Western New England,
Brett Bishop, was also a
plus.
“I played for Paul Carroll at
Medway and he gave me my
first coaching job,’’ Copeland
recalled. “That was as Medway’s
freshman coach in 1996,
just after I got out of college. All
the coaches I’ve worked for are
top-notch. Dean O’Connor at
Franklin taught me that time and
commitment are the key ingredients
for success, and Jason built a
winning program at Medway by
stressing fundamentals.’’
Copeland also has a solid
grip on other aspects that lead
to winning. “My goals are for
our program to be respected for
our work ethic and the type of
kids we have,’’ he said. “I also
want to build a strong relationship
with the youth program in
town. Competing for the Tri Valley
League Small Division title
is another objective along with
qualifying for the tourney.’’
Copeland’s teams will have a
specific on-court style that will
stress defense. “We’ll take pride
in our ability to defend,’’ he emphasized.
“I also like to fast-break
and be up-tempo on offense.
We’ll attack the basket and be
sound in our shot selection.’’
Being in the trenches with five
top-caliber coaches helped Copeland
to develop some definite
strengths. He ran practices, and
he was part of planning sessions
and scouting assignments. Some
of his strengths include preparation,
organization, employing
strategy and having a sharp basketball
IQ.
“My coaching philosophy
is about building positive relationships,
helping players reach
their potential and enjoying their
athletic experience,’’ Copeland
noted. “If those things occur,
then winning will follow. Winning
is the by-product of players
taking a team-first approach to
the game.’’
Copeland knows that competing
in the TVL means “there’ll
be no easy nights.’’ He views
Norton and Dedham as strong
squads in the small division and
he sees Bellingham as an improved
group. Dover-Sherborn
and Millis are no cakewalks
either, labeling them as “wellcoached
and hard-working.’’
Copeland will have five returnees
who got their share of
playing time last year. They include
juniors Drew Plunkett
(point guard), Kyle Regan (wing),
and Ryan Johnston (forward),
and seniors Jack Hadigan (center)
and Tim Uzoegbu (forward).
“These kids will be part of our
nucleus, based on their play last
year and their work in summer
league,’’ Copeland said. “Our
core group should be deep and
well-rounded.’’
And, the new coach will have
a pair of well-rounded assistants.
Shane Jackson will be the varsity
assistant and Steve Linehan is the
jayvee coach.
When Copeland played at
Medway, he earned TVL all-star
honors as a senior in basketball,
and he competed as a midfielder
in soccer, playing on the 1991
state championship team. He
was a captain in both sports.
“What I admired most about
playing at Medway was the way
our coaches treated us,’’ Copeland
said. “Paul Carroll and Wes
Truscott cared about all their
players and they built positive relationships.’’
At Western New England
College, Copeland played four
years of varsity basketball, starting
for 2½ years at point guard.
He was a captain twice for the
Golden Bears.
Copeland was a leader then
and he’s ready to lead again —
this time as a varsity coach. “We
want our players to learn valuable
life lessons from sports,’’ he
said. “Like overcoming adversity
and being respectful. Other good
lessons are developing a strong
work ethic, commitment, being a
good teammate and setting goals.
Family responsibility should also
be in the mix.’’
Copeland hasn’t coached a
varsity game yet but chances are
good that Medway High’s basketball
program will continue
to be formidable and successful.
The Eric Copeland era gets
underway on Dec. 14 when the
Mustangs host Norwood.