Love of hoops runs deep in Hibbert clan

Posted 2/6/16

By Nick Friend

EAST PROVIDENCE — Jim Hibbert is currently in his 51st year of coaching youth basketball in city and every single minute of that has been spent at one place, as he is continues along season after season from where his …

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Love of hoops runs deep in Hibbert clan

Posted

By Nick Friend

EAST PROVIDENCE — Jim Hibbert is currently in his 51st year of coaching youth basketball in city and every single minute of that has been spent at one place, as he is continues along season after season from where his father left off.

A member of his family has been coaching hoops at Haven Methodist Church since 1950 when his father Al took to the sideline. Jim Hibbert began coaching in 1965, a place you can still find him today guiding a 14-and-under team in the East Providence Church and Sunday School Basketball League.

“My father was a coach for like 15 years and one day he just said, ‘I am not going to coach any more. My son is going to do it,’” Mr. Hibbert said with a laugh before continuing.  “He never asked me or anything. I helped him a little, but minor. I coached liked two games in a pinch.”

Right away the younger Mr. Hibbert, 19 years old at the time, fell in love with coaching.

“I liked it from the beginning and for some reason over the years I haven’t lost the interest or the passion,” Mr. Hibbert said. “When I started coaching I was 19 and the kids were like 14 so they were not that much younger than me.”

The church’s dedication to the youth of the city has long been at the heart of the Hibberts’ motivation to remain active. Mr. Hibbert cited a brochure produced in 1930 after the original Haven Methodist structure was burned in a fire.

The reconstruction effort specifically called for the “building of a gymnasium for the children of the community.”

“That gym is used almost seven days a week. We use it. There are men’s leagues and other activities ,” Mr. Hibbert said. “A lot of people have played in that gym. It’s served the city well. The key is that someone back in 1930 had a vision to have a gym for the kids.”

During Mr. Hibbert’s time on the sideline, which included the coaching of his three children, he has mentored youngsters ages eight to 18 through both the myriad of changes in society and the sport of basketball itself.

“Over the years we have had more teams, less teams. At the church we have one team this year,” Mr. Hibbert explained. “From ‘65 to now things are a lot different. There is not as many church leagues as there used to be because now there is AAU (Amateur Athletic Union). You watch tape from a game in ‘65 it looks nothing like basketball today.”

When asked to describe his coaching style Mr. Hibbert laughed and then said, “Different than anybody else ever, totally different. Play hard and play as a team, a simple game. If that is your goal you are never really disappointed. I am very low key.”

While Mr. Hibbert wouldn’t give too much away about his coaching style, a former player of his and friend Lenny Butler did.

“Jim taught through sportsmanship. What comes to mind is we had a mix of players, good, mediocre, to the lower end and as one of the better players I was taught if a guy is in front of you on a fast break he gets the ball. It doesn’t matter who it is, he gets the ball,” Mr. Butler said. “He is all about basics and he always hated to see wasted motion. It kind of stuck with me throughout my life.”

Mr. Hibbert hasn’t stepped away from the game he loves to coach for many reasons and it isn’t just his interaction with the kids. It’s also due to his relationship with a notoriously fickle group of people.

“(I continue to coach) because I like it and I like to see the kids have a good time playing basketball which is a great sport,” he said “You don’t need a lot of equipment and if you have half an effort you can get better.

“The other thing, and this will sound funny but it is the truth, I have never had trouble with a parent in my 50 years. Most people when they coach the first problem is ‘the parents, parents, parents.’ Half the parents don’t come and those who do come haven’t told me ‘we should’ve done that.’ The only thing I could say is being a church team everybody plays.”

According to Mr. Hibbert going into about 75 percent of church league games you know who is likely to win. “Some teams are better than others,” he said.

During his years of coaching many of Mr. Hibbert’s players have made it to the high school varsity level, including Dion Hazard who is currently on the East Providence High School boys’ hoops roster.

One of the biggest differences Mr. Hibbert sees between when he started coaching until now is the shooting skills, or lack there of.

“I think the first 25 years I coached I never taught anybody how to shoot, now that is the biggest thing. They don’t play as much as they used to so they don’t shoot as well. They also don’t seem to care. As long as they are looking good. Years ago kids would shoot much better I think,” Mr. Hibbert said with a chuckle.

Ultimately, it was the exquisite simplicity of basketball that made Mr. Hibbert fall in love with the game initially and it’s why his still instructs to this day.

“Most kids like basketball. I don’t care where you go you see somebody with a basketball. We all think we got game. Even the people with the worst shot in the world,” he said. “The beauty of basketball is you have the ball and in an instant you don’t have to ball. The good players can adjust.”

Editor's Note: Mr. Hibbert's surname was spelled incorrectly when this story was originally published in the February 4 edition of The Post. A revised version will run in the February 11 edition of the paper.

— Photos by Alex Watrous

basketball, Haven Methodist Church, Jim Hibbert

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