Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
AKRON - A true team player will do what is necessary to ensure his team is successful.
Tippecanoe Valley senior Josh Johnson is a true team player.
A basketball player in is freshman through junior years, Johnson wanted to finish his senior year with the basketball team. However, he knew that he was not likely to see much playing time on the court.
"I knew I was not going to get to play much this year," said Johnson. "So I went to Coach (Bill) Patrick and asked him how I could help the team."
"Josh is a senior and has been part of the program, so we left it up to him," said Patrick. "If he wanted to stay on the team and practice, he would see very limited playing time. Or he could help the coaches and become a student assistant. We told him he could practice any time he wanted, and we told him that we would let him dress and get into a game."
Then Patrick told Johnson to think it over for a few days and make his decision.
"It was a tough decision for him," said Patrick. "He knew he was not good enough to get a lot of playing time, but he knew he could help the team in other ways."
"I decided to become an assistant and be a part of the team that way," said Johnson. "I help the coaches out. I fill water bottles, I help with practice."
"Josh has done anything we have asked of him," said Patrick. "He has kept score, videotaped games, helped us with drills in practice. He went to a couple games and helped scout for us. He has even practiced with the team when we needed another person. Overall, I think this has been a good experience for him."
"This has been a really good experience," said Johnson. "I'm glad I chose to be an assistant."
"You don't find kids very often who will do anything you ask of them," said Patrick. "He is a really responsible person. I know I can ask him do do anything and it will be done the way I want it done."
So Johnson went through the season performing his duties as a student assistant, a position Patrick created just this year.
Along with his duties at practice, Johnson was also allowed to assist former Valley player Dax Snyder in coaching the Viking freshman team this season.
As the season came to a close, Patrick did not forget his promise from the early stages of the season.
When the Tippecanoe Valley varsity squad took the court for senior night on February 20, Johnson, dressed in Viking warm-up gear, ran on the court with his teammates. Sporting the No. 12 jersey, Johnson took his place on the bench with the other varsity players.
"Coach told me on Wednesday that I would be dressing for senior night on Friday," said Johnson.
But the lanky senior was still not sure he would get to play in the game.
"I knew that there was a possibility of me getting in if we were up by 15 or 20 points at the end of the ball game," said Johnson.
That possibility became a reality late in the fourth quarter of the game when Patrick called Johnson's number. As he stepped to the scorer's bench to check in, the Viking crowd rose to its feet and gave Johnson a standing ovation.
"It was a really neat experience," said Johnson. "When I checked in, the crowd went crazy.
"I'm not sure, but I think the crowd was louder when I came in than when Shane (Drudge) dunked it," Johnson added with a laugh. "When I was at the free throw line, I could barely hear Mr. (Wayne) Landis when he said my name."
"The kids like him," said Patrick. "That was evident when we put him in the game on senior night."
Johnson hopes to use his experiences from this season as he moves on to college. While he has not made a final decision, Johnson is leaning heavily toward the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne.
"St. Francis is one of my top picks," said Johnson. "I would like to go there and continue as a student assistant".
"He's got an opportunity to go to St. Francis," said Patrick. "I think he may also have a good chance at getting a scholarship there. He is a great kid, and I think he could help with their basketball program."
