Yunsik Oh | Staff Writer for "The Mount"
For John Roshone, coaching is not all about winning. Win or lose, he cares about his players and puts all of his efforts into improving the varsity basketball squad as a whole.
Mount Michael’s strong basketball tradition can be traced back to legendary coach Jim “Killer” Kane. During Kane's Tenure George Roshone, John’s father served as junior varsity coach. When Roshone retired, the reins transferred to Jim Mayberger '84. During these eras, Mount Michael won two state championships and two state runner-ups. Today, the younger Roshone is carrying on the program’s rich tradition as head coach.
George
Roshone coached at Mount Michael from 1970 to 1993. He had a big
influence on John’s life. “My dad hasn’t necessarily influenced my
coaching, but he has influenced my life more than anyone else. Some of
my fondest memories of my childhood are going to Mount Michael football
and basketball games on Friday nights, or running around in the gym or
gullies during weekend practices when my dad was coaching,” said
Roshone.During his high school years, Roshone played football and basketball for coach Kane. “The most important thing I learned from coach Kane was that there is no substitute for hard work and at the end of the day, win or lose, if you played as hard as you possibly could, you should have no regrets,” Roshone said. He also said that he had the incredible fortune to play with two all-state basketball players, Pat Moylan and Kevin Clanton. “Because of them I was able to play on teams that were very successful. More than anything, those years just reaffi rmed my love for Mt. Michael as a whole,” said Roshone.
For Roshone, it is still about connecting with his team. He enjoys his time with the students who, he says, make Mount Michael a great place. “Roshone is a very committed teacher and a coach. He understands what it takes to succeed both in the classroom and in the court. Mount Michael is lucky to have such a respected person as at our school,” said junior Tommy Maliszewski.
The worst part in Roshone’s coaching career was when Mount Michael lost to Elkhorn South two years ago at districts and barely missed out at state as a wild card team. “They started the season 0-5 and won 15 of 16 games after. They were such a great group of seniors to coach and it was hard to end the season that way knowing I would not coach them again,” said Roshone.
As the season approaches, Roshone looks forward to seeing his team improve. “I hope this season can be better than last year's. I want to focus on rebounding, not turning the ball over and free throws.”
