Shooting hoops and aiming for the stars

Steve Brooks, Wayne Memorial boy’s varsity basketball head coach

By Sarah Shurge – “We run our program to prepare them for the next level,” said Steve Brooks, Wayne Memorial boys varsity basketball head coach.
Brooks has a long history in coaching, but he cares more about the students than the record.
“Anything you want to achieve in life takes discipline. We’re big on doing the right things; following the rules. It’s about who you represent – you and family first, then Wayne Memorial. The name on your back is important,” said Brooks.
Boys basketball season starts in November and lasts until mid-March, however, Brooks explains during the off-season the students are encouraged to do individual training with conditioning, the weight room, games, etc.
At the beginning of the season, Brooks has all the student athletes write a paper on why they want to/are playing basketball. This helps the coaches understand where the students are coming from and what their goals are. At the end of season, Brooks has them write a reflection paper on how they think the season went, and all underclassmen have to write 10 things to work on/improve.
Practice during the season is every day on school days from 2:15 – 4:30 p.m. and then study table from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Study table is required for students to keep up with their academics and keeps everyone eligible to play.
Study table is not mandatory for students with a 3.2 accumulated GPA or higher, however, they are encouraged to stay and be tutors to the other students.
After a hard or difficult practice, Brooks hosts a “positive accountability circle” where each student gets to talk about what happened that day. This allows everyone a chance to clear the air so everyone goes home feeling good.
“The team is really a family. They’re brothers for real and have each other’s backs. They share the ball on the court, there’s no jealousy of someone else having success,” said Brooks.
Brooks makes sure to treat all of his players equally.
“I pride myself on being fair to them. All of my players are equal. If the star player breaks rules, he gets the same consequences as everyone else,” said Brooks.
The Wayne Memorial boys varsity basketball was ranked #5 with a 14-2 record (at the time of interview) and has the possibility of playing in the conference game, then the playoff championship, and then possibly the state tournament.
“That’s the goal. Our team is close in terms of bonding and that helps. We’ve got a pretty good chance but there’s some really good teams out there,” said Brooks.
The team travelled to Traverse City on the weekend of Saturday, February 8th, for a showcase game.
Showcase games allow the team to play against teams that aren’t in their conference. These games also bring college scouts, so the students have a chance to be seen.
Brooks has taken the team to five showcase games this season.
“On game day you should be prepared the whole day,” said Brooks.
Brooks believes social media has too many distractions, so students’ phones need to be off on the way to and from the game.
“You don’t have your mind on the game if you’re on social media. You should be talking to your teammates,” said Brooks.
Brooks has been coaching at Wayne Memorial since 2022, coaching varsity teams since 2001, and coaching sports teams for years before then.
“I wasn’t the best player, but I always knew what to do. All the guys told me I should get into coaching, so finally when I got in my 40’s I decided to do it,” said Brooks.
Brooks has coached girls teams, boys teams, middle school, high school, college, and even some pro players during summer. He’s coached basketball, football, baseball, and a soccer game once.
“It’s all the same, regardless of the sport,” said Brooks.
In high school, Brooks played all sports, but football and baseball were his passion back then. He didn’t want to stop playing until some knee surgeries slowed him down. He stumbled into coaching, starting at middle school and working his way up.
Brooks doesn’t have a favorite level of coaching, but he truly enjoys where he’s at now.

Coach Brooks with the Wayne Memorial Varsity Basketball team at the First Congregational Church of Wayne.

“I like this level because I like getting kids to college. You can make a bigger difference in the life of a kid while they’re still in high school than a college student when they are more of a finished product,” said Brooks.
Brooks’ favorite part about being a coach is just being around the kids.
“We develop kids and make them better. We watch them grow and achieve things they thought they couldn’t achieve prior,” said Brooks. “We teach them how to deal with adversity.”
Brooks wants the team to be known in the community in a positive way, so some of the students spoke at the First Congregational Church of Wayne and had a team meal prepared for them. He also had some team members speak at the Wayne Rotary Club.
“It’s bigger than basketball,” said Brooks.
Brooks thanks the City of Wayne for all of the support it has provided but also wanted to add that none of the success he’s had would have been possible without the help of his great staff.
Stefhan Allen has been with Brooks for 22 years, Ryan Brooks has been with him since 2010, and Todd Richardson since 2012. Tim Hollenbeck has been the freshman coach for the past two seasons.
Marhea Williams is the team mom that has prepared or helped to arrange the team meals for 12 years. She also reserves hotel rooms and restaurant reservations when the team is on the road.
Brooks had former players that came aboard last season, Avery Williams and Cortney Smith.
He also wanted to give a shout out to Bill Gray and Michael Bates of Michael Bates Chevrolet for their unyielding support for the program. Gray has been involved with the district for over 50 years and Bates is a Wayne Memorial graduate.
And of course, Brooks thanked his wife of 20 years, Valencia Brooks, who has allowed him to be shared by many people.
“A true coach’s wife,” said Brooks.
We wish the Wayne Memorial boys varsity basketball team well as they near the end of their season and we thank coach Brooks for all he has done for his student athletes!