Sports often generate stories of overcoming adversity to achieve success. Sometimes there’s a pivotal moment that makes the difference, as an article in the Nov. 8 Alaska Dispatch News titled “Anchorage dunking phenomenon took a long, hard road to big-time college basketball” illustrates.
Stephan Wiebe’s ADN feature describes how a super-talented Alaska athlete named Kwintin Williams is now playing big time college basketball at top-tier UConn, after years of struggling with both family and academic issues.
Part of this 6-foot-7-inch 23-year old’s success is connected to a former CHS Wolverine. Rob Galosich played for Coach Bob Lenz on the 1993 Cordova squad that advanced to 3A state, and went on to become a highly successful mentor himself. In his 11-year stint as boys varsity coach at 4A Dimond in Anchorage, he guided the Lynx to a pair of state titles, and also twice was honored as Alaska 4A Coach of the Year. Galosh then moved on to the head job at Anchorage’s 4A South High.
His name popped up in the ADN story about Williams.
“When it looked like his (Williams) basketball career might be over for good, he got a break,” Wiebe wrote. “South High coach Rob Galosich helped him connect with a prep academy in Arizona called Planet Athlete, which offered 19-year-old Williams a full-ride scholarship.”
“Here’s this kid with a ton of talent going nowhere,” said Galosich in a recent chat over the phone. “He had used up all his ASAA eligibility, and needed to get out of the situation.”
In the ADN article, Williams’s mother Bobbi, who was battling cancer at the time, stated: “That was a blessing because when we were at our lowest, when Kwintin was spending a lot of time with me in the hospital, the (Planet Athlete) coach called and it was just a blessing that he was able to continue his journey with basketball.”
“Kwinton went to the Academy, and started getting recruiting calls from major colleges, as he worked on both academics and hoops, and earned an associate’s degree,” Galosich said. “It was fun for me to see it all happen. I had a lot of help myself along the way.”
He still keeps in touch with former Coach Bob Lenz.
“We’ve been down there twice to play in tournaments at Melba, Idaho,” Galosich said. “He’s still the same, and it’s great to not only coach against him, but also exchange ideas and relive the good old days.”
Galosich will undoubtedly be smiling when he sees Williams perform one of his amazing slam-dunks during televised NCAA basketball games this winter.
Naismith’s hoop and ball are round. And what goes around comes around.
