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Coaches' kids backbone rebuilding efforts at Sanborn, Fellowship

Friday, January, 25 By Hector Longo
Staff writer

Sanborn Regional coach Bob Ficker walked over to the water cooler midway through the fourth quarter, patted his star guard on the back for his efforts and told him, "Good job." The lectures about taking a dumb foul to foul out of the game could wait until the ride home. Or even over a snack at the dinner table.

Ficker's leading scorer and floor leader (he had 9 points last night) just happens be his son, Robby, who knows hearing the critique at home is part of the package of playing for dad.

"At times, it can get a little ..." said Robby, stopping himself before saying something that might get him in trouble. "But there are more positives. He treats me like a regular player. He tells me what he needs when it comes to this team, and as a captain that's a big thing.

"On the practice floor, he tries to push me a little harder, but that's all right. I should practice harder. I'm his son."

Like Ficker, Fellowship Christian Academy sophomore Trevor Glines inherited the scorer's role for the Rams.

For dad Russ Glines, it's son No. 3 to pass through the Fellowship program in his 27 years on the bench. Both Andrew, a two-time All-Commonwealth Conference Lower Division guard (2004, 2005), and Michael, a tri-captain in 2000-01, had successful careers playing for their father. Graduation and a couple defections left the ball in Trevor's hands. That can be a tough situation, but father and son have handled it well.

"In years past, I haven't really had to step up," said Trevor, a varsity player at FCA since the seventh grade. "Really, I try to do what I can by example. (My dad) doesn't really push, but I just try to play every day as hard as I can."

Neither team is tearing up the charts, but each is taking baby steps.

At Sanborn, the Indians opened the year with no starters returning from a team that went 4-16. Talk about a need to rebuild.

Robby, an athletic off-guard, averaged 6.5 points a game last winter after scoring in double figures in six of the final eight games.

A whole new cast of teammates is currently building around the younger Ficker | who also starts in baseball and is the Indians' top golfer.

Qualifying for the Class M tourney would be huge for this group, which has no seniors in the regular rotation. The Indians are currently 2-9.

"We won two straight earlier in the year, and one of them was over Mascenic which was undefeated at the time," said Ficker, who missed the previous two games with a concussion but is scoring 14.5 points per night.

Two in a row may not sound like much but it was the first time the Indians did it since the 2002-03 season. Robby says there is some extra baggage being the coach's son.

"I want this to work. And I want it to work for him," he said.

He's accepted his role including off the floor, where it's a daily chore to sell the team. "We had some guys, who I know could play that aren't," said Robby. "I just work hard to show them that this is a good thing."

At a school as small as Fellowship, the tiny Christian school in West Methuen, Trevor Glines of Salem also found himself lobbying athletes. While it was mildly successful, he and his seven cohorts in the program go out and fight every day in the Commonwealth Conference.

A week ago, FCA finally broke into the win column, snapping a 15-game losing streak dating back to last spring with a 46-40 win over Essex Aggie.

"I'm trying to develop some of the other guys to share the offensive load, but in that win we needed Trevor to score over half our points," admitted Russ of his son, who put up a season-high 24 points.

"I tend to be harder on my own kids and ask more of them. I challenge him. But he pulls this team together. He practices hard and is a good leader by example."

Trevor understands on a team with a junior, three sophomores, two freshmen and two seventh-graders, losses will come. The Rams are 1-11. But you won't see a frown on this 15-year-old's face on the court, though.

"I think it's my role to keep us going," said Trevor, one of the region's top scorers at 14.1 points a game. "You play as hard as you can. You play every game as it comes, and you try to keep it close.

"It feels good to know every day, even though we're not going to win every game, we're putting in our best effort." As expected, both dads/coaches are mighty proud. Even if winter dinners at both households tend to get a little spicy.