Post by The Admin on May 14, 2020 9:13:00 GMT -6
Indianola hires Kaleb Swboni as softball coach
www.mcalesternews.com/sports/local_sports/indianola-hires-kaleb-swboni-as-softball-coach/article_8fe76702-3b6f-517c-8097-eb242cd4d3bb.html
www.mcalesternews.com/sports/local_sports/indianola-hires-kaleb-swboni-as-softball-coach/article_8fe76702-3b6f-517c-8097-eb242cd4d3bb.html
The Lady Warriors have found their new leader.
Indianola approved and hired Kaleb Swboni to take over as softball coach. Swboni said he was thrilled when he received that phone call.
"It’s a blessing all around. I called my wife first and let her know,” Swboni said. "It was a win-win for us.”
Swboni hasn’t had the usual path to the coaching circuit. After graduating from Crowder High School, he said he wasn’t really ready for college, and instead enlisted in the United States Army.
He was sent to a year of deployment in Afghanistan in 2011, and said the experience helped shape him as a person. He met his wife shortly after, and the two settled down back in the place Swboni called home.
After his service, Swboni went to college with the ambition to become a coach and a teacher. Coaching has always been something of a family matter for Swboni, who is a cousin of McAlester girls basketball coach Jarrod Owen.
Swboni said he has always looked up to Owen and when the job at Indianola came calling, Swboni was excited to finally see his dreams come true.
"It’s literally the closest school to my house other than McAlester,” Swboni said. "I wanted a small school setting. It’s a win-win for my family, ten-fold.”
In addition to his coaching duties, Swboni said he is a husband and a father, and wouldn’t imagine life any other way.
"It’s the most rewarding, stressful, fun, eccentric job any man can have,” Swboni said. "Everyday, it’s the best.”
Since his approval in April, Swboni has been hard at work preparing his new workspace to get ready for next season. And despite the shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, he wants to make sure everything is ready when they’re given the green light to play.
"I’ve been working on the field, me and my wife have been working on it. I want it ready and I don’t want to have any distractions,” Swboni said. "I’ve been sending optional workouts, I try to give them a quote or thought of the day. These kids, sometimes they don’t have a lot of positive in life, so I’m trying to give them that.”
Swboni said his coaching style comes from the leadership skills he learned while leading troops in Afghanistan, but also from famed basketball coach Roy Williams, who Swboni said has some great advice.
"It coincides with, other than being better players, I’m going to try to teach them to be better people,” Swboni said. "I wasn’t really a yeller. Coach ‘em hard and hug ‘em after. Let them know you love them."
Indianola approved and hired Kaleb Swboni to take over as softball coach. Swboni said he was thrilled when he received that phone call.
"It’s a blessing all around. I called my wife first and let her know,” Swboni said. "It was a win-win for us.”
Swboni hasn’t had the usual path to the coaching circuit. After graduating from Crowder High School, he said he wasn’t really ready for college, and instead enlisted in the United States Army.
He was sent to a year of deployment in Afghanistan in 2011, and said the experience helped shape him as a person. He met his wife shortly after, and the two settled down back in the place Swboni called home.
After his service, Swboni went to college with the ambition to become a coach and a teacher. Coaching has always been something of a family matter for Swboni, who is a cousin of McAlester girls basketball coach Jarrod Owen.
Swboni said he has always looked up to Owen and when the job at Indianola came calling, Swboni was excited to finally see his dreams come true.
"It’s literally the closest school to my house other than McAlester,” Swboni said. "I wanted a small school setting. It’s a win-win for my family, ten-fold.”
In addition to his coaching duties, Swboni said he is a husband and a father, and wouldn’t imagine life any other way.
"It’s the most rewarding, stressful, fun, eccentric job any man can have,” Swboni said. "Everyday, it’s the best.”
Since his approval in April, Swboni has been hard at work preparing his new workspace to get ready for next season. And despite the shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic, he wants to make sure everything is ready when they’re given the green light to play.
"I’ve been working on the field, me and my wife have been working on it. I want it ready and I don’t want to have any distractions,” Swboni said. "I’ve been sending optional workouts, I try to give them a quote or thought of the day. These kids, sometimes they don’t have a lot of positive in life, so I’m trying to give them that.”
Swboni said his coaching style comes from the leadership skills he learned while leading troops in Afghanistan, but also from famed basketball coach Roy Williams, who Swboni said has some great advice.
"It coincides with, other than being better players, I’m going to try to teach them to be better people,” Swboni said. "I wasn’t really a yeller. Coach ‘em hard and hug ‘em after. Let them know you love them."
