SYLVANIA, Ohio — A local basketball coach is using his love of the game to reach kids of all ages and inspire them to use their skills on and off the court.
Steven Corggens, also known as “Coach Bub,” is the assistant basketball coach at Lourdes University. Bub has been training athletes for 45 years. Now, in his work as a strength trainer, he is fulfilling a goal to develop the body and mind of an athlete. Jackie Harris, a basketball player at Lourdes University, said he witnessed this firsthand.
”Coach Bub has made a world of difference, just the biggest thing for me is the mentality ... you are stronger, you are more athletic, that's what he put into me," Harris said.
He starts working with kids as young as eight years old up to college-aged. One of Bub's most successful athletes is former NBA player Dennis Hopson Lourdes' head men's basketball coach.
"When I was a young kid growing up just playing out in the streets," Hopson said. "Coach Bub was that guy that was always there. Either he was at the park or we were going somewhere to play and he was there watching and coaching."
Bub’s goal is to instill confidence and focus. He has young trainees do strength training so their strength grows with their basketball skills.
"The bad habits start when they first get engaged in all their sports," Bub said.
He is currently coaching an all-academic basketball team at Lourdes University, meaning none of his players have a GPA below 3.0., a fact he believes makes for more well-rounded athletes.
“Focus is very important in life in all your endeavors," he said.