Karpowicz coaching Hilltoppers again

From diagraming hook patterns to correcting slices, Glenbard West teacher John Karpowicz has substituted one passion for another.

The former head football coach at Driscoll and Glenbard West, most recently an assistant at Benedictine University, Karpowicz just concluded his first season as the Hilltoppers' girls junior varsity golf coach.

Dealing with these athletes requires a not-too-subtle difference in approach.

“You can't psych someone up to play golf,” he said. “Pregame speeches don't really work.”

Before marrying his wife, Tami, getting into coaching and raising a family, Karpowicz would golf three, four times a week. Even while coaching he'd try to find the time.

“Football coaches, to get away from coaching football, they go play golf. That's what football coaches do,” Karpowicz said.

Last fall Karpowicz ended a four-year stint as an assistant at Benedictine by helping the Eagles to a 9-2 record, the Northern Athletics Conference title and Benedictine's first playoff appearance. It was Benedictine's best season since Karpowicz quarterbacked the Eagles to a 9-1 record his senior year in 1986.

“It was a good time,” he said. “Those kids that came in as freshmen and I kind of came in together. Those kids all graduated and accomplished their goals. I probably would still have been back at Benedictine, but I saw that the golf job opened up.”

He appreciated coach Sarah Jung giving him the opportunity; Karpowicz coached the junior varsity to a third-place finish in the West Suburban Silver on Sept. 28, behind Hinsdale Central and Lyons Township.

“It's such a smaller unit than I'm used to, and I help out any way I can,” he said. “Being a head coach has allowed me to realize what it takes to be a pretty good assistant.”

In this sport, though, a coach can't demand push-ups or sprints for missing the fairway.

“The sport of golf is different, it's not as intense, much more laid back. Then you add in the ‘girl' aspect of it,” Karpowicz said.

“One thing I noticed about coaching girls is they are much more into the team bonding-type thing. I'm not exactly sure how to say that politically correctly, but it's a much greater social endeavor. You can still coach them, but you've got to approach them in a little bit different way. The intensity is much different.”

The season is shorter, too. Benedictine's 2010 football season ended Nov. 23, while varsity golf regionals were Wednesday and the finals next weekend. That gives Karpowicz time to help his son, Ben, in fall baseball.

One day he hopes to get daughters Faith, Francis and Sophie on the golf course.

“This is something maybe I can get those girls interested in,” he said. “The other thing is, it gets me back coaching at the high school I work at. Really, when I got into teaching and coaching I envisioned coaching at the school I taught at. I feel more connected to the school.”

Welcome to the neighborhood

It's likely only local boys basketball junkies may have seen Wheaton Academy's newest star, Cameron Harvey. He transferred from St. Joseph after the 2010-11 school year and enrolled at Wheaton Academy in August.

Not that Harvey flew under the radar. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound combo guard has committed to Eastern Illinois University. As a sophomore he'd committed to Wyoming but de-committed the next year. One published report said he'd drawn early offers from Marquette and Baylor.

“He's a good player, very athletic,” said Wheaton Academy coach Paul Ferguson. “I think he's going to do very well in the Ohio Valley Conference.”

St. Joseph coach Gene Pingatore said that in 24 games last season Harvey averaged 8 points and 3 rebounds.

“He's really a good kid,” said Pingatore, who trails only Rockford Boylan's Steve Goers in Illinois prep coaching victories.

Why transfer away from the legendary Pingatore?

“Coach Pingatore is a phenomenal coach, a great fundamental coach and he taught me a lot of lessons, but some systems aren't for everybody,” said Harvey, who lives in Naperville. “It was just one of those situations where it wasn't the right situation for me.

“Now I'm trying to take my talent to Wheaton Academy, and I feel like Coach Ferguson will allow me to play more like myself. I'm more suitable for the system at Wheaton Academy, and that's no knock at Coach Pingatore.”

The young man sounds sincere and grateful, proclaiming thanks to everyone from his parents, Bryan and Tivonnia, to trainer R.W. Brown to AAU coach Dickey Simpkins to St. Joseph assistant Daryl Thomas to Waubonsie Valley graduate Matt Miller, whose M14 Hoops camps helped Harvey out.

Also Ferguson: “He's just really a standup guy,” Harvey said.

The young man candidly assesses his own abilities: physical on both offense and defense, able to attack the basket, competitive and perhaps best of all, “a great pull-up jumper.”

He said that along with Harvey's athleticism and physique, Eastern coaches Mike Miller and Barron Thelmon were most impressed with that midrange shot.

“They feel that that's a missing art in basketball nowadays,” Harvey said. “I take a lot of pride in that.”

doberhelman@dailyherald.com