Coach's Corner: This basketball coach is the real deal - a hidden gem

I have used the expression before: "hidden gem."

Someone in the community who has done tremendous work for an extended amount of time, appreciated only by the few they come in contact with and usually doing it well under the radar.

It is often these types of people, underrated and understated, that help make a community a truly better place to live.

So it is this week as we uncover one of those "hidden gems" in Jeff Wechsler, longtime Northbrook JCC basketball coach and the curator - if not creator - of the J's highly successful youth basketball program.

Wechsler, who grew up in Glenview and has lived in Northbrook in his adult years, basically built the program from scratch.

"I was working in Highland Park," he said, "and I was coaching some kids who were also affiliated with the Northbrook JCC, including the organization president at the time, Stuart Hochwert. He asked if we could start a program at 'the J' because, at that time, they had nothing like it. Their sports director, Steve Dorfman, came and watched me coach and then gave me the OK, and that is how it all started."

That was back in 2003. Here it is, 18 years later, and Coach Wechsler is still at it, coaching with an infectious enthusiasm and love of the game that belie his 60 years of age.

When he first began the program, it became an instant success. He started with a couple travel teams called the J-Hawks and then, with their success and his own coaching connections, within two years they suddenly had an in-house league of 20 teams. More than 150 kids signed up from what started at ground zero.

Wechsler's key to success? What draws the kids and parents to him? Mostly his unique coaching style.

"We take on all kids of all different talents and try to teach them to be the best they can be. We don't worry about being an elite program or an all-star team, we just take the kids interested in basketball and get them to enjoy the game," Wechsler said.

Wechsler's JCC program is the exact opposite of all the current travel programs around, some that have overzealous coaches looking to win at all costs, and always looking for the "next great player."

"That's not us. Not our style," Wechsler said. "We concentrate on the kids from second through fifth grade, and we always stay positive with them and want them to feel good about themselves. We develop whatever talents they have, and always try to find the strength of each player so they can have value to the team."

Make no mistake, though, along the way Wechsler has coached some good ones who have developed into college level players, like Cory Dolins who played at DePaul, Adam Chick from Suffold University, Jake Norcia at Augustana, and Chris Wrobelewski, who became a March Madness star for his Cornell team, as well as current Evanston star Blake Peters, who is headed to Princeton.

Highland Park High School head basketball coach Paul Harris has been the beneficiary of Wechsler's unique skill set, having many of his own players developing at the JCC, as well as his own son.

"Jeff was great," Harris said. "He treated players, parents, opponents and officials all with dignity and class, and really made the experience a positive one for his players."

Another unique trait of Wechsler's is his relationship with parents. Many coaches shy away from contact with parents, afraid of interference and questions of playing time and coaching strategy, etc. Not Jeff.

"No, I love talking to the parents. I pride myself in communicating with them. I want them to support their child and I like them to be involved. In fact, with every team I coach, I always have one parent sitting with me on the bench during games."

He connects even further by going to family birthday parties, bar mitzvahs and to watch them play in their junior high or high school games.

There are not too many things that can get in the way of Wechsler's love of coaching and enthusiasm for being with the young kids. But the current virus has proved a worthy opponent.

"Right now, I am being careful," he says. "Until I get vaccinated, I am limiting my on-hand involvement with kids. And even though we are practicing and starting to play games, the kids do wear masks, as we are being as careful as we can."

One more thing about Jeff, from a personal note. Although we have not connected for some years now, it is he who I, as a young athletic director working in Glenview, hired as a camp counselor, official and umpire working with kids when he was still in high school.

Jeff remembered those days fondly. "You know, Jon, looking back at it, it is you who got me started in this whole racket."

Normally, I might have been offended by that statement, but knowing Jeff, and what he has done for the kids in our communities and his still incredible positive energy, I will take that as a nice compliment.

And just cause for yet another "hidden gem" discovered.

• Jon Cohn of Glenview is a coach, retired PE teacher, sports official and prep sports fan.