ANSONIA – Bruce Davidson, a 1985 Mississinawa-Valley alum takes over the Ansonia Lady Tigers head basketball coaching job with 17 years of high school coaching experience and five years at the junior high level.
“I appreciate the opportunity that was given to me by Mr. Atchley, Mr. Robson and Mr. Macy as well as the school board for giving me this opportunity,” said Davidson. “I’m looking forward to it, not only getting to know the girls but the opportunity to work together and to accomplish the things we have before us. I’m looking forward to it as well as working with our JV coach Abbie Helmke and working with assistant varsity coach Thom Kukasky.
Davidson was a starter for the Blackhawks basketball program his junior season under head coach Bill Courtney and Steve Brewer his senior year.
Current CCC Commissioner, John Butch was Davidson’s freshman coach and his sophomore season, Steve Brewer was his coach.
Davidson graduated from Ball State University before going on to work in Indianapolis where he met his wife Kim. The couple lived 10 years in the Indiana state capitol.
Coach Davidson moved back to the area to teach Business and serve as Athletic Director at Mississinawa Valley and later filled the role of Guidance Counselor along with the school’s AD.
“There are still a lot of individuals I know in the Cross County Conference from being athletic director before and just being in that area,” said Davidson. “I’m looking forward to it.”
Davidson crossed the state line to become the Union City Community High School Athletic Director along with coaching freshman and JV basketball before two-plus years as the varsity boys basketball coach.
Coach Davidson took time to talk basketball coaching at the high school level beginning with discipline.
“Discipline is a big part of it in any part of our life,” Davidson said. “Self-discipline, if anyone is going to go to another level in their life you have to have self-discipline. Discipline is often what separates individuals. Discipline is a part of life to be successful and to move ahead to another level.”
“Sports should enhance other areas of your life,” continued Davidson. “It teaches you many things including self-discipline. It also teaches you to overcome adversity – working well with others. It also teaches you time management skills, organizational skills…a team sport.”
“Within each of us there is a certain element of self-centeredness or selfishness. With a team sport it teaches the opposite. You have the opportunity to learn that together – you are better than alone.”
Davidson moved into an area where coaches are most often judged; wins and losses.
“The determining factor to me is what I call a deciding moment,” stated Davidson. “After you win or lose is how do you conduct yourself. Do you win humbly, do you and lose gracefully. When you’re walking though that line and shaking hands – how do you conduct yourself.
“Your character matters and who you are as a person because when you’re walking through that line and shaking hands after a game, and if you’re wearing an Ansonia uniform, you’re not only representing yourself but you are also representing your family, you’re representing the school and you are representing the community. How you conduct yourself is always a bigger scale.
“People will not remember the scores of games as time goes by but they will remember who you are as a person, your character and how you conducted yourself and how you held yourself after a game, whether you won or lost.”
Coach Davidson remembers every coach he played for and understands the important responsibilities that goes coaching, not just wins and losses.
“I remember every coach I ever had whether from junior high all the way to the last year that I played,” shared Davidson. “It’s amazing the influence a coach has on a player that goes way beyond the given sport. The relationship and the bond that is connected is eunique between a player and a coach, that bond that lasts a lifetime.”
“I still attend the same church with my eighth grade basketball coach, Steve Griffiths and I still call him Coach today,” continued Davidson. “We still have that connection that is eunique that has lasted a lifetime and the things that he has said – if you ask me what was the scores of games, how many games did we win, I couldn’t tell you but I could tell you who he was as a coach in terms of a person, his character and the influence that he had on myself and some of the things that I still do in practice today, how I conduct myself, I really picked up from him.”
Bruce and Kim are the parents of two children; Sarah, an IU East graduate in her second year teaching second grade at Union City, IN and son Isaac, a senior at the University of Indianapolis with interests in physical therapy.”
“With coaching it’s truly a team effort even in your own household,” Davidson said of family support. “My wife has been a tremendous support over the years. She enjoys sports, she enjoys going to the games and she enjoys being a part of it.”
