Commitment. Love. Sacrifice. Belief. These are the core values that Michigan City boys basketball coach John Boyd lives by and teaches.
Some of Boyd’s earliest memories of basketball came from watching film of NBA legends like Michael Jordan, Julius Erving, Jerry West, and Bob Cousy.
“I remember watching those guys and seeing the commitment they made,” said Boyd. “They had a desire to be the best.”
Boyd first became interested in coaching while attending Indiana University, where he took a coaching class taught by former Hoosiers coach Bob Knight.
“He was one of a kind,” said Boyd of Knight. “He was honest and straight forward. He had a strong commitment to his system and core values. He made it a point to teach each person he came in contact with.”
Boyd loves to write, and he planned to take a job writing greeting cards with Hallmark after graduating. However, his English teacher, Annar Barnes, passed away from cancer, so Boyd decided he wanted to become a teacher to honor her. It was while teaching that Boyd was first asked to be a basketball coach, starting what has turned out to be an excellent career.
Boyd became the Head Coach at Gary West Side in 1999, after two years of coaching the J.V. team. In 2002, Boyd led West Side to the 4A State Championship, defeating Indianapolis Pike 58-55. It takes a special team to win a State title, and that’s exactly what Boyd had.
“The commitment they made to one another, to the coaches - they were selfless and sacrificed for the good of the team. They thought as a whole,” said Boyd.
Boyd credits his mother for making him the man that he is today.
“She gave me my belief system,” Boyd said. “She taught me faith and that possibilities are limitless.”
Boyd is sure to pass on those same core values to his student-athletes.
“Commitment, love, sacrifice, belief,” said Boyd.
His favorite aspect of coaching is the relationships that he builds.
“I want to be a role model for them. I want to help kids understand that they can be more. I want to help them graduate. It’s important not to ever give up on a kid,” said Boyd.
There is so much more to coaching than just X’s and O’s, especially at the high school level. Coaches have young student-athletes that need real leadership. They have parents to manage, kids changing schools for athletic reasons, potential college recruitment, and much more. As the AAU circuit continues to grow, kids can be influenced by people who may not always have the student athlete's best interest at heart. There is plenty of bad advice out there, and more leaders like John Boyd are needed.
When asked about his fondest memories since coming to Michigan City, Coach Boyd answered very quickly.
“The community - I love it, there is so much potential here. The sky is the limit, but it starts with the kids.”
That potential has Boyd excited for the future in Michigan City.
“I’m looking forward to working on being a leader - for the community, my family, and the kids. I just want to help the kids and encourage them that their possibilities are limitless,” said Boyd.