When Bill Clinton was inaugurated for the first of his two terms as United States President on Jan. 20, 1993, one of the things he mentioned in his inauguration address was the need for change.
Longtime Porum Lady Panthers basketball coach Bobbie Wheat felt the same way, which was one of the reasons she made the hard decision to leave the Lady Panthers and take the Gans Lady Grizzlies basketball coaching job when it become open when first-year coach Jason Henry left to become basketball and softball coach at Clayton High School, about 25 miles south of Talihina in Pushmataha County.
“I told my (Porum) kids that sometimes you need a change,” Wheat said. “Change is good. I’m looking very forward to this. Right now, it’s getting to know them and them getting to know me. They’re showing me how they did things, and I’m showing them how I do things. We’re taking both sides. Sometimes you have to collaborate on things. I’m excited. I’m excited for these girls. I’m excited for Gans. Gans has a long (basketball) history. They were good, and they’ve kind of fallen off for a while, so we’re trying to bring it forward (back to prominence).”
Wheat also is anxious to be a part of the rebuilding of the Lady Grizzlies basketball program.
“I see a lot of positive things out here,” she said. “They’ve got size and speed. It’s been a while since I’ve had three tall post players. They have about four or five of them out there. There are some small guards who are quick. I think those are some things we can look at. So, I’m excited to rebuild. I think this group of young ladies have potential. I’m excited about being a part of watching them grow. The two coaches before me, Laney (James, who just completed her first season as Fort Smith (Ark.) Southside assistant girls basketball coach) and Mr. Henry, started the process (of rebuilding). We’re going to step it to the next level. These young girls want to be better. They’re working to be better. Every day, we’ve been getting new girls coming to Summer Pride and wanting to be a part of this. That’s a positive thing for them. They’re on the ground floor of making that change.”
For the last several seasons, Wheat and the Porum Lady Panthers have played the Lady Grizzlies since they are Riverside Conference members. However, while Wheat got a decent look at what the Lady Grizzlies were like, she also said there was a lot more hidden talents the Lady Grizzlies have that has not been tapped into yet.
“There were some things we didn’t see (while coaching at Porum) like I see being out here now (with the Lady Grizzlies),” Wheat said. “I’ve been impressed. These young ladies have worked their tails off. Every day, they’ve leave here (Bryant ‘Big Country’ Reeves Fieldhouse) sweating doing their Summer Pride stuff. I think that’s an attribute to these young ladies, and I think that’s going to make them better. They’re working hard to be better. When they played us at Porum in the past, they didn’t do a whole lot of shooting. These girls can shoot the ball, and I’m really looking for them to do that next season. They have great size. Gans has about four or five (players) out here with size. I see things coming with that. Size is definitely one of their strengths.”
The biggest thing Wheat has been working with the Lady Grizzlies on has been ball handling, which she believed was the top priority of things to have them improve upon.
“It’s ball handling, and they’re getting better,” she said. “It’s their ball handling, their dribbling and their passing. It’s about keeping their heads and eyes up. I think they’ve had some hidden traits that nobody has seen, and I see that coming.”
