Poulsbo — The DRIVE Basketball program of Kitsap County will honor long-time basketball coach Jim Harney at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 8 at their first annual crab dinner and auction at the Village Green Community Center.
The event features a silent and live auction (offering prizes from dining certificates, a one-day fishing trip, a Colorado getaway and much more), plated dinner and presentation for Harney to honor his long-standing work with youth in basketball programs across the community.
Harney was the starting point guard for Seattle University in 1958 when they played in the NCAA Final Four Championship game against Kentucky. His long-time coaching career has taken him from Seattle Prep to the University of Puget Sound. He was the head coach at North Kitsap High School for 24 years and took the Vikings to state multiple times — including placing fifth at state.
Harney was voted “Coach of the Year” three times in his high school coaching career and has coached his teams to win multiple league titles and play at districts and beyond.
As the current assistant coach with the North Kitsap High School boys’ varsity team, (and volunteer coaching with local middle schools for more than 15 years) Harney has coached hundreds of kids over his career.
“We want to recognize what he has given back to our community,” parent and DRIVE volunteer Kelly Clark said. “Both my son and my daughter are in DRIVE, they were trained to work on teamwork, hard work, what it takes to succeed in what you love. Basketball is a strong event for our community and it’s because of Jim. He’s a great guy and has impacted DRIVE as well as the middle and high schools around us.”
Although the DRIVE basketball program has only been in Kitsap for two years, the inspiration and teachings from Harney is something members say has been instrumental to the program.
“He helps the boys team with various things. He’s the type of guy where if you needed some help shooting, he would arrange some gym time and meet you there. He doesn’t charge for it, that’s just the type of person he is. He’s a very generous, amazing man,” Clark said.
The DRIVE Basketball program aims to help players reach their greatest potential as people and athletes through the game of basketball. They believe athletics provides the opportunity for young people to form life-long values that will impact their lives beyond the court.
The goals of DRIVE include: to build proper fundamental basketball skills in players, to create a safe, positive and challenging environment to maximize growth both on and off the court, to teach positive character traits that players will carry with them into all avenues of life and to build and grow the local high school basketball programs in partnership with the head coaches and the local community programs.
Proceeds from this event benefit the nonprofit DRIVE basketball program with scholarships and skill building. Tickets are $45 for the crab dinner and auctions and can be purchased at www.drivebasketball.org/fundraising. For table or event sponsorships or to learn more about the event call Kelly Clark at 303-547-5119 or email: kcobleclark@gmail.com.
