Pat McClemans of Watertown has been a coach for many years. While he’s in his 24thseason as a head basketball coach, add up his assistant coaching stops that date back to his college days at Black Hills State, and you get somewhere north of 35-years of coaching experience.
Most of Pat’s years have been spent coaching girls’ basketball. He was the girls coach in Watertown during the state championships in 2007 and 2009.But the past four seasons he’s been coaching the Arrows boys' team. His son Jackson is also a senior this season for Watertown. Pat also has an older son, Colton, who late this past March was named the new head coach of the Aberdeen Central boys basketball team – his first head coaching opportunity.
Add in that Aberdeen Central and Watertown are in the same Class and Conference and bingo; you can see where this is going…
On Tuesday, January 13thof this season, Watertown traveled to Aberdeen Central for a game. It was a matchup that saw father versus son and brother versus brother.
“It was something unique, something that I think both Colton and I probably appreciate at a level,” said Pat. “Both of us understand that these games are not about Colton or Pat McClemans, right? It's about our kids and our programs, and you want to do right by the kids that play for you and try to keep everything else off to the side of it because the attention should be on the players.”
“It was a little weird because, I spent so much time in the gym with [dad] in terms of growing up and watching him coach,” added Colton. “Before the game, we spent quite a bit of time just talking about where we were both at in terms of the season and our teams. It was a lot of basketball talking. I would say a lot of our conversations lead to basketball."
Watertown defeated Aberdeen Central in the contest 59-45. In the handshake like afterwards, the two coaches, father and son, kept it short and brief.
“We both kind of felt for each other in terms of one was going to be disappointed and one was going to be happy with the results, so we didn't say a whole lot,” said Colton. When we got home that night we talked, and he told me that he was impressed with how hard our kids played and gave me advice on some things to continue to work on.”
Pat added that the game also meant a lot from the brother angle as Jackson and Colton are both competitive but also love and support each other.
“Colton has helped Jackson out tremendously, whether it's been in basketball or baseball or whatever, but Jackson still wanted to win the game. I mean, his focus is trying to go 2-0 against his older brother [this season],” explained Pat. “One, because it's important for our basketball program, but I think it's also something he'll poke his older brother.”
If there wasn’t competition between members of a sports family, would it really be a family surrounded by sports? Pat’s wife Patty also has a key role in Watertown as the high school principal. Her maiden name is Schlekeway, which is proof there’s deep coaching roots in her family too.
“I think this situation is harder on my wife Patty,” joked Pat. “Somebody asked, “who will Patty be cheering for? I said, “probably cheer for Watertown this year just because her youngest son Jackson is playing.”
Both Watertown and Aberdeen Central have had different seasons. The Arrows have jumped out to an 8-1 start, while the Golden Eagles have struggled at 1-8. But for Colton in Aberdeen, he has a good support staff. Not only does he have his dad Pat to bump ideas off of, but Dawn Seiler, one of the winningest coaches in state history, is in the administration office as the athletic director for Aberdeen Central.
“She is obviously very knowledgeable. In terms of basketball, but also in just, you know, situations that come up. She’s always someone that is willing to listen and tell you what you need to do in terms of giving her perspective and what she's kind of gone through,” told Colton. “Her advice is always very good, just because she’s been through almost every situation and she’s always looking at it in terms of what’s best for the program.”
Regardless of the season records or standings, Colton and Pat remain close and want to see each other succeed – just not against each other.
“I would say we’re both our biggest supporters,” told Colton. “It’s always just about the kids and trying to get them ready for whoever the opponent is. You’re almost around those kids more than you are your own families. So, coming in and ready to work and then those relationships, I love it.”
And for Pat, seeing his son Colton walking in his footsteps gives him a lot of joy.
“I'm very proud of him and very happy for him. Coaching is a lot of work, and he’s got a lot of work ahead of him, and he’ll do it,” exclaimed Pat. “We all want to win, but there are other reasons you coach. Colton is a pretty good teacher, not only in the classroom, but on the basketball floor. He likes the competition and if you can continue to compete, while having the opportunities to influence young men along the way, I think that’s a good thing.”
Aberdeen Central and Watertown are scheduled to play each other once more this season on Tuesday, February 17that the Civic Arena in Watertown.
