{"id":48595,"date":"2017-01-19T15:02:55","date_gmt":"2017-01-19T21:02:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/?p=48595"},"modified":"2017-01-19T15:02:55","modified_gmt":"2017-01-19T21:02:55","slug":"olson-father-son-duo-finds-success-at-niles-north","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/olson-father-son-duo-finds-success-at-niles-north\/","title":{"rendered":"Olson father-son duo finds success at Niles North"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Brent Schwartz<\/strong> <\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d shouted Niles North head coach Glenn Olson, urging one of his scrimmage teams to push the floor during an intense practice. He is often animated, but focused when running practice, keeping his players on their toes. <\/p>\n

After practice, Glenn addressed his team with a sense confidence. <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of you guys have never cut down nets before,\u201d said Glenn Olson. \u201cI have. I can help you get there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Standing by the team huddle was Glenn\u2019s father, Don Olson. Don is more than just a proud parent. He serves as Glenn\u2019s assistant, continuing a long career in coaching. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There was a part of Don in Glenn\u2019s speech. After all, Glenn grew up watching Don inspire his own players over the years. Like father, like son. <\/p>\n

\u201cGlenn used to come watch my practices, and say, \u2018This is what I want to do,\u2019\u201d said Don Olson. \u201cHe has unbelievable passion for the game.\u201d <\/p>\n

Don, known as \u201cPapa O,\u201d spent 35 years coaching high school baseball and football, and was inducted into the Illinois High School Baseball Hall of Fame in 1993, for his years coaching Maine East baseball. <\/p>\n

\u201cJust watching him coach with intensity taught me a lot,\u201d said Glenn Olson. \u201cMy dad always taught players to do the right thing, and they really respected him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Don\u2019s background isn\u2019t in basketball, his role is monitoring intangibles, such as effort, from the sidelines. With Glenn roaming the court teaching players the X\u2019s and O\u2019s of the game, Don sits back and monitors players who aren\u2019t hustling, and calls them out. <\/p>\n

\u201cI just come in and lower the hoops, and sit here and watch,\u201d said Don. \u201cThat\u2019s the beauty of my position.\u201d<\/p>\n

Don has done more than just watch in his 10 seasons helping Glenn coach basketball at both Niles North, and Maine East. In between practice drills, Don talks to players who he sees are in need of a pep talk. <\/p>\n

\u201cI asked my dad to come back, not just to spend more time with him, but because I knew he would help,\u201d said Glenn Olson. \u201cHe\u2019s like our team psychologist. He just gets kids. He gets it.\u201d<\/p>\n

After junior guard Ryan Murphy went through a spurt in scrimmage scoring baskets and playing tight man-to-man defense, Don shared his thoughts. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf 21 [Murphy] can play this whole season like he has these past five minutes, we\u2019ll be in good shape,\u201d said Don Olson, while sitting in his usual spot, in a folded chair on the sidelines.<\/p>\n

What is most impressive about Don Olson is his ability to rattle off facts. During practice, Don wrote down the records of all eight seasons during his son\u2019s tenure at Niles North, as well as remember tidbits from each game. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ll like this kid,\u201d said Don Olson, pointing out the Vikings\u2019 star player, junior guard Damaria Franklin. \u201cAs a sophomore in his first regional game against Libertyville, he had 14 points in the first quarter.\u201d <\/p>\n

It is remembering those statistical nuggets, and his ability to observe every player on the court using his coaching experience and wits, while his son is focused on drills, that make him a valuable cog in the program. <\/p>\n

The relationship between the Olsons and continuity within the coaching staff has created a dynamic that fits. <\/p>\n

Upon arriving to Niles North, the Vikings had not been to a regional championship in 36 years. In his eighth season with Niles North, Glenn Olson has won three regional championships, with help from his father and Drase. <\/p>\n

Glenn\u2019s other assistant coach, George Drase, has coached with the Olsons at both Maine East and Niles North. <\/p>\n

\u201cWorking with the Olsons has been more fun than I ever imagined,\u201d said Drase. \u201cI love Coach O’s energy and enthusiasm. Papa O’s realism has kept me sane for the past 15 years. It’s been nice because I fall right between them age wise so I get the best of both worlds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Photo at top: Niles North head coach Glenn Olson (left) and his father Don (right) coaching the Vikings’ practice Wednesday. (Brent Schwartz\/MEDILL).<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Brent Schwartz \u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d shouted Niles North head coach Glenn Olson, urging one of his scrimmage teams to push the floor during an intense practice. He is often animated, but focused when running practice, keeping his players on their toes. After practice, Glenn addressed his team with a sense confidence. \u201cA lot of you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":380,"featured_media":48901,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,3516],"tags":[3587,3586,3585],"class_list":["post-48595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports","category-winter-2017","tag-don-olson","tag-glenn-olson","tag-niles-north-basketball"],"yoast_head":"\nOlson father-son duo finds success at Niles North - Medill Reports Chicago<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/news.medill.northwestern.edu\/chicago\/olson-father-son-duo-finds-success-at-niles-north\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Olson father-son duo finds success at Niles North - Medill Reports Chicago\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Brent Schwartz \u201cLet\u2019s go!\u201d shouted Niles North head coach Glenn Olson, urging one of his scrimmage teams to push the floor during an intense practice. 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