From dairy barn to hardcourt

KENSINGTON, Minn. — Greg Sabolik guides two teams.

Every morning, Sabolik gathers with his staff in the confines of a tunnel-ventilated freestall barn. There, they talk about the plans and challenges for the day at his 600-cow Douglas County dairy farm, Bred & Butter Dairy.

By 3 p.m., from November to March, five days a week, Sabolik meets with a far younger, less experienced team: a group of teenage boys. Sabolik oversees drills and talks plays and strategy on the hardcourt at West Central Area Secondary School in Barrett.

Sabolik owns the farm in addition to being an assistant boy’s basketball coach for the West Central Knights.

“It’s challenging because coaching takes a lot of time and so does dairying,” Sabolik said. “I have a really, really solid group of employees, and this wouldn’t be possible without them.”

Sabolik, who played high school basketball in the 1990s, was not looking to add more to his schedule, but when an opportunity presented itself, he could not say no.

“Our varsity coach decided to step away,” he said. “Our junior varsity coach had been coaching for the past 12 years and is a friend of mine. I encouraged him to take the (head coaching) position, and he did. I told him I will play whatever role to be helpful for this program. He called me and asked me to coach ninth grade.”

Sabolik’s twin sons, Jack and Ben, can be seen playing for the Knights. Ben plays for his dad on the C-squad team and also plays on the junior varsity team and Jack plays on the varsity team which his dad also assists with.

“They are my kids at the end of the day,” Sabolik said. “I am going to hold them to a very high standard because that is the way we are wired. You want your kids to learn all these values to be upstanding citizens that value honesty, integrity and hard work.”

Ever since his sons started Saturday morning drills in third grade, Sabolik has been coaching on the sidelines.

“It is really healthy for the family life,” Sabolik said. “You don’t have all the memories they have of you from the barn and working yourself to death. Those outside-the-farm, unique memories are the ones your kids will remember. I really enjoy coaching my kids, but I also want to help my community. This year has been very rewarding.”

The winter season is long, and traveling on cold, bitter days has its challenges, Sabolik said. But, the rewards are far greater. Sabolik has fond memories that will last a lifetime. Just last year, Jack and Ben sunk buzzer beaters at a tournament in Fargo, North Dakota.

“It was a team effort, but it was pretty special to see my kids have success from the values I taught them,” Sabolik said. “There is a special group of boys here. They are good kids that work. They are like my own kids because I spend so much time with them.”

On practice days, Sabolik arrives home around 6 p.m. On game days, he arrives much later and has a hard time leaving the basketball thoughts on the court.

“I am wound pretty tight from the game, and I have to be up by 5 or 6 a.m. and have to get everything done by 2:30 p.m. so I can leave again,” Sabolik said. “There is no better hobby than helping young men and women become stronger individuals with a passion for a game that I love. It teaches you a lot about life.”

In a typical season, the team plays around 30 games.

“At the varsity level, I never realized how much time coaches put into it between game plans, watching film and practice plans,” he said. “They are dedicated to it. It’s astonishing. It’s a whole new animal with the intensity and time commitment.”

Sabolik started coaching elementary teams more than 20 years ago. When his sons came through the program, he progressed with them as they grew.

Although the days are full and long, Sabolik hopes he can leave an impression on the players he has an opportunity to work with.

“There is nothing better than to see these young men put into action what we are trying to teach them,” Sabolik said. “We all have that one teacher or coach when we were in high school that really made a difference in our lives. If you can come close to being that person for just a few kids, there is nothing better than that.”

Sabolik said he is grateful to his parents, who set an example for him.

“I have been blessed,” he said. “I had great teachers and coaches. It is human nature to try and pay that forward.”