JCS welcomes three new coaches - One IWU student

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By KAREN HULSE
karen.hulse@scripps.com
October 8, 2006

As Jupiter Christian gets ready to begin its winter sports season, Administrative Assistant to Athletics Nancy Loud said she is excited to welcome three coaches to the roster.

Jonathon Iverson will become varsity boys soccer coach, Gabe Tudor will be varsity girls basketball coach and Tim Holland will be the varsity boys basketball coach.

Before attending Liberty University to earn a degree in sports management, Holland was a student at Jupiter Christian and played on the school's varsity basketball team. In college, he was involved with the basketball team, and had the opportunity to help with coaching the team. He also worked as a manager with the men's NCAA Division 1 team.

"When I worked with the college program, I got the bug for teaching," he said. "I'm very excited to be back here."

Holland is dean of students at Community Christian School in Stuart. While this is his first year coaching for Jupiter Christian, Holland has five years of experience to help make the team strong, he said.

"We have some very quality programs in our district," said Holland, referring to other teams Jupiter Christian will play this season. "We have our work cut out for us."

Tudor, as junior and senior high history teacher and girls varsity coach, said he is thrilled to be a part of Jupiter Christian.

Before attending Indiana Wesleyan University and getting a degree in social studies education, Tudor said he played basketball in high school. "We were state runners up," he added.

Tudor isn't new to the coaching scene.

"I've been involved in varsity coaching before," he said. "I'm excited for the challenge."

While many players are returning, Tudor said a challenge for the team will be for the girls to find their place on the team — after the loss of "one of our big team players last year."

He said the team will have "a challenge of gaining an identity of who we are in terms of what is our goal, and what our roles are."

While Tudor loves working in the classroom, he is excited for the experience to coach as well.

"I love coaching — it's different than teaching," he said. "If you get the chance to build a team chemistry, that can go with you a long way."

As basketball season gets under way, Tudor said that he and his wife, Rachel, who will be an assistant coach, hope to get the girls pumped up for the season. "We're trying to get the girls to come out and play," he said.

Also new to the school's athletics is Iverson, who will be a secondary Bible teacher, besides coaching boys varsity soccer.

Growing up, Iverson played varsity soccer in high school before going to Clearwater Christian College to get his bachelor's degree, followed by a master's degree at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Last year, he taught at Community Christian.

Iverson said he loves teaching at Jupiter Christian and is enthusiastic about coaching as well. "I love soccer," he said.

On a team consisting of mostly sophomores and juniors, Iverson's challenge this year will be tough because they lack experience and they finished 2-12 last season.

"The ones that are playing are real discouraged after losing last year," he said. "I want to change it and give them the mentality to focus on their strengths instead of their weaknesses."