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There he coached\nfor two years before a job promotion pulled him away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a year away\nfrom the teams, Lowe found a way to clear his schedule, and according to him,\nwas asked back by \u201cpopular demand.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coming into the 2019-20\nseason, the Cotter boys\u2019 basketball program had not had a winning record in\ntheir division for the past ten years (MNBasketballHub.) Coach Lowe wasn\u2019t sure\nwhat he was getting when he held the first practice last fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey were freshmen when I was still there, so one or maybe two kids would come up for a half in a tournament and I\u2019d let them play a couple minutes,\u201d Lowe said. \u201cOther than that, I knew nothing about my team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The team rostered only three seniors, two of those injured, and a bunch of juniors and sophomores who hadn\u2019t seen solid minutes at the varsity level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Worse, the team had become used to losing. The narrative surrounding the Cotter boy\u2019s basketball program had dropped significantly since their championship runs of the 1980s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coach Lowe said he believes he can reinstate the powerhouse narrative of Cotter basketball. He knows it\u2019s going to be one step at a time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think a lot of kids don\u2019t get to their full potential because the mental side of it is holding them back,\u201d Lowe said. \u201cAll year I said, \u2018we have to come together as a team first, we can\u2019t bicker.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being able to play as a team helped the Ramblers secure two victories on the season, but there were many more successes being made throughout the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the first couple losses, Coach Lowe rallied his team , and promised improvement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFirst they came in hanging their heads, and I said, \u2018Hey, this is just the beginning. We are going to put time in the gym, and we are going to get better,\u2019\u201d Lowe said. \u201cWe have to believe that we are going to do that, we have to take these steps. Next thing you know, people are starting to shoot better, we had multiple people in the top 100 of Minnesota basketball, in all divisions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seeing the ball go through the hoop is definitely a confidence booster, but Lowe said he knew that was the beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe next hump was knowing what it was like to maintain a lead or be able to stay in the game,\u201d Lowe said. \u201cWe did get the one win against Coulee-Christian, but that is the one we were expecting to win.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Thinking of the progress as a step by step solution sounds like a simple task. It is not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou have to go through the trials and tribulations. Otherwise you have no idea what you are doing out there,\u201d Lowe said. \u201cThey could have easily just said, \u2018this blows, I don\u2019t want to be here.\u2019 But man, they just kept with it and I was very proud of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having a good relationship with the players is a must for Lowe. With team and individual meetings, he has a chance to talk with each player and know what\u2019s going on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ryan Todd has been around the Cotter boys\u2019 basketball program for a few years as the junior varsity coach and has noticed the changing narrative of the varsity program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not so much winning and losing games,\u201d Todd said. \u201cSeeing their skills improve, and getting comfortable on the floor I think helps them buy in. It\u2019s night and day how much better we are from the first practice.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watching the final game of the season, the progress and effort can be seen by anyone in the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Down 43-4 to start the game, frustration was running high as, \u201coh my god, we’re bad,\u201d was muttered on the bench during a stretch of turnovers by one of the players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coach Lowe called a timeout and brought his team back together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ensuing five minutes was like watching a completely different team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Plays were being executed, shots were falling, defensive stops were being made, and next thing they knew, they went on a 14-4 run against the number one team in the section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coach Lowe called another time out and brought his players in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the huddle you could hear Coach Lowe yelling, \u201cthis is how it is, this is how it could be!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The game did end 95-42, but the second half was much closer than the first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s amazing how far we came, especially in a section like ours. It was so easy to give up, but we kept stepping forward,\u201d Lowe said. \u201cThey made such a big jump this year, it was amazing, I\u2019m very happy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Links<\/p>\n\n\n\n https:\/\/www.mnbasketballhub.com\/standings\/show\/5372012?subseason=651301<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The game clock dwindles down to the final seconds as the players shake each other\u2019s hands. Adding the polite comment of, \u201cgood game\u201d or, \u201cway to shoot the rock.\u201d The buzzer sounds. It\u2019s 95-42. The Winona Cotter boys\u2019 basketball team has been eliminated, ending their season with a record of 2 wins, 24 losses. For … Continue reading Restoring Culture at Cotter<\/span> ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/educate.winona.edu\/winona360\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2020\/04\/Wallert-article3-image2-scaled-e1586986046879-768x1024.jpg\")