I began my basketball journey in the Redoubt Elementary school gym on Sunday afternoons after church when my Dad taught me how to shoot. He would coach me up, rebound for a while and then leave me alone while he went to his classroom to prepare

for his teaching week. The way that I saw my Dad and Mom go about life, treating others really well, working hard, togetherness, loving Jesus and having fun is what ultimately laid the foundation for my opportunities to serve as a coach. My playing days began at Nikiski Elementary in an intramural program from which the school team was selected to play a game schedule vs. other elementary schools. This was my first experience with competitive basketball. I began connecting the idea that I could practice my skills alone in the gym or play together with a few friends and then go out and score on guys who were trying to stop me. I was hooked! The more I played the more I liked it. I liked playing defense, I loved playing with my friends, I loved shooting, I loved being coached, and I loved competing and learning about the game.
My high school playing days were shaped by my coach and mentors Lee Moore and
Ward Romans. These two men built right onto the foundation my parents and family laid. Lee taught and trained me every day that a great player is a master of the fundamentals first and that there is no substitute for hard work and repetition. Even more than that he taught me how to compete with class. Having a bad attitude or mistreating anyone in or around the game was simply not tolerated. Being classy and respectful was the way you were going to be, period. I have never seen anyone except my Dad consistently model this at a higher level. Coach Moore was and still is a man of integrity and he had a profound impact in sowing that into my heart.

Coach Romans reinforced and modeled the same values that Lee and my Dad were
about, but he also taught me about the relentless pursuit of excellence. His Nikiski girls
basketball era speaks for itself when it comes to that. He is an Alaska Coaching legend
that I respect, but his value to me goes much deeper into his years being a best friend
to my Dad, his investment in me as a player in high school, mentoring me as a coach
and becoming a dear friend as we led the boys and girls programs together at Nikiski
through some very special years.
It was during that time that I got to witness Ward's relationship with Roger Steinbrecher
as they cultivated a friendship and rivalry. The Nikiski-Seward girls basketball rivalry
was one of the best and most healthy I have seen in our state's history, and it is directly
due to Ward and Roger's integrity, the quality of their relationship and the excellence
they demanded. They coached some very good players over the years, which made for
some exciting basketball, but it was the way they treated one another, the respect they
afforded one another and the genuine friendship they built that made it truly special.
At this point, I would be remiss if I didn't mention two other influential coaches in my
life. The first is Coach Chuck Martin, the then Houston boys coach. He provided my first
opportunity to compete against the very best guys in Alaska and some of the best in the
country as well. Nikiski and Houston had some good battles back then including what
Coach Martin dubbed, "The Nightmare at Nikiski", which in my mind was really
basketball poetry by Lee Moore and his players on a special night in Nikiski, but you can
ask Chuck about that! :-) Coach Martin, I am very grateful for you and our relationship.
The second is my coach at Northwest Nazarene University, Ed Weidenbach. I learned
even more about basketball and a level of hard work that took me to the next level as a
player and more importantly as a man. I got to experience a lot of winning at a high level
and what it takes to win. He heavily influenced me as a player, a man and especially as
a coach and I am grateful for him. It has been a privilege to coach Nikiski Boys Basketball since 1997.

After my college playing days ended, I was blessed to coach with Lee Moore for my first two seasons
before he handed me the reins. I am so grateful for all of the players I have coached
over the years, the coaches whom I have worked with and the gracious families in
Nikiski who have entrusted me with their sons. Basketball will come and go, but the relationships we build along

the way and the changes that we make to become better people is where the real value lies in what we
do. That's what Roger Steinbrecher was about and that is why I am proud and humbled
to be a recipient of his award.

Michael Matthews is currently retired from a career of educating and
coaching. Matthews graduated from Baker High school in Baker City
Oregon, went on to earn a degree in biology and pre-med from Seattle Pacific
University, his teaching cert was through University of Alaska Fairbanks and
his masters degree in Educational Administration from National University in
La Jolla, California. Math and science disciplines were the primary teaching
assignments but employment in rural Alaska requires flexibility so he taught
nearly every subject inside and outside of the curriculum. Cooking classes
to budgeting, Eastern hemisphere to trigonometry, anatomy and physiology
to pre-calculus, almost everything under the sun. The coaching career that
Matthews was involved in focused on the basketball realm, but included native
youth Olympics as well as track and field.

Matthews is a servant and follower of Jesus Christ whom coach Matthews seeks to glorify God in everything he does. Mike is a blessed husband to the incredible love of his life Beth Valentine. They will be celebrating 36 years of marriage this coming September. Matthews is a thankful father of four amazing adult children Teslin 32, Paxson 31, Dawson 26 and Ruby 24. He was able to experience raising them all in Talkeetna where he had the opportunity to teach them in high school, math and science classes, as well as coach them in their basketball careers at Susitna Valley. The boys are engineers, both civil and biomedical and the girls are involved with business and social work. Matthews and his bride, Beth, continue to reside in Talkeetna, Alaska. Since retiring they’ve been blessed to be able to incorporate a great deal of travel
experiences. Most recently they have kept warm this winter during the 40 below temperatures by being in Mexico, and on the coast of the Sea of Cortez. This April they will be traveling together to Africa where Mike will be pursuing
a few of his passions including experiences in nature and the creation. The safari adventure will include hunting both Cape Buffalo and leopard in the country of Zimbabwe.

Mike’s career recap includes 30 years as a math and science middle and high school teacher, coaching
middle school and high school basketball for 30 years. Those years began with coaching the boys basketball team
in Sandpoint, Alaska. It led into moving to the Talkeetna area where he coached girls and boys middle school
basketball team. The progression led him into head coach for the boys JV and varsity at Su Valley Jr/Sr High School.
He has countless blessings of his career, but the richest rewards were building lifelong relationships with teaching
and coaching colleagues and being involved in young people’s lives to mentor and encourage them into becoming
loving, healthy, thankful, hardworking and and productive men and women.

Highlights:

• 1990-present 33 years as the head coach in Petersburg

• 2007 3A state championship
• 2008 3A/4A crossover championship over Juneau Douglas
• 2017 2A state championship
• 9 Region V conferences championships

Rick Brock has been a head basketball coach in Alaska for the past 33 years. Rick’s impact can
most certainly be felt in the town of Petersburg, where many of those who played for Rick still
reside and chosen to make a life. However, Rick is the rare coach who has left a lasting impact
on those who love the game of basketball, throughout Alaska. Rick’s teams can always be
counted on to play hard, and with great respect for their opponent and the game of basketball.
Rick is known as not just a dedicated coach and basketball mind, but perhaps more importantly,
as someone who can always be trusted to do what is right. His strong ethics and moral
character have been evident to anyone who has been blessed to grace the sideline during a
game, or simply talk to Rick during a summer camp. Rick’s impact as coach will be felt long
after he stops coaching through the high standards and expectations he maintained, providing
a road map to integrity for generations to come.
While Petersburg, Alaska has been directly impacted by Rick and his leadership, all of Alaska
owes Rick a debt of gratitude for the impact he has had on the game we love. When Rick steps
down, he will do so knowing he left basketball in Alaska better than he found it.

Awards 

• 2007 3A Coach of the Year

• 2017 2A Coach of the Year

• 2021 2A Coach of the Year

• 2023 Roger Steinbrecher Integrity Award Winner