Thomas Wolfe never met Charles Givens Sr. The noted author's 1940 posthumously published book was titled "You Can't Go Home Again". Givens has proven to be an exception. He has gone back home for a second time. The longtime Perryville High boys basketball coach is entering his first season at the helm of his hometown school, Elkton. Givens coached a total of 40 years at Perryville, leaving for a six-year stint as an assistant principal at Elkton, before returning to Perryville to coach for four more campaigns. Now, he's back in Elkton. "There was an opening and I live in the community," Givens said. "It's a good opportunity to coach kids from an area that I know. Some people always see change as something they try to resist but I didn't resist change." A willingness to embrace change did not make it much easier. "It was a difficult decision," Givens said. "I still think about it now. Basically there are so many ties and relationships…I enjoyed my time at Perryville. I love Perryville. I love the community." Givens, who was a physical education teacher at Perryville High, won 410 games as coach of the Panthers. "It was time well spent as a teacher and a coach," he said. As much as he loves Perryville, Elkton has always been Givens' home. A lifelong resident, he was a basketball star at George Washington Carver High School, serves on the town board, and remains active in the community, especially at Wright's AME church. "You live in a place all your life," Givens said. "You get up and drive to another town and then you come back. Now, everything is right here for me." The Elkton High boys basketball team was involved in a couple highly-publicized incidents last season, including a brawl at Harford Tech. But discipline has been as much a hallmark of Givens' coaching career as on-court success. He has already earned the respect of the Elkton High staff, many of whom he worked with during his time as an administrator. "People who know me know I'm a no-nonsense person," he said. "Discipline has always been my forté. I'm known for having good teams who represent the school well." Prior to the start of practices, Givens met with the team to make his expectations clear. "Many have heard about the type of program I run," he said. "I met with the kids because they are new to me and I am new to them. I told them they need to follow the rules and the letter of the law. That's always been my expectations." Givens will try to maintain his focus on the game when he returns to Perryville on January 19 for a meeting with the Panthers and their new coach Chris Johnson, but acknowledges it will be an emotional experience. "I'll sit in a different part of the gym and go into a different locker room," he said. "But I look forward to seeing the kids and members of the community." All three of his assistant coaches also have strong Elkton ties. Charles Givens, Jr., who succeeded his father as head coach at Perryville when the elder Givens took the Elkton High administration post, played for the Golden Elks. The other members of the staff are Charles White and Howard "BJ" Brown. During practice last Friday morning, it was apparent Givens has not mellowed much, if at all. The energetic and occasionally cantankerous coach moved quickly around the gym floor, frequently halting drills to provide pointers. "I am enjoying it," he said. "I questioned my motivation but once I got on the court [for preseason practices], I saw my motivation is where it's always been. I haven't changed. Basketball hasn't changed. Just my location has changed." Comments are closed.
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