Exceptional basketball coach continues to impact local youth

My son transferred to Larchmont Charter School in September. He’s an eighth grader and loves basketball. When we were considering the move, my wife researched the school’s academics and teachers. She toured the Selma campus and reached out to parents whose kids were already enrolled there. She was thorough because that’s the kind of mother she is.

I knew of Larchmont’s exceptional basketball coach, Keith Harris, before we ever considered moving our son there. I had never met the man, though friends whose boys he had coached praised his coaching style and temperament. The school looked attractive with him coaching there. My wife didn’t have to work too hard to convince me that Larchmont was a great fit. That’s the kind of dad I am.

Player

Keith Harris calls Larchmont Charter School - Selma his home at the moment, but his ties reach beyond Greater Los Angeles youth basketball. Harris was raised in Houston, Texas. His first basket and backboard was a wooden apple crate nailed to a tree. He attended North Shore High School where he played basketball, and he was good enough to receive several

Youth Sports

by Jim Kalin

athletic scholarship offers, including one from Texas State.

“It was a moment that meant the world to me,” said Harris in an interview with German Hoops. “I intended to be the best I could in those four years.”

And was he ever! Harris attended Oklahoma Christian University, a private college in Oklahoma City. While there, he helped lead the Eagles to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) tournament. The Eagles ended the season 22-11 that year and were ranked No. 27 in the country. Harris received NAIA All-American Honorable Mention. He is No. 11 on Oklahoma Christian University’s career leading scorer list with 1700 points (the Eagles’ basketball stats go back to 1960), and scored over 500 points two seasons in a row.

After graduating, Harris played professional basketball in Europe for the German Regionalliga team Schwelm. He was there a year, then decided to head to Los Angeles and Hollywood, where the now actor-producer-director has a decent resume on IMDb. In Tinseltown, he goes by EK Harris.

Coach

“He’s the best coach my kid has ever had,” said every parent I talked to about Keith Harris the basketball coach.

Harris now is the athletic director and boys’ basketball coach at Larchmont Charter. Both teams, grades five and six and grades seven and eight, were league champs this year. He also teaches a boys’ leadership class that does voluntary community service. His boys held a toy drive in December with a goal of collecting 600 toys for underprivileged children.

Renown for Harris goes beyond Larchmont Charter School. Pre-COVID-19, he and Mike O’Malley formed a basketball travel team called the Hollywood Celtics that ventured to the Valley and Westside to take on other squads. O’Malley’s sons Seamus and Declan played on the team.

“It’s pretty cool for the kids

Oakwood School

By Scarlett Saldaña 12th Grade

Last month, I had an exciting time presenting at the Committee on the Status of Women at the United Nations in New York. Oakwood’s Immersion program, in which students explore specific interests and unfamiliar topics outside of usual classroom boundaries, gave me the opportunity to be one of the Ambassadors for The to be able to watch their coach dunk,” said Scott Hanna about Harris. Hanna’s son Michael also played on the travel team.

Abel Luna runs the SBBA (St. Brendan Basketball Association). “Keith approaches coaching from the right perspective and is not about winning at all costs,” said Luna.

John Duchesneau was having a rough year on St. Brendan School’s JV basketball team.

Pad Project (TPP), an organization that strives to end period stigma and empower all menstruators.

Our group spoke about the creation of TPP and screened “Long Line of Ladies,” TPP’s new film project. It was such a rewarding experience. I not only helped lead the event at the UN, but also learned more about worldwide organizations applying digital

ST. BRENDAN

By Jack Byrne

8th Grade

St. Brendan had a great month of March. The 8th graders were accepted into their high schools of choice including Immaculate Heart, Loyola, Notre Dame, Providence, John Bosco Tech, St. Francis and Harvard Westlake. One hundred percent of the boys that applied to Loyola were accepted.

St. Brendan also held the

Most of his friends were on the varsity squad. After one game, Harris approached John to tell him how great he played.

“It meant so much to John,” said Jamie Duchesneau, John’s mother.

Perhaps Henry Hoegee sums up Harris best. Hoegee also played on the travel team.

“Coach Keith’s passion for basketball inspires me.” advocacy to their programs. At the end of April, Oakwood High School will host Just Art/Glove Affair, an event that spreads awareness on HIV/AIDS, and showcases student art — mostly focused on social justice issues. While it’s displayed as a dance party and art exhibition, it’s incredibly educational and addresses necessary topics that aren’t commonly discussed.

Isn’t that what the best coaches do?

Penny War in the last week of March. This has been a tradition at St. Brendan for many years and is a lot of fun. The Penny War raises money for Friendly Manor, a women’s shelter in Oakland, California.

Finally, St. Patrick’s Day was celebrated and there were exciting events surrounding it. The kindergarteners made contraptions out of simple machines and placed them in classrooms to catch leprechauns. Unfortunately none were caught, but everyone got to dress in green and white and attended the St. Patrick’s Day dance. Thank you for reading about St. Brendan.

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