BOTHELL — Bobby Hinnenkamp has had to make a few adjustments in the past few months.
Fortunately for Hinnenkamp, his commute wasn’t one of them.
Hinnenkamp, a 2002 Lynnwood High School graduate who spent the past two seasons as a varsity assistant for the Royals’ highly successful girls basketball team, switched to the boys side this summer to take over a program that won only one game last season and just nine over the past four years combined.
Becoming the head man has been an adjustment for Hinnenkamp, who’s also coached teams at Meadowdale (freshman) and Skyline (JV) high schools.
“It’s quite a bit different,” Hinnenkamp said. “But once you get on the court, it’s all the same. To me, I’d say the big adjustment has been all of the administrative stuff: all the paperwork, the clearance forms, just coordinating the practice times and who’s going to go when. Once you get on the court though, I love it. You just get right back in that zone and everything is good.”
While it meant losing a key member of his staff, no one was more supportive of Hinnenkamp’s career move than Lynnwood girls coach Everett Edwards.
“I hated to see him go,” said Edwards, who talks with Hinnenkamp almost daily. “He is great with the Xs and Os. … But if we were to lose him, what a great thing to lose him to the Lynnwood boys program. That’s much better than having him go to a rival school. When I heard he was interested in the position, I was the first one advocating for him.”
Edwards said Hinnenkamp was the obvious choice to replace former coach Michael Richards, who resigned after three years.
“He’s a very personable guy and has a way of explaining things to where it makes sense,” Edwards said of Hinnenkamp. “Having him be a counselor, where he’s on campus, is something that the Lynnwood boys haven’t had for a very, very, very long time. It’s good for him to be there to address challenges or concerns.”
Along with being a counselor at the school, Hinnenkamp is a Lynnwood alum, something he takes considerable pride in.
“I feel like you take a little bit more pride in what you’re doing here,” he said. “It’s kind of fun to be in here and to be talking to these kids about the teachers they have that I’ve had. When they’re talking local places around here, it’s a nice way to connect.”
Hinnenkamp has tried to model himself after Edwards, who has led the Royals girls to unprecedented success — including a 3A state championship last season — since taking over in 2009.
“Coach Edwards is a phenomenal coach. He does everything right,” Hinnenkamp said. “He’s been a great person that I look up to as a coach. … Everything he does has a purpose and that’s something I’ve tried to echo with our team.”
The early results have been promising for Hinnenkamp. The Royals already have two wins this season — doubling last year’s total — and have battled late in a pair of close losses.
“I can’t say enough good things about the players that we have,” Hinnenkamp said. “They want to learn. Our biggest message as a coaching staff to these kids is just ‘If you can come out and you work hard every day in practice and come out and compete for 32 minutes (in a game) that’s all we ask.’”
Junior post Eli Edwards, the son of Everett Edwards, said Hinnenkamp has been a welcome addition to the boys’ program.
“I think he inspires us all,” Eli Edwards said. “With him being a counselor, he knows the ins and outs of the mind. He helps get us inspired and focused. He’s been amazing to have so far. We’re just a lot more excited this year. We’re pumped. He’s really got us ready for league play. He wants us focused for everything and better prepared.”
After posting records of 1-19, 4-16, 2-18 and 2-18 the previous four seasons, the Royals needed a confidence boost. They got it from their play over the summer.
“We had a couple summer tournaments and we did really well in them,” senior post Tanner Mack said. “I think we lost four total and we won 10 or 11. I think that helped with our confidence, knowing we can score the basketball as well as play defense. Coming from a 1-19 season — not winning so much — seeing that we could win, that really helped us be motivated and excited for this year.”
The Lynnwood players — echoing their coach — say the key to their success comes on the defensive end of the ball. The Royals (0-2 in league, 2-5 overall) have allowed an average of 54 points per game in their two Wesco 3A South contests, which ranks just behind Mountlake Terrace (52) and Shorecrest (53).
Those two teams currently stand atop the league standings with 2-0 conference records.
“We have a lot of great athletes on this team,” Hinnenkamp said. “One of the first things I did when I got to know them in July was (ask them), ‘What are your strengths and what do you like?’ And this was the first time I’d ever heard 75 percent of the team say, ‘Defense, coach. I just want to play defense.’ We don’t have a lot of size but, man, with the quickness and how tenacious these kids are on defense, they really relish the chance to stop somebody.”
Said Mack: “I think it’s a big change from last year. Defensively, we’re a higher tempo than last year.”
The Royals’ goal this season is to capture one of the Wesco 3A South’s four playoff spots.
“It’s his senior year,” Eli Edwards said, nodding toward Mack. “We’ve got to get him to the playoffs for the first time. And for all of us, it’d be our first time going to districts.
“That’d be a pretty cool opportunity.”
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