Kevin Barona’s the new kid on the block.
While it may be his first year as the Pine Forest boys basketball coach − having been hired in April to replace Ty McCants −Barona is already trying to get more involved in the community.
Moving from Texas, Barona has only been in Northwest Florida for just a couple months. He was most recently an assistant coach at Mansfield Summit High School in Arlington, and was part of the Class 5A Division 2 state championship squad this past winter.
And just a few weeks before school begins, Barona hosted the inaugural The Eagle’s Nest Boys Basketball Camp at Ann Caro Suarez Gymnasium at Pine Forest High.
Barona had participants from ages 9-14 on July 28-29, taking part in drills and other small competitions. He, along with a couple of his players and assistant coaches, were the instructors for the two-day camp.
“Coming to a new community, I don’t know anyone. I really just wanted to get out here and start meeting people,” Barona said after the conclusion of the second day. “It was a great way to meet some parents, meet some of the kids.”
Hosting a camp was nothing new for Barona, who did it every summer that he was a coach in Texas with Mansfield Summit. Not only did the camp provide a small fundraiser for the basketball program, but it also allowed the Eagles to give back to their community.
Plus, he had a couple of his players for the upcoming season as instructors, which gave the new head coach an opportunity to see their leadership. It also helps potentially institute a new culture that Barona is trying to promote.
“I’ve always believed that if you can teach (leadership), you can learn it as well. It sets in and it’s natural after that,” Barona. “There’s the community service aspect to it as well. It was great for them to be a part of it.”
Pine Forest is coming off an 11-14 season after falling in controversial fashion during the District 1-5A semifinals to rival Booker T. Washington, ending the Eagles’ season. The loss snapped a run of three consecutive district crowns.
The Eagles graduated a couple top players, including Marlin Williams and Jackson Parker. Williams was a PNJ First Team All-Area selection. It’s possible that Pine Forest could have a couple key players back, however, for their senior season, including Micah Franklin and William Calderon, assuming there weren’t any offseason transfers.
But, for now, Barona is getting ready to start the season, making sure everybody is eligible to practice once the school year begins.
“I just want to start building those relationships as soon as possible,” Barona said. “I can’t wait.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Pine Forest’s new boys basketball coach Kevin Barona hosts camp to get more involved in community
Reporting by Ben Grieco, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
