The boys basketball community at Champlin Park High School got together recently to say goodbye to head coach Ryan Laager and welcome new coach Mark Tuchscherer.

Mavericks Wood Grill in Champlin sponsored an open house on behalf of the newly formed Champlin Park Boys Hoops Basketball Booster Club.

More than 100 former and future players, parents and community members gathered to meet the coach. The booster club had not been active the past few years.

  "It was great to see so many local business owners and community members stand in support to help strengthen the Champlin Park program," said Bill Freeman, parent of the lone returning senior Pat Freeman.

"We are very excited about the partnerships we are creating that will promote boys basketball at Champlin Park High School," said Jane Hager, booster club board member.

It is the goal of the booster club to join in partnership with players, staff, parents and the business community to increase attendance and enthusiasm at the games.

Along with the booster club, Tuchscherer will have another advantage as he starts his new job. He will know what is going on after serving as an assistant coach at Champlin Park the past three years.

Tuchscherer only started coaching three years ago when a mutual friend told Laager that Tuchscherer was interested in coaching. They had known each other when Laager grew up in Little Falls and Tuchscherer in Brainerd.

After earning All-Conference and All-State Academic honors in basketball in Brainerd, Tuchscherer went on to start on the Concordia College basketball team where he was a leading scorer.

After college he left sports to work in the business world.

"After three years I realized how much I missed working with student athletes and got hungry for it again," Tuchscherer said. "When working as an assistant coach I got my Masters degree in education from the University of Minnesota."

Tuchscherer was offered a teaching job at the high school, specializing in business management.

Much of the team's strategy will remain the same, with the new coach adding some of his own touches along the way.

"Defense still comes first," Tuchscherer said. "We will run when we can and slow it down when needed. We will be very inexperienced on varsity next year with one senior starter back. We do have a lot of young talent coming up."

Varsity players will compete in five summer tournaments. Tuchscherer said working with players in the summer would make for a good "jump start" to the season.

The assistant coaches are Matt Ulmer and Lance Dalbey, both with prior coaching experience at Champlin Park.

For more information about the boys basketball program at Champlin Park call Denise Dittrich (763-323-1278) or visit www.CPRebelsBasketball.com.