Ben Schipper, the successful girls’ varsity basketball coach at Martin High School, has decided to call it quits after six seasons.
“Although it has been an incredibly difficult decision, I have decided to step down as the girls varsity head coach,” he posted on Facebook. “With two little ones at home and a third on the way, I desire to give my family more of my time.”
His reasons are the classic steeping aside to epnd more time with family.
“The last six years have been an absolutely amazing experience. It was my dream to coach varsity basketball at Martin, and it has been every bit of that and more,” he said. “It has been an honor to lead and serve the young women who gave so much time and effort to this program. The wins and trophies were fun, but the relationships and memories created by finding enjoyment in the process of improvement will forever be cherished.”
He thanked the community, the entire coaching staff and the student-athletes, who played excellent basketball for him
“Thank you to my own family for their unwavering support of my dream becoming a reality and thank you to my wife, who served as my ‘co-coach’ behind the scenes. I’m excited to continue supporting the program in new ways and hope to see you all in the stands this winter!”
Perhaps the Clippers’ best season under his guidance came in 2020, when his team’s campaign was suddenly canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Martin was preparing to meet another one-beaten foe in the Division 4 regional finals.
Schipper was an all-star catcher for the Clippers’ baseball team when he was a student-athlete for Martin.
