The Midland School’s basketball program isn’t like any of the other programs around the area.
That’s because Midland is unlike any other school around.
Founded in 1932 by Harvard graduate Paul Squibb, Midland is tucked away in the Los Padres National Forest near
Los Olivos. Squibb believed the
location was the perfect place to create a boarding school where students could learn the value of hard work and resourcefulness.
That tradition carries on today where students are self-reliant on many of the necessities that other kids their age may take for granted.
Some of the members of the boys basketball team may run a minute or two late for practice when they are tending to these essentials.
“We have an interesting aspect in the program,” head basketball coach Tom Rogowski says. For example “the kids have to build a wood fire to heat the boiler to run the hot water. Sometimes a player will say ‘I was late to practice because I had to start my fire to heat my water’ — it’s a little different concept.”
This kind of character-defining walk of life has been paying off on the Midland basketball court as the Oaks started out the season on a seven-game winning streak, earning a fourth-place CIF Southern Section Division 6A ranking. Even though the Oaks lost consecutive games to Laguna Blanca and Besant Hill on Jan. 12 and 14, they can still finish the season with a solid ranking and a Condor League title.
More impressive is the fact the Oaks didn’t even have a basketball team a couple of years ago.
“We resurrected the program here five or six years ago,” Rogowski said. “We took a real good look at our programs; we only have 40 to 45 boys in the entire school. We had too many sports in one season so the talent was too spread out — we had a lot of mediocre of teams.”
The 61-year-old Rogowski, who is also the athletic director and business manager of the school, had to bring back the sport he has been coaching and playing for most of his life.
“I needed my fix,” Rogowski said.
Well, the way the team is playing so far he is sure to be getting his fill.
Another fascinating aspect to Midland athletics is that all students are required to play two sports per academic year, meaning that some on the basketball team have never played the sport before.
“Athletics is part of the curriculum — a sound body is a sound mind,” Rogowski said. “So kids that have never played the sport before get the opportunity to play. It’s fun to see a kid accept a new challenge and watch that kid grow into a basketball player.”
One of the primary players the Oaks have been relying on to win their games (often against much larger schools) is
5-8 senior guard Evan Kidd. Kidd is
averaging over 16 points per game and is Rogowski’s leader on the floor.
“(Evan) is a great kid, he has a real hard work ethic, he plays his heart out — he gives 110 percent every time he steps out there,” Rogowski said.
Kidd especially displayed his leadership skills in back-to-back wins over rival Dunn and Providence Hall, as he poured in a combined 54 points.
Another leader of the Oaks is foreign transfer-student Shue Lau, who also averages 16 points per contest. Rogowski says there are nearly a dozen foreign students attending Midland, adding to the multicultural aspect of the sports teams.
Another unique facet of Midland basketball is the gym. The games are played in a three-sided barn, creating an old-school close to nature basketball atmosphere. Midland has to remind fans of opposing teams to bring extra blankets because it gets a little chilly during the later parts of the game.
Maybe if the basketball program continues to improve they can put up that fourth wall. Then even if the Oaks don’t make their opponents comfortable on the court at least the spectators can be cozy.
The Oaks’ season continues with a tough game against the Condor League-leading Thacher Toads on Saturday, Jan 22.
