Monday profile: Jim Moore

Order on the court

For six months of every year, basketball is Jim Moore's life.

It begins in September. Right about the time school starts, the Rotary Noon Club opens registration for girls basketball. Players in third, fourth, fifth and sixth grades are eligible.

Moore's job is to make teams out of those applications. Because between 800 and 1,000 children register for the girls' and boys' seasons, that task is too big for one man. Bruce Nikunen, Moore's longtime friend and fellow basketball director, handles the third- and fourth-graders, while Moore tackles the fifth- and sixth-grade teams.

Boys registration in December is rarely as chaotic as the girls, Moore said, because the girls' date coincides with the beginning of school. He's simply come to expect late registrations.

"I have literally, when registration and team organization was supposed to be completed, have had to start over to create two additional teams," he said with a laugh.

The basketball committee has toyed with the idea of having a fixed deadline, but Moore hopes this never happens.

"I take tremendous pride in the fact that we have never turned a child away from this program," he said.

That's an impressive run, considering Moore has been involved for more than 16 years. He, Nikunen and Rotarian Greg Carson spearheaded the program for years, calling themselves the Three Musketeers, until another Rotarian, Scott Williams, became their D'Artagnan in 1998.

In "real life," Moore is a Kalispell attorney. It's his dedication to children's athletics that has given him his reputation, though.

"It seems like as long as I've ever heard of Jim and known Jim, he's been really involved in youth sports," Carson said.

Even before Moore became involved with Rotary basketball, he was organizing children's athletic events. The catalyst came when he took a group of young runners to the Governor's Cup in Helena.

The race wasn't organized with youths in mind, he said. The T-shirt every participant received was more like a nightshirt on a child. Award ceremonies didn't happen right away, which didn't satisfy a child's need for quick gratification.

Yet running was perfect for youths, Moore thought. It didn't require any special equipment. Any child could go out and run.

"It's like the ultimate cross-training adventure for kids," he said.

So in 1985, he and longtime Kalispell swim coach Paul Stelter organized Montana's Youth Classic, a race designed specifically with children in mind.

That didn't lessen the event's quality, Moore said. They wanted it to be as first-class and well-run as the Boston Marathon.

He and Stelter calibrated the courses so that if a child broke a record, it would be valid anywhere. They provided water stations, fresh fruit and goodies at the finish line. Each runner got a child-sized long-sleeved T-shirt.

Most importantly, every child who finished got an award. A ceremony was held almost immediately afterward so each youth could be recognized.

They also promoted the event. Moore and Stelter visited schools across western Montana and held in-school assemblies.

"That's how you really get the kids pumped up," he said. "Anything you can do nose-to-nose with the kids is good."

Nearly 400 children ran that year.

"It was the biggest event in Kalispell in 1985," Moore said.

Not long after, Moore and Stelter found out the race was the only event of its kind in the nation. They changed the name to America's Youth Classic, and in 1986 children from 28 states and provinces showed up.

The race occurred each year until finally, after 1989's event, Moore knew it had grown beyond him.

"The problem was it just got to be huge," he said.

The program really needed national sponsors, he said, instead of relying on local financial support. So the youth classic was retired.

It wasn't Moore's only children's running program, though. He also developed an in-school program, much to the delight of Flathead High School cross-country coach Paul Jorgensen.

"He was the real beneficiary of the in-school program," Moore said with a grin.

At one point, 22,500 children in western Montana were participating in the in-school program, Moore said.

But running wasn't Moore's only passion. He also coached soccer and basketball.

Part of the reason for his involvement was his own children. His three daughters were all athletes, Moore said. But even after his girls moved on, Moore continued coaching.

"Most parents that coach until their kids graduate," he said. "But I've found it almost easier and more fun to coach kids that aren't my own."

Coaching for Moore involves more than just teaching skills, though that's important. The first commandment in the Rotary Basketball Coach's Handbook says thou shalt teach fundamentals. "We encourage coaches to teach fundamentals as opposed to razzle-dazzle plays," Moore said.

Fundamentals include passing, shooting and dribbling. However, at a more basic level, teaching fundamentals might also mean introducing children to the lines on the court or explaining the difference between offense and defense.

Even more important than the basics, though, is commandment No. 4: Thou shalt teach good sportsmanship, good teamsmanship and good character.

"Their No. 1 job is to enhance the character of each of the kids they get in their groups, and to empower them and make them unafraid to take risks," Moore said. "Each child has to matter. If you're coaching a team with 10 kids, the 10th child has to be as important as the first child."

This means the team is more important than the score. Usually the players have no problem with this, Moore said. It's the parents and coaches who get overly competitive.

When that happens, Moore steps in.

"We call him the counselor," Williams laughed. "Well, he is an attorney. He does a lot of our discussions."

"Discussions" include dealing with those parents and coaches who have problems with the program, Williams explained.

"We all deal with the angry parents and coaches and stuff, but Jim gives us the perspective of his number of years in the law profession," he said.

"He's good at handling situations that could get ugly," Carson agreed.

Sometimes coaches get too competitive, he said, especially at the sixth-grade level. Moore is a good, calming influence, Carson said. He talks to coaches and makes sure each child is getting equal playing time, one of the hallmarks of Rotary basketball.

"We've recently considered having a rule change and getting rid of that," Carson said. "Jim lobbied against that. He is so into being what's fair for the kids, or what's best for the kids or what's right for the kids. He's not about winning."

Moore believes playing time is absolutely what's best for the youths, Carson said.

"You can't get any better sitting on the bench," he said.

Moore thinks it's about more than skill improvement, though.

"Working with young people, to me, the ultimate goal is empowerment," he said, "to empower the child to take new risks, to try new things, to press the edge of what each child is capable of doing."

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.