“Come to work hard, everyday,” is the motto of the new girl’s basketball coach, Keith Wert.

   In high school, he attended Bishop Eustace, where he played basketball, but football was his main sport at the time. He went on to college to play football at Franklin and Marshall College, where he studied History and got certified to teach. He went on to teach for thirty years and is now retired.

   Last school year when Eastern asked for a new coach, Coach Wert signed up because “basketball was already taking up” his life, he would attend games, and he really missed coaching. “[He] saw an opportunity and took it.”  He was surprised when he was selected, because he hadn’t been involved in school for a very long time and he was retired.

   Before retirement, he coached boys basketball for about 10 years and girls basketball for about 20 years, so he has about 30 years of coaching experience.

   As of right now the team has a total of 18 players, but the separation between varsity and junior varsity has not been decided.

   In regards to improving the team, he hopes that it’s not just gauged in wins and losses, but by development and applying themselves to get better. “I hope they have a positive, enjoyable experience.”

   His twin daughters also played basketball in high school and then college. One of the twins, Shauna Wert, a personal trainer, is the Junior Varsity coach for the team. He assigned Megan Liberti and Jamie McGroarty, both gym teachers, to be the freshman coaches as they had been in the past few years. Coach McGroarty also assists with varsity. Lastly, Regina Bosworth, a guidance counselor, is the assistant coach.

   Before he began coaching, Caoch Wert played basketball two times a week, but now it’s down to once a week.

   So far for Coach Wert, Eastern is a “great place, [he] never realized how big it is, and there are exceptional facilities.”

   In his free time, Coach Wert cooks both indoors and on the grill. He also travels with his wife frequently. He spends lots of time with his two dogs.

   Wilt Chamberlain would be on his dream team. If he could have dinner with anybody, dead or alive, it would be President John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. because “they were two American leaders who show exactly what America is about.”

   Every practice, Coach Wert has a quote of the day up on the whiteboard in Gym One, because, “Hopefully, I am motivating somebody.”