AMERICUS — The summer is a busy time for college basketball coaches. They are on the road traveling trying to find their next phenom as well as building their team to be competitive in their conference.

At South Georgia Technical College, you have Steven Wright and Brandan Harrell leading the men’s and women’s basketball programs.

Wright has been with the Jets eight years, and he just finished his third season as the head man, leading SGTC to its first-ever national tournament this season. The Jets finished 28-8, won the GJCAA championship and finished with a national ranking.

Harrell has led the Lady Jets the past four seasons, which included a conference runner-up in 2007-08 and the school’s best record. Harrell has been with the college since 1999, however, as the Director of Campus Life.

He is charge of all the student activities, clubs and organizations, including Skills USA and Phi Beta Lambda, two of the college’s bigger clubs. He also runs the entire intramural sports program.

Wright is the Business and Industry Services Specialist. He is a certified instructor for two different areas, he has completed Leadership Sumter, and he presents various specialized economic development programs to civic organizations and manufacturing groups among other things.

Wright is also an ordained deacon at Central Baptist Church, head of Children’s Sunday School and the Sunday School Director.

While they participate in different departments and coach different teammates, they have one thing in common: They want to build their players into stronger men and women.

Wright likes to use the word “toughness.” He stresses hard work because the game of basketball deals with a lot of things and not just the physical. Wright knows how much emotion and mental energy can be spent, too.

Harrell does the same, stressing being strong mentally can lead to success on the court.

But even more importantly, they care for the welfare of their players. Their hope is that when they leave SGTC that they will be better men and women, they have a degree and can make a difference in the real world they will be stepping into.

The area needs more individuals like them — and their assistant coaches — who want to make an impact with a younger generation of college students so they can do the same.

To Wright and Harrell, thanks for caring.