02/08/2026
TPM SHOWCASE #14
Today’s TPM PM Showcase goes to my former Iowa Lakes community college basketball coach Bob Grems and all of my teammates over those two years.
If you have ever been part of a team at any level, you know how special it can be.
The lifelong connections you can make is tremendous.
I wanted to be a D1 player.
I never made it.
That’s a lament for another day.
Honestly, I had no idea where Estherville Iowa was.
Ryan Schultz and I took a visit there when we were seniors and realized it was close to Lake Okoboji, Iowa.
I vividly remember the day Coach Grems came to Cedar Falls to watch us play in practice.
BJ Hill, who would later coach at Northern Colorado was back from college and working out.
He threw me a lob and I caught it with my left hand in traffic and finished it.
I tooted my own horn in my head and thought I’m sure he wants me to play for him.
After practice, when I was speaking with him, he complimented me on the catch and finish.
I remember how chill and relaxed he was.
He told me Iowa Lakes  had been in the NJCAA FINAL FOUR the year before.
They had a great player named Tory Meiborg from Cedar Rapids Jefferson who I played against in high school.
When I got to Iowa Lakes, we began team workouts and I became aware that the chill relaxed guy was still there, but his intensity was apparent.
He had the eye of the tiger and the burning heart.
We had the most grueling preseason workouts.
We ran utility poles on gravel roads trying to catch the guys strategically placed ahead of us based on their mile and a half time.
We ran through the difficult terrain of Fort Defiance State Park and the hilly golf course nearby.
The most taxing day involved sprinting various lengths of the football field doing something called ‘blood and guts.’
Every 10 to 15 yards we had to drop down and do push-ups and crunches and then repeat sprints.
Unfortunately, one of our players did not hand in their grade sheet to all the professors so Coach said, “we’ll run until a few prople puke.”
I still remember some of the guys projectile vomiting on the field that day, and I selfishly never felt so relieved.
To me, it was a beautiful lesson about TEAM.
Everybody does what they are supposed to do.
Everyone is held accountable for their actions and a standard so we can build the right culture.
We went 28-5 that year.
The best all-time record at Iowa Lakes.
I think it worked.
We were ranked in the top FIVE all year, including a number TWO ranking for a few weeks.
Somehow, we lost in the conference championship game to go to the NJCAA National tournament to NIACC.
They won the whole thing that year!
A hard pill to swallow for us, but congratulations to them!
From those years, I remember long outlet passes to the smooth gazelle Michael Stewart(STEW, Milwaukee, UW Whitewater)
It was fun watching him throw down effortless dunks!
Post feeds to ‘Big Country’, Mike Badding(Carrol IA, Montana State).
Brynjarr O(Iowa City West, Luther), busting 3’s and dropping dimes.
Tory Meiborg(Cedar Rapids Jefferson, North Dakota State, National player of the year), playing great D, busting 3’s and slashing to the cup.
Isaac Chew(Chicago, current assistant at Xavier for Richard Pitino), saying “game” during pick up games and then bricking the shot haha! (Sorry Chew).
Steve Williamson(coachedat Iowa WESLEYAN)
The Herman twins from Missouri Valley, IA.
Kyle Hough from Graettinger, IA.
Travis Sohn(South O’Brien IA, William Penn), he could jump!
TJ from Mississippi.
Cliff from South Carolina.
Tooti and Val from Milwaukee.
We sure missed Ryan Schultz and his abilities both years because of injuries and unfortunate circumstances.
I also cherish the memories of John and Carolyn Walz who always came to the home games.
Often came to the away games.
The next year, I remember Wes Burrell(Des Moines) and Trent Hoover(West Liberty).
They could both play the game and we had a lot of fun together.
I played against Hoover at Wartburg and against Burrell at Simpson.
Todd Hough was my roommate after Schultz got hurt.
He probably wonders why I never went to class.
Delaney Booker(Racine WI),the smooth operator hitting the game winner in Norfolk Nebraska with the sweet assist from Hoover.
We mauled him like a bear on the baseline.
Jason Vanderbrock(Orange City, Drake) busting 3’s.
The Aussie and the great personality of Heath Fox was always fun.
We did not have as much success that year.
I was a mess.
You will hear about that part of my life in my motivational speaking.
My very last junior college game was a personally challenging one for me.
With my aunt and uncle, mom and dad looking on, I was ejected in the first few minutes of the game.
I was posting someone up and they called an offensive foul on me and I lost it.
I told the Ref to s%^* my d%^*!
Yes, you heard it right.
TPM IS ABOUT AUTHENTICITY AND FEARLESSNESS!
At halftime, I was laying on the floor very sad because of my impulsive, ridiculous action.
Coach came in and gave his halftime speech.
I never opened my teary eyes, but I felt a hand on my shoulder giving me a couple of comforting taps.
I know it was Coach Grems.
I always respected and admired that he was an intense guy with a big heart who cared about his players.
He always said something that’s stuck with me.
No matter what the obstacle or situation was he’d say, “GET IT DONE.”
I use this line to this day as it resonates with me.
So whatever needs to be done…
GET IT DONE!
Thanks Coach Grems, Coach Moeller, Coach K***r, and all the players who I played with!
I cherish all the memories!
GO WIN!!!
