Shawn Jansen: Kane does it for the kids

The heel stomps in front of the Atwater bench. The high-pitched yells.

John Kane's sideline antics will definitely be missed next year.

After 12 years as head coach and 17 years as a coach in the Atwater program, Kane announced his resignation on Tuesday.

Kane is doing it for the right reasons.

He wants to spend more time with his daughter, Madison, and son, Jackson.

"I already feel some of the stress coming off," Kane said. "I'll be coaching this summer. I'll be coaching my daughter's softball team.

"That's what it's about for me.

"It's funny. You bring the game home with you. I'll be at home watching video and you look up and it's already 1:30 in the morning. It almost becomes an obsession."

Kane doesn't want to come home at night and hear from his wife how his kids did or what they're up to.

He wants to see it for himself.

Still, it wasn't an easy decision.

Kane had been mulling it over the last three years.

When is the right time to walk away?

Finally, this seemed like the perfect time.

"The last three weeks it's played over in my head and this is the best time for someone to step in," Kane said. "We've got a chance to be pretty good. We've got a pretty good group of eighth graders that will be coming in.

"We could possibly make the playoffs next year and then there will be a new gym in two years. If I was going to stay those would be selfish reasons.

"If I was in it for selfish reasons, I would have got out four years ago when I knew there would be some tough times."

The toughest part was breaking the news to his players on Tuesday.

"That was really hard," he said. "Some of the kids probably saw a different part of me they haven't seen. I broke down a couple times."

What kind of impact did Kane have on his players?

Here's one text he received from a player.

"Even though you're not coaching us next season, our year will be for you. You have my love and always remember you weren't only a great coach but a great man in this program."

Speaking of coaches...

I don't think Marcus Knott gets enough credit for Merced's success.

In his seventh season, Knott has led Merced to four straight Central California Conference championships and now two consecutive trips to Arco Arena.

Still, I'll see comments online on how So-and-So's coach is going to out-coach Knott, or in the last couple years Merced won because it had star players like Jarrett Sparks and Allen Huddleston.

True, Knott has been blessed with some great players.

However, there are a lot of coaches who have had talent and haven't won.

Knott's teams have won.

I remember a conversation I had with Golden Valley coach Keith Hunter on this subject last year and Hunter went out of his way to tell me the job he thought Knott was doing at Merced.

You would think the four titles and two semifinal appearances would speak for themselves.

In this space a few weeks ago I wrote about Golden Valley's quirky wrestler Ben Weber.

The 112-pound junior likes to wear funny hats and shirts when he's at wrestling tournaments.

Well, he's at again and apparently he's recruited Buhach Colony senior Mikey Guzman.

The two wrestlers dyed their hair this week in preparation for the state week.

Guzman's hair is now purple and Weber sporting a pink 'do.

Shawn Jansen is a Sun-Star sports reporter. He can be reached at 385-2462 or via e-mail at sjansen@mercedsun-star.com.