Interview with Bill Schimel by Michelle Carter Smith
Bill Schimel is the coach of the Girl's Varsity Basketball team. His coaching background at the Corbett School District includes:
*Middle School Girl's Basketball Coach 2016-2019
*High School Girl's Basketball Coach 2019-2024
There was a need and an opportunity in 2016 at the Corbett Middle School. They were looking for a girl's basketball coach, and Bill Schimel (known as Billy in the community) was hired as the head coach, and Aaron Howlege was hired as his assistant. Friends for years, the two began what has become a coaching dynasty within the Corbett community. It has been an incredible "ride" as they have worked with their daughters and their daughter's classmates over the years to build an incredible basketball team. The coaches have helped them learn basketball and life skills and the girls have built deep and lasting friendships. In 2019 the coaches took over for retiring coach, Ro Contri when they moved up to coaching at the high school level. They were in the 4A league for their first season and had taken over a team that was 2-22. It was a COVID year, which meant a delayed and short season. Despite the challenges, the team still ended up 8th in the state! In the second season, they remained in the 4A League and placed 2nd in state. In the third season, they moved to the 3A League and again, placed 2nd in state. The team went undefeated in the 2023-2024 season and won the state championship! Billy says "Experiencing the lowest of lows makes one appreciate the highest of highs!" Placing second in state the previous two years had given the team the drive and tenacity to "win it all." The girls had bonded throughout the years, together playing other sports, not just basketball. They were committed to the hard work and commitment to excellence that was needed for a state championship win. They spent time outside of practices going to one another's homes for overnights and activities. Billy and his wife Kari had built their Corbett home several years ago as a "destination home" where all are welcome and wanted. It was the same for the team, each girl knew they were needed and wanted.
Born in Corbett, Billy grew up on Pounder Road and then Haines Road with his parents and six siblings. The youngest three were adopted when his parents realized that they were in a tough situation and needed a loving home. Billy's dad has passed, and his mom is living nearby. One sibling has passed, one lives out of state and all of the others live locally. Billy attended Corbett schools throughout his childhood, playing numerous sports. His dad was "mechanically-minded" but his mom loved sports and enrolled Billy in almost every sport available! His favorites were football and basketball. During his junior year of high school, Billy and his childhood friends started the basketball season with a new coach, Roy Altman, with Scott Field as the assistant. They ended up winning the state championship that year. The following year as a senior, they won the state championship again! The Corbett community rallied with strong support for the team, just like they did for the girls when they won the state title this year. After high school, Billy attended Chemeketa Community College and lived at the local fire station for a two-year fire science program and then a one-year paramedic program. This three-year program had no summer breaks. Corbett resident Charlie O'Neil, a Portland Firefighter, had a huge impact on Billy deciding the route he wanted to take with his life. Billy graduated with two associate's degrees, one in emergency medicine and the other in fire science. Upon graduation, he tested and was hired by the Portland Fire Bureau in 1999. He has been at Station One at the Portland Waterfront ever since. Billy was promoted to Lieutenant in 2019. In 2001, Billy was playing a pick-up basketball game in Sellwood with fellow firefighters when he first saw the jump shot of traveling firefighter, Kari Steele. She was not only a firefighter, but also the daughter of Portland Trailblazer, Larry Steele. They dated for a year before becoming engaged and they married in 2004. Kari has since been promoted to a Fire Marshal position for the City of Portland. They have four children, and Billy has coached daughters Sydney 20, Ally 18, and Lilly 16 in basketball. Son Cash is 12 and is also a basketball player. The family loves being outdoors as much as possible, backpacking, hiking or just hanging out at their Corbett property. The family has pigs and chickens as farm animals as well as a cat and dog as pets.
Will Billy return as the head coach for next year? That is the tentative plan despite the challenge of making the basketball season schedule work with his firefighter work schedule. Coach Aaron and others are in conversation now on just how things may unfold. The good news is, the girl's team will be in good hands no matter how things shake out for next season.
