GAME ON: Father and Son – Coach and Player, the Browns

Saturday, February 26, 2011

GAME ON Contributor David Varhol

GAME ON: Father and Son – Coach and Player

Everyone of a certain age remembers Donny Brown as a PC great. But the news now is that his son, Matt Brown, is on his own path to success as a two-sport athlete at Harvard University.

The dual football and basketball star undoubtedly began with good genes from his father, the leading scorer for the Providence Friars basketball team in the 1984-85 season. But he owes his ascendance as a high-caliber student athlete to a special bond that this father and son share.

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Now a college athletic advisor at Interscholastic Futures-an organization designed to guide high school scholar athletes and their parents through the college recruiting process-Mr. Brown is no stranger to developing top-notch student athletes. His son Matt, a recent graduate of Northfield Mount Hermon high school, is a prime example.

Best Experience

“It’s the best experience a father could have, coaching or participating in any event your children are involved in,” said Mr. Brown. With five children including Matt, Mr. Brown has a lot on his plate, but he is still able to coach and participate in all of his children’s activities. Mr. Brown says that trust played a huge role in his relationship with Matt when he coached him during his early years playing rec and AAU basketball. “He would believe anything I told him. Mathew could have been watching TV or in bed and I would tell him that it would be a good idea to do some push ups, or sit ups because other kids his age from somewhere else in the country were doing them.” Mr. Brown said that the key with Matt was, no matter the sport, the most important aspect to him was developing his mental toughness and athleticism.

Mr. Brown stressed that the most important thing he took into consideration when coaching his own son throughout most of his childhood, was “its all about balance.” Finding a good balance in their relationship between life on the court and off the court was critical. “We did a lot of other things together that were non-sports related such as going camping, playing dominos and traveling around the country and seeing other places,” he said.

Matt said, “Playing for my dad was an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life. From a basketball standpoint, he has a great basketball mind and IQ. Being able to play for somebody who is so knowledgeable of the game from playing at some of the highest levels is amazing because there is constant learning and growth.” Matt views both of his parents as his role models and mentors but said that he and his father have a special bond through basketball and other sports.

One of the hardest parts for Matt being the “coach’s son” was the constant pressure to do better. Having grown up in Providence with a father who was a standout player at Providence College, Matt felt pressure because everyone always knew him as Donny Brown’s son. He grew up wanting to develop his own name in the local and national basketball scene. “Every Saturday morning I tried to sleep in or watch cartoons, my father would be nagging me to go workout,” he said. Being my father, I knew everything he did and said was for the best so I had no choice but to listen.”

Wants to end on a good note

When asked the age-old question of who would win a one-on-one battle, Matt remembers the last time they squared off against one another when he was in high school. “It was summertime and we were both working out at PC, I’m pretty sure he cheated and I left the gym crying. We haven’t played since then but I think that’s because he wants to end on a good note.”

With Mr. Brown’s oldest son, DJ, in his junior year competing in wrestling at Rhode Island College, and three younger children coming up through the ranks in high school and middle school, the legacy is sure to continue

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