TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
Aaron Harmon, Trey Hart, Luke Harmon, Joe Pearlman, Coach Josh Gibson, TJ Cole, Blake Slade, and Ben Harmon
what really separates this facility.” He then talked about the four core values of the program— relationships, growth, discipline, and belief. The coaching staff is intentional in building relationships with the kids and helping them foster growth in all areas of their lives. They do so in a disciplined environment, creating belief first in themselves and building a healthy self- concept, believing in the program and that they’re doing things a little differently, and trying to take care of every student as a whole person. Gibson summed it up as, “It’s not just about growing our football team. It’s about growing ourselves as people, growing ourselves as teachers, growing our spiritual life, growing our servant-oriented part, and growing facilities. That’s what our program is really about.” The new athletic facility at Pleasant Grove stands as a testament to these values, offering not just state-of-the-art amenities but a space designed to foster personal growth and community spirit. With this new addition, Coach Gibson and his team are well-equipped to continue their legacy of excellence and holistic development for years to come.
need the office space, so we changed it to be an impact room for our kids who go above and beyond. We have seven arcade games, two massage chairs, and a PlayStation game system with a seat. Then, there are two gaming chairs and a second PlayStation that goes on the big screen. Of course, it looks right out on the field, and right now, there are only about ten kids allowed in here daily,” shared Coach Gibson. He further described how one of the students earned access to the room by consistently picking up trash in the cafeteria each day after lunch, which is an expectation for all the athletes. Still, this student also regularly offers to take the trash out to the dumpsters for the janitors. Besides being used as a reward system, the space is also used for culture nights and team parties by various athletic groups around campus. Rounding out the downstairs portion of the facility are the Varsity and Junior Varsity boy’s locker rooms on one side and the visitor’s locker room on the other. Heading upstairs to the second level, there is a large central room with a serving area that will have a variety of uses. Everything from team dinners to staff professional development meetings is already being scheduled in the space. Off to
one side is a special VIP room, complete with a balcony to look out onto the field. Coach Gibson also plans to use it as a breakout room. On the other side of the second floor are the coaches’ offices. As it turns out, Coach Gibson has had the opportunity to add seven former PG student-athletes to his staff. Out of the seven, all played in state championship games in either football or baseball, and six of them were coached directly by Coach Gibson. “They have grown up so much. They’re really intentional and relational with the kids,” said Gibson, “Trey Hart is the only one I didn’t coach, but I built a relationship with him when I got here and recruited him back. Joe Pearlman was here for my first two years. Aaron Harmon, TJ Cole, and Luke Harmon were all incoming 9th graders when I got the job at PG, and they helped lead us to our first state title in football in 2017. Ben Harmon and Blake Slade were incoming seventh graders when I started, and they were part of all three teams that went to state championships in football. [Having them back] is really the best part.” “I think this last room is the best. I consider it our team room because it’s where we’ll meet the most,” explained Gibson about the film room, “and it’s
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LIFE & STYLE
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