by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
The Hardin HS (MT) Bulldogs boys basketball team were recent state Class ‘A’ champions. It was so much fun to be a champion the team and coach are working hard to get there again.
Andrew Round Face is an enrolled member of the Apsaalooke (Crow) Nation. His Indian name is “Comes to the Mountain”. He was born in Crow Agency, MT, raised in Anadarko, OK, and finished high school in Pryor, MT. Andrew’s wife is Sunny Round Face and daughter is Starry Knight. The family lives in Hardin, MT.
“I have played numerous sports growing up,” said Andrew. “My main sports were football and basketball. My favorite highlight was being a part of the State Championship team my sophomore year in Anadarko. I have been coaching for 10 years now. I have two favorite memories from coaching and the first was when we qualified for the state tournament in my first season as a head coach. The second was when we won the state championship game in 2018.”
“I got into coaching wanting to try and help young native boys make a better life for themselves by using sports not just basketball as a vehicle to make a better life,” said Andrew. “I wasn’t raised around my culture so when I returned to Pryor to see the values that my grandmother had instilled into me was like many other grandparents do. This was to make us be respectful human beings.”
“When I first wanted to start coaching my dad told me if I wanted to do it that I needed to work my way up from the bottom,” said Andrew. “My dad was a huge part of my growth as a coach. One of my main points of emphasis is to teach them the fundamentals of the game. Young native boys have been playing ball for the majority of their life without developing any fundamentals. So when they learn them their game grows drastically. I also try to show them how to be disciplined and held accountable for their actions. Over all I’m just trying to show them how to be respectful young men. I have had numerous people help me along the way as I continue to grow in this sport that never stops evolving. My dad told me that once I stop learning then its time for me to walk away. So I’m constantly trying to learn the game.”
“There are a few people that I keep close to me to help me out when I need it,” said Andrew. “My dad has always been there for me. I have a few uncles that have all coached before so I ask for their help as well. I have also kept in contact with my old high school coach from Anadarko as well. I lost a great mentor this year when my cousin Wes Spotted Bear passed away. He was always talking basketball with me.”
“I define success as making a difference in any aspect of any of my boy’s life,” said Andrew. “If I can get any of them out the cycle that sucks many native athletes back into the drug/alcohol cycle I see that as a huge success. If there was any advice that I could give to a student athlete is that home will always be there. Go out and see what the world has to offer. It maybe scary but I can guarantee you will not be disappointed if you take that step outside the norm. Advice for a coach would be listening to what is going on with your student outside of athletics. Put your ego aside and put yourself in your athletes’ shoes. Times have changed and kids don’t react the same way you did growing up. I’m extremely confident that if you so a true interest in what’s going on with them they will do anything you ask. So build a great relationship with them first.”
“I honestly don’t think what I do is that big of a deal,” said Andrew. “I’m just a normal guy with a normal life that took a step in trying to help our native youth out. Everyone is a certified bleacher coach. The only thing I did different was I had enough courage to throw my name in the hat and applied. So with all the things I have accomplished in my life and career it is small to what I’m hoping to help change for our future.”
“When I first started coaching at small tournaments around the reservation, I didn’t think it would turn out to be this much fun and a great experience to have,” said Andrew. “I always remind myself that when I first started to apply at schools I received a lot of ‘No’s’.
There will not be anyone saying ‘No’ to Coach Andrew Round Face anymore.
Photo Credit: Bronte Wittpenn and The Billings Gazette and Sunny Round Face
