Bryson Keahna Funmaker (Ho-Chunk): Influenced By Nation, Family and Coaches To Make Others Better

By Dan Ninham (Oneida)

Many coaches talk to their student-athletes about the ‘little eyes are watching you’ lesson. This means that the student-athletes should be at their best behavior and executing their best efforts in and out of the athletic arena because you never know who is watching you. An extension of this lesson is to encourage both coaches and their student-athletes to think and act like the ‘little eyes’ are watching you when they are not. 

The ‘little eyes’ have been watching a student-athlete in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin and love what they see.

Bryson Keahna Funmaker is a member of Ho-Chunk Nation.  His Ho-Chunk name is Macozi (Yellow Grizzly Bear) and his Kickapoo name is Namkikam (loud noise or growl in a cave). His parents are Gabriel and Kelly Funmaker, his father is Ho-Chunk/Meskwaki and his mother is from the Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas. The family resides in Wisconsin Dells, WI, amongst the Ho-Chunk people and he is Bear Clan in both the Ho-Chunk Nation and the Kickapoo Tribe. 

Wisconsin Dells HS Basketball and Cross Country

Bryson was a varsity basketball starter at the point guard position for the Wisconsin Dells HS Chiefs, WI. He played AAU ball for Wisconsin Starz Elite in Madison, WI. 

During his varsity playing days in high school, he was a two-time co-captain in 2019 and 2020. He was named the team’s two-time ‘Defensive Player of the Year.’ In the South Central Conference (SCC) he was named ‘Second Team All-Conference’ his junior year, unanimous ‘First Team All-Conference’ this year and ‘2020 SCC Co-Conference Player of the Year.’

Bryson was selected to play in the 2020 Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Star Game.

He was a member of the three-time SCC champion teams. Wisconsin Dells HS made three consecutive Sectional Final appearances with the current state tournament cancelled due to COVID-19.

Bryson was selected to represent the 19U Team Wisconsin in the 2020 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. NAIG has been postponed to July of 2021 due to COVID-19.

Bryson also was a high school varsity cross-country runner in his last three years. He was a co-captain and ‘Second Team All-Conference’ his senior year.

Mom, Dad and Son Relationship Are Major Influences

“As a young Ho-Chunk boy we are always taught respect, to be humble, and to be a servant to our people,” said Bryson. “I translated these core values to athletics by always being respectful to my coaches, my teammates, and my opponents. This value above all, is one that is necessary to be successful. I remain humble by showing class and character on and off the court and remembering that I not only represent the name on the front of my jersey, but I always represent my family and my tribe in everyday life. As a servant to my people, I have translated this in my athletics by putting my team above all, especially being a point guard, it’s my job to lead and to find the best opportunity for our team to be successful.”

“My mother, Kelly Funmaker, has been the biggest influence on my athletic career,” said Bryson. “She taught me how to stay motivated, and to always work hard on and off the court. She always encouraged me and supported me by getting me up at 4:00 am to get my shots up before school and going with me after practice to get more shots up. She would drive me to different AAU tournaments around the country in the summers and rarely missed any of my games. She spends a lot of her free time in the gym with me and my three younger brothers, keeping us busy and out of trouble.”

“Aside from basketball, she would always make sure I kept up on my academics first. One of the things I am most proud of besides my athletic accolades is the fact that I have been on high honor roll all four years of high school, a member of National Honor Society since my sophomore year, and have prepared myself for college by taking rigorous AP courses throughout high school, with my mothers support and encouragement,” added Bryson. 

“We got lucky with Bryson as parents,” said mom Kelly Funmaker. “We are very proud of him for not only what he’s been able to accomplish, but for being a stand up young Ho-Chunk man.” 

“I don’t know if Bryson fully understands the extent of how much of an impact he’s had on younger kids,” said Kelly. “They look up to him and as a mother it’s a great feeling to know my son is somebody who holds himself to a higher standard despite all that goes on around him. Kids have come up to him after games to ask for pictures and tell him he’s their favorite Dells player, and he interacts with the young Ho-Chunk kids when he works out at The Ho-Chunk House of Wellness. He doesn’t always like to talk about himself so this was a nice opportunity for him to open his own eyes as to who he truly is.”

“Bryson came into his role of leadership at a very young age. Bryson is the oldest of our four sons at home, and at a young age Bryson’s father always talked to him about what exactly his role was in our family and he always took this role seriously. He leads by example with his younger brothers; he talks with his brothers, he encourages them, and I think more importantly, he maintains a very close bond with them despite his busy schedule. He goes to as many of their games as he can, he takes them with him when he works out, he’ll put them in drills with him, and I think being a good friend to them as well has strengthened his leadership role at home.”

“Bryson grew up dancing, competing at pow-wows and singing with his father,” said Kelly. “As he got older he wanted to focus more on basketball, so he transitioned to helping his father and grandfather with cultural bridging events between Ho-Chunk’s and neighboring communities across Wisconsin. He is often asked to be the lead male dancer at these events and venues, which helps to promote and strengthen cultural awareness in a positive manner. Bryson’s core value of serving his people is in everything he does; from sports to religion to culture and to home life, and this is how his leadership skills have flourished in his own community.”

Mom Kelly continued to address her son’s leadership with basketball: “Bryson has used his athletics to extend his leadership role and I credit his high school basketball coach for the opportunity.  Early after he finished his freshman season on JV, his coach brought him up during summer league as starting point guard on varsity. It was a bit intimidating for him at first, having to be the one responsible for the ball and knowing the plays and defense. I’m not sure if this move had a lot of his older teammates approval at the time, but he accepted the challenge and eventually gained their trust on the floor. His team went on and had a very successful season his sophomore year. The team’s success grew his junior year, and by his senior year they were all at peak performance as a team until COVID-19 forced the WIAA to end all winter sports and his team’s run in post season.”

“His coach encouraged him to be a stronger and more vocal leader, so he’d always try to help his teammates to look for different opportunities on the floor from his perspective. Bryson is always the one who cheers for every player on the floor and is the one who gets the team fired up. Although he doesn’t get a lot credit for all of the smaller things in the stats, I think by him having the team first mentality, he has been a big part of the team’s success in his three years that he’s been the point guard. He took a lot of responsibility in his role and love for the game by studying film at home, putting in extra hours in the gym on his own, expanding his skill work, and his own IQ for his sport. By Bryson being the vocal leader he is now, it also extended to cross country, as he was selected as one of the team captains his senior year,” added Kelly.

“In the end, whatever Bryson decides to do in college, whether basketball is still a part of his next journey or not, I know that he got the best life lessons out of basketball and those will always be a part of who he is as a person,” said Kelly.

Bryson’s dad Gabby talked about his son: “It is an honor to share what I know and see in Bryson. Following the teachings of my grandfather, Kenneth Funmaker, Sr., he was a strong believer in our ways. And his words of wisdom found their ways to Bryson. Being the eldest son, I’ve shared and taught Bryson the importance of family and what it means to have family supporting one another. Basketball came to Bryson at a young age and he was able to navigate the court naturally it seemed. But I believe his leadership qualities came naturally to him as well as off the court as on the court. As he nears his end of his high school years, Bryson looks forward to the next chapter of his life with confidence. Although extremely nervous, I believe he’ll succeed in pursuing his dreams. As my elders taught me and expressed to me, they always said ‘make sure you are of some service to the people no matter what you do in life’. My grandfather, being the last true Bear Clan Chief of the Ho-Chunk Nation, I believe those leadership qualities pass down naturally to the next generations.”

Coaches Role Model As Positive Influences

“Coach Brad Rohling took a chance on me after my freshman season and pulled me up to varsity as the starting point guard,” said Bryson. “He instilled the values of playing team basketball and the importance of how doing the small things in games help in a big way. He guided me on how to become more of a vocal leader at a young age and I’ve carried it with me throughout my high school career and applied it everywhere, whether it’s in school, work, or home.”

Brad Rohling, WDHS Head Boys’ Basketball Coach, talked about his team leader: “Bryson’s leadership begins with his tremendous work ethic on the court and in the classroom. He leads by showing others what it takes to be successful. When it’s time to be vocal Bryson can be vocal, and everyone will listen and follow him because they have respect for him and the work he has put in. In the classroom he is an honor student who has challenged himself by taking AP classes and excelling at them. He has put a priority on being a well-rounded young man that competes for good grades as hard as he competes on the floor. On the court he has worked extremely hard to accomplish his goals. During his three years on the varsity team I cannot remember him ever missing a morning workout. During the season I would open the gym for him in the morning before school, so he could get a workout in. After practice he would go to the House of Wellness to get more shots up. Bryson was selected as a captain of our team the last two years and is the toughest kid I have ever coached. I am so proud of him that he is getting recognized for all his hard work. All of the awards are well deserved. He has set an example for everyone in our program that will have a lasting impact long after he leaves our program.”

“Another influence on my high school coaching staff is the Assistant Coach Mike Janke,” said Bryson. “Coach Janke always encouraged me to always play at a higher level and helped me become more than just a point guard.”

WDHS Assistant Coach Mike Janke addressed how Bryson led his team by example: “On the court Bryson is a classic ‘Leader by Example’. There are not a lot of players that can out hustle him. If there was a loose ball around half court there was a good chance that he was going to get to that ball, whether it put him in harms way or not. That type of effort elevates every teammate on the court as well as the bench from an intensity standpoint. When the team went on a big run, typically Bryson was right in the middle of it whether it was defensively or offensively.” 

“Off the court Bryson continues this ‘Leader by Example’ mentality by getting extra shots up no matter what time it is or how long practice went. If he did not have a good shooting night the game before or had a bad shooting practice, he would stay in the gym and get extra shots up. Everybody is watching him as a team captain stay and work on his game that pushes everyone else to get better. Bryson also excels in the classroom and that is a key component of being a high school leader. Someone who can take care of business on the court as well as in the classroom is a great high school leader,” added Coach Mike. 

“I have coached Bryson the last three years and he has started every year since his sophomore year,” said Coach Mike. “He was a pleasure to coach. Always has that look of determination on his face. I am so proud of what he has accomplished these last three years. It was very tough coming to the realization that our season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we could not accomplish all of our goals we had set out as a team. When Coach Rohling told me that he was named ‘Co-South Central Conference Player of the Year’ I was so excited for him. I know that had been a goal of his for some time now.” 

“With these two coaches leading our high school basketball program, they are vital roles in our success and we have had great moments in my three years under their guidance.   

“One of my biggest influences is the late Coach Anthony Jones,” said Bryson. “Going into my junior year, he was the coach of my 16U AAU team, Wisconsin Starz Elite. Coach Jones was one of the hardest coaches I’ve ever had but also one of the most honest. He brought out the best in every player on his team. Even though AAU has a different kind of atmosphere than high school basketball, he was always using ‘coachable moments’ in our highs and lows in the circuit.  Coach Jones influenced many kids in the Madison area, and I was lucky enough to build a special bond with him before he passed away in the spring of 2019.”

“Bryson Funmaker is a testament to how playing sports brings out the best in an individual,” said Dean Knetter, WDHS head varsity cross-country coach.  “I was fortunate to coach an amazing senior group of athletes this past year, and Bryson Funmaker was definitely one of the student leaders that was able to lead our team throughout the season.”

“Each season, I meet with each of my athletes in order to establish goals for our summer running program and the upcoming season.  My goals for Bryson were to be the ‘focal leader of this team, earn All SCC at the Conference Cross Country meet, and to be the SCC Player of the Year for the upcoming basketball season.’ To his credit, he accomplished all three of the goals,” added Coach Dean.

Coach Dean has a blueprint for student athletes to model. He said: “The following character traits make Bryson Funmaker a blueprint for all student athletes to model: his work ethic is unparalleled, for he was the most intense athlete that I have ever coached; when it came to drilling during practice time he was always trying to get any possible advantage he could; his competitive spirit was also very infectious, for his pursuit of excellence never faded out; his commitment to balance in his life and his passion for basketball is obvious; however, he also was willing to put forth the time in energy into his cross country skills and training; he truly bought into my belief that his Cross Country training would make him a better all-around athlete; his belief in himself and his hard work and he was able to push thru many of our harder workers and meets solely because of his self-confidence and belief in his teammates; and lastly, Bryson had to overcome failure in his athletic career.”

“I believe the Sectional Final loss in basketball his junior year was the turning point for this past season’s success,” said Coach Dean.  “He is always unwilling to let these inevitable set-backs stand in the way of what he wants to accomplish.”

“The end of this basketball season was truly unfortunate, for I regret more people would not be able to witness the passion and greatness of Bryson’s dedication to his trade,” added Coach Dean.

“I am fortunate to have coached Bryson and I am honored that my three sons were able to witness his career firsthand while being a part of the cross-country and basketball programs,” said Coach Dean.

The Effects Of The Pandemic On Basketball With A Look To The Future

“Our postseason run was cut short and our season ended after our team won our first sectional game on March 12, 2020,” said Bryson.  “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) voted to end all post-season play indefinitely just hours after we had won. This win put us one game from state in the sectional finals, which would have taken place the following Saturday. We ended our season as the second ranked team in Wisconsin in D3 after reaching three consecutive sectional finals, and we didn’t get to reach our final destination.”

“I continue to work out daily from home, whether it’s ball handling, shooting, or running with my brothers, we always find time for basketball,” said Bryson. “It’s hard not being in the gym on a daily basis, but we’re lucky to have an outdoor court nearby to keep us going with our basketball and continue skill work.” 

“I always worked hard from a young age, and sometimes I never got to play at all in middle school,” said Bryson.  “I decided not to speculate as to why, instead, I chose to work so hard that I couldn’t be benched during games. I decided that I would be the player the coaches needed and wanted on both sides of the floor.  I am only 5’9”, but I put in the time on my own to become a high-skilled player and I have always made sure I was one of the fastest and smartest players on the floor at all times. I am a two-way point guard, making defense a priority, and I earned ‘Defensive Player of the Year’ my sophomore and junior year.  After my junior year, I decided to set a goal of earning Player of the Year in our South Central Conference (SCC) and getting ‘First Team All Conference.’ I achieved those!!  I was also recently selected to participate in the WBCA All-Star game in Division 3 in June, which I am extremely honored and proud of as well.  I haven’t decided if basketball will be a part of my next chapter or not, but I definitely feel that I’ve left my mark and I hope that I have given younger kids a blueprint to follow on their own come up.”

Advice To Younger Student-Athletes

“My advice to the younger student-athletes is that sports is a privilege, in order to play they need to have good grades,” said Bryson. “Nothing is ever handed to them, that just like in sports, they have to work hard in school to have success. I want to show them that with hard work, anything in life is possible. Set goals and always have something to work towards. Every semester in school, I have set small goals to stay above my current cumulative GPA.  By maintaining my GPA, it helped me with applications for college. Setting athletic goals is also something that should be done, start small and make them attainable, with bigger goals at the same time to work towards. Finding the balance between the two is key.”

Photo Credit: SEAN DAVIS, Dells Events