Highwod Small Fry Basketball OM

International Champions 1997, 1998 & 1999

Founded 1969

Heat Head Coach Verne Reich

Coach Reich begins his 27th year with Highwood Small Fry and his 38th year coaching area junior high and high school teams. His Small Fry finishes include 3 International Championships and 8 other Final Four appearances. His overall record as our Head Coach is 407 wins and 171 losses. His teams’ post season record in the 26 season is 69-33.
Coach is in the promotional products business with Done Deal Promotions in Morton Grove and lives in Highland Park with his wife Betty. When he’s not coaching the Heat, he can be found coaching his granddaughter Nicole’s 7th grade travel team or visiting his granddaughter Allie at the University of Michigan. His daughter Bonnie holds the distinction of being a fan at all 26 International Tournaments coach has competed in.
Coach is also a member of the Highwood Small Fry Board of Directors.

Heat Varsity Assistant Coach Kevin Kaminsky–

Kevin starts his 9th year w/ Highwood Small fry as the Heat asst coach. Kevin was a 3 year varsity starter at New Trier and led his team down state in 1996. He played college basketball at Eckerd College in Florida and Carthage College in Wisconsin. He currently works full time as an assistant Director at Camp Horseshoe, and he is the Head Director of Camp Horseshoe Basketball Camp. In addition to these commitments, Kevin has been giving private personal and group basketball tutoring lessons for 8 years.

Rookie Purple Head Coach Dale Fijalkowski– Coach Fijalkowski returns for his 5th season with Highwood Small Fry.  Dale’s experience includes coaching for numerous programs – AAU, travel, Park Districts, schools, camps and clinics coaching boys and girls teams from grade school thru high school levels.  For the past thirteen years, Dale has been coaching for the Highwood All-Star program.   Dale lives in Vernon Hills and is very involved with his family, which includes his wife Lori, his daughter Jennifer, who is the varsity  coach for the American International School in Egypt girls high school  basketball team, and son Casimer, a Small Fry alumnus, who is currently attending Loyola Marymount University.

Rookie Gold Head Coach Dennis Platt-

I grew up in Highland Park and played on several Little Guys championship teams. I went on to Loyola Academy and played varsity basketball and baseball. I entered the United States Air Force in 1966 till 1970. While in the USAF I captained the squadron baseball and basketball teams. I married my wife (Colleen) in 1969 and have 5 sons (Steve,Terry,Billy,Jeff and Brian) who all played Small Fry Basketball. I have coached Small Fry on and off for 20 years and co-coached them to three champianships and one 2nd place.

Rookie Gold Assistant Coach Mike Burke-

Rookie Purple Assistant Coach Rob Nardini-

Coach Nardini is looking forward to coaching in his 7th year for Highwood Small Fry.  He is an Alumni of the 1973 team.  Coach Nardini is also a graduate of Highland Park High School.  He has spent the past 14 years coaching basketball at various levels ,and is currently the Head  Freshman Girls Basketball Coach at Vernon Hills High School.  When he is not coaching basketball , Coach Nardini enjoys spending time with his wife of 25 years Leslie, children Laura (Winona State University), Alison(University of Illinois), and Robby(2009-2010 Highwood Heat).

Rookie Blue Head Coach Gil Degand-

This is my 4th year with the Highwood Small Fry program, 2nd season as the head coach of the Rookie Blue team. I have been a camp counselor and coach for the last 12 years. This season I am also the head 6th grade feeder coach for Glenbrook North. For the past 2 years I have taken part in the camp horseshoe basketball camp as well. I am also in my last semester at DePaul University working towards a degree in child psychology. My goal is to eventually coach and teach at the high school level. Writing about myself is definitely not my strong suit, so if you would like to know more about just come up and ask.

Rookie Blue Assistant Coach Andrew Linton-

Andrew Linton is extremely excited to be coaching in his first season with Highwood Small Fry.  He just finished up a four year enlistment in the United States Marine Corps and is currently pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics.  Andrew played Highwood Small Fry for two seasons.  His first year was with the Rookie Blue team, and his second year was with the Highwood varsity team that took second in the international tournament in 1996.  Andrew was a captain on the 2002 Highland Park basketball team that made it to the elite eight in the Illinois state tournament.  He also has a brother that went through the program in 1992 where Shaquille O’Neal showed up at the international tournaments final game.  He is looking forward to giving back to a program that gave so much to him.