Catching up With: Rich Boyce

Barry Faulkner

With half a lifetime on the sideline, and still a full life ahead,

34-year-old Rich Boyce learned only recently to compartmentalize his

passion for basketball.

During 13 years at Estancia High, four as the boys basketball head

coach (1996-2000), Boyce’s competitive edge frequently lingered long

after the final buzzer, often resulting in sleepless nights after a loss.

Now, in his second year as coach at Edison High, his third year as a

husband, Boyce, soon to become a first-time father, said he no longer

takes what happens on the hardwood home.

“I’ve learned a lot about basketball over the years and I’ve tried to

pick up something from all the coaches I’ve worked with,” Boyce said.

“But one of the most important things I’ve learned is that you just have

to leave the game at the game. “When I was younger, a loss would haunt

me. I actually wouldn’t sleep. But, now, I come home and Michelle is

there, we’re making plans for the birth of our first child (a boy,

scheduled to arrive in mid-April) and the dog always wants to play. The

dog doesn’t care if we won or lost.”

Boyce still cares, as deeply as he ever did. And those who have

witnessed his competitive fire, see little change in the composed, though

passionate persona he projects during games.

And he still loves to win.

“There are times when I don’t see myself coaching till I’m 50,” Boyce

said. “But they usually come after a loss. When you win, it’s the

greatest thing in life.”

Boyce, 64-47 as head coach at Estancia, which went to the playoffs all

four seasons and won the Pacific Coast League his first year, agonized

over his decision to leave Estancia, where he came with Tim O’Brien from

his alma mater, Tustin High before the 1987-88 season. He began his

coaching career at Tustin at age 17.

But he speaks glowingly of his time at Edison, where he teaches four

math classes and had guided the Chargers to a 5-3 record through

Thursday, after an 11-15 transition year in 2000-01.

“I’ll always have a warm place in my heart for Estancia, because I was

treated so great there. It was a very tough place to leave. But

everything has been great at Edison and I’m having a lot of fun.”

Boyce said in addition to a higher salary, the primary reason he chose

Edison over Estancia, his new school’s support system has helped him

focus more on coaching.

“The biggest difference is the amount of money at each school,” Boyce

said. At Estancia, I had to fund raise a lot and (current coach Chris

Sorce) does a lot of it. I still have to fund raise a little bit, but our

kids pay to play, so we have money to do things. We’re going to Florida

(for a tournament Thursday-Saturday) and I want to take a trip every

couple of years. And there was a lot of other stuff I had to do at

Estancia that people take care of for me here. All I have to do on game

days is get my team ready to play and show up.”

Boyce, who also coached girls basketball, softball and girls tennis at

Estancia, said the fondest memories of his coaching experience with the

Eagles were as an assistant boys basketball coach.

“I remember that state championship team (which won the Division III

title in 1991 with O’Brien as head coach), but not just for winning

state,” Boyce said. “There were a lot of characters on that team.”

Boyce said he also remembers a couple heartbreaking losses. The first,

in the CIF Southern Section Division III-A semifinals to Dos Pueblos in

1995, as assistant coach to Tim Parsel. The second, a double-overtime

loss to Bishop Montgomery, came as head coach in the 1999 CIF III-A

section semifinals.

“I wanted to win that Bishop Montgomery game so badly for the kids,”

recalled Boyce, who, obviously spent and dejected, remained slumped over

at the waist for a few minutes immediately following the final buzzer,

before fielding questions from reporters.

Boyce said it is the kids, more than the competition, that fuel his

coaching fire.

“I understand what a vital role a coach can have with kids,” he said.

“I’m not sure I’ll be doing this another 20 years, but I’m sure I’ll

coach another five or 10 years.”