Coach Gibson building champions, leaders at Pleasant Grove

Staff photo by Hunt Mercier
Pleasant Grove Hawks football head coach, Josh Gibson, speaks to the public as the special guest speaker at the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce B2B Breakfast series at Newk's Eatery on Friday, January 10, 2020, in Texarkana, Texas. Gibson spoke about the Texarkana community and how supportive it has been for him since he moved here six years ago.
Staff photo by Hunt Mercier Pleasant Grove Hawks football head coach, Josh Gibson, speaks to the public as the special guest speaker at the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce B2B Breakfast series at Newk's Eatery on Friday, January 10, 2020, in Texarkana, Texas. Gibson spoke about the Texarkana community and how supportive it has been for him since he moved here six years ago.

TEXARKANA, Texas - Fresh off leading Pleasant Grove to its second state football championship in three years, athletic director and head football coach Josh Gibson was the guest speaker at Friday's Texarkana Chamber of Commerce B2B Breakfast Series event hosted by Newk's Eatery.

"If you love Texarkana, she'll love you back is the title of today's presentation," Gibson said. "We preach two things to our kids: Our first core value is relationships, and you reap what you sow.

"We're all in the business of people; we serve students, we serve parents and we serve our community. We try to lead our kids the best way we can, and to be able to do that we have to pour into them, relationship-wise. We believe if you can capture a student's heart, they'll give it back to you.

"And that leads into you reap what you sow. You more you love people and love your community, the more you're going to get back; It's reciprocated."

Gibson has been with Pleasant Grove for six years. The Hawks have played in the state finals the last three seasons and won the 2017 and 2019 championships in Class 4A, Division II.

"A dream you dream alone is only a dream; a dream you dream together is reality," Gibson said, quoting John Lennon. "I'm getting to live my dream now. This is something I've wanted to do since I had a vision to be a head coach. To be able to do that, it takes so many different people. We have all the puzzle pieces, and if you take two of them away, we are not what we are."

Texarkana USA Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Mike Malone said Gibson was this month's guest speaker for not just what he and his team do on the field, but what the Hawks do off the field, as well.

"We've designed the B2B Breakfast series where it's not only entertaining but very informative," Malone said. "We have one a month, through July. It doesn't cost anything to attend, and where it's located sponsors the event.

"When you bring home a state championship, that's pretty important. But what's also important about Coach Gibson are his leadership skills and helping young people succeed. From the business aspect, businesses are always looking for quality people to work with them, and he's laying the groundwork to produce good leadership in the workforce."

Gibson and his staff are involved with the Pleasant Grove student body well beyond the playing field. Gibson is active all around the campus and district.

"Coach Gibson does such a great job, not just with athletics but also academics," PG High School Principal Todd Marshall said. "He's in our school, he's in the building, he's interacting with all of our kids - all the students - and the teachers. That standard of excellence, which our staff exemplifies, just permeates throughout our building."

Gibson admitted that before he applied for the job at PG he knew little about Texarkana nor Pleasant Grove. He and his family now call Texarkana home.

"There are a lot of high schools represented here," Gibson said. "If I'm in any high school, I love them all because they all have kids. I have to beat our chest our chest a little bit at Pleasant Grove because we feel like we have a freight train going through the state of Texas, with our district, our high school and our athletic program."

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