When Alex Schrempf took over the Aspen High School boys’ basketball program in 2016, it was a bit of a disarray. Now, following the end of his five-year term as head coach, the Skiers are positioned to be one of the state’s top teams this winter.
“To finally see it working on a large scale was great, super fulfilling,” Schrempf said in a recent interview. “Sitting down and chatting with the boys… it was difficult. I didn’t expect any emotion, at least at the level she was there in that room. But it was also difficult because it’s something special that we had.
Schrempf left his position as the team coach to return to his roots in the Seattle area. He took a job outside of sports, though he had bigger dreams of working full-time basketball again at some point, especially if a pro team returns to Washington state.
Son of Detlef Schrempf, a former National Basketball Association star who was among the league’s top players in the late ’80s and early’ 90s, Alex Schrempf moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in late 2015 and had a significant impact on basketball in the region during his stay here.
“Everything I did on the pitch was always preceded by my pops. Coming to a small town and working with people who didn’t really know and who still felt accepted, welcome and excited about it was a very rewarding thing, ”said Schrempf. “There are some amazing coaches in their respective sports in this small community. That common ground that brings us all here to love where we live and love what we do and the things that we have access to, then you discover that you can be surrounded by so much talent and experience, it it’s a really hard thing to leave. “
Even after making the decision earlier this summer to return to Seattle before the start of the fall season, Schrempf spent the following months helping a local club / AAU team through a rigorous roster of tournaments, mostly out of town. the state. While the team had great success on the pitch, Schrempf was very proud of the squad roster, which included players from many nearby high schools such as Aspen, Basalt, Roaring Fork, Glenwood Springs and Coal Ridge.
“For us having a few kids who are really trying to play at the next level, being able to put them in the most competitive atmosphere possible is a big part of their development,” said Schrempf. ” It was really great. They grew at a tremendous rate and the main focus was confidence. We want to expose you to as competitive an opponent as possible, so when you come back to the West Slope of Colorado and hit a school, you’re going to look up against the guy you’re up against and realize that you ‘I faced guys who can jump higher, run faster, shoot better, and you’re not going to be afraid.
This club team is just the last and final piece of the puzzle of the rise of the Aspen High program under Schrempf over the past five years. AHS had been a powerful program under the guidance of former coach Steve Ketchum, who left after the 2013-14 season which ended with an overall record of 19-5. The team fell quickly after that, dropping from 9-11 in 2014-15 and 6-14 in 2015-16 before Schrempf took over.
The skiers had a decent 9-12 campaign in Schrempf’s first season, the 2016-17 school year, but fell to just 4-16 a year later. AHS went 7-14 in 2018-19 before having a breakthrough campaign in 2019-20, dropping 14-10 overall and returning to the state tournament.
Last winter, in a season altered by a pandemic, Aspen finished 13-2 overall and even beat Faith Christian in the Sweet 16 round of the Class 3A tournament before falling to the No. 3 Sterling in the quarterfinals.
“Coach Ketchum had such an amazing, consistent and well supported program, and just a few years away and I felt like the culture of the sport was really gone,” Schrempf recalls. “It was a great thing for me to understand. I don’t think I have ever been able to say that I was going to be here forever. Love it here, but still need to see more places before hopefully settling down here.
It is not yet clear who will succeed Schrempf, as AHS is currently looking to find a new athletic director after Martha Richards recently returned to golf training with the University of Denver. In all likelihood, whoever takes on the role of AD, which is expected to be announced soon, will make the final call. Winter sports practices officially begin on November 15.
Schrempf has said he would like to see the hiring done within the program to maintain continuity and leave a deep group of seniors – Aspen brings back almost all of the important elements of the state quarterfinal squad from the last year – finish what he started.
Both of Schrempf’s parents, as well as his brother, still live in the Seattle area, and he remains close to many of his childhood friends from where he was an excellent trainer before leaving for a brief stint at the UCLA.
But his fondness for the Roaring Fork Valley – he has lived specifically in Snowmass Village in recent years – is not something that will likely ever fade. An avid snowboarder, Schrempf was already planning visits to Aspen this coming winter to both ride and watch a basketball game or two.
“I fell in love with being here. I fell in love with the people I was able to surround myself with and the lifestyle I was able to lead, so it was really hard to leave, ”said Schrempf. “Part of me is always about to wonder ‘I could make a terrible decision.’ But at the same time, I know I’m not and I’m super excited for the new challenge and it’s super reassuring to know that I’ve found happiness here and know I can come back to it anytime.
When Alex Schrempf took over the Aspen High School boys’ basketball program in 2016, it was a bit of a disarray. Now, following the end of his five-year term as head coach, the Skiers are positioned to be one of the state’s top teams this winter.
“To finally see it working on a large scale was great, super fulfilling,” Schrempf said in a recent interview. “Sitting down and chatting with the boys… it was difficult. I didn’t expect any emotion, at least at the level she was there in that room. But it was also difficult because it’s something special that we had.
Schrempf left his position as the team coach to return to his roots in the Seattle area. He took a job outside of sports, though he had bigger dreams of working full-time basketball again at some point, especially if a pro team returns to Washington state.
Son of Detlef Schrempf, a former National Basketball Association star who was among the league’s top players in the late ’80s and early’ 90s, Alex Schrempf moved to the Roaring Fork Valley in late 2015 and had a significant impact on basketball in the region during his stay here.
“Everything I did on the pitch was always preceded by my pops. Coming to a small town and working with people who didn’t really know and who still felt accepted, welcome and excited about it was a very rewarding thing, ”said Schrempf. “There are some amazing coaches in their respective sports in this small community. That common ground that brings us all here to love where we live and love what we do and the things that we have access to, then you discover that you can be surrounded by so much talent and experience, it it’s a really hard thing to leave. “
Even after making the decision earlier this summer to return to Seattle before the start of the fall season, Schrempf spent the following months helping a local club / AAU team through a rigorous roster of tournaments, mostly out of town. the state. While the team had great success on the pitch, Schrempf was very proud of the squad roster, which included players from many nearby high schools such as Aspen, Basalt, Roaring Fork, Glenwood Springs and Coal Ridge.
“For us having a few kids who are really trying to play at the next level, being able to put them in the most competitive atmosphere possible is a big part of their development,” said Schrempf. ” It was really great. They grew at a tremendous rate and the main focus was confidence. We want to expose you to as competitive an opponent as possible, so when you come back to the West Slope of Colorado and hit a school, you’re going to look up against the guy you’re up against and realize that you ‘I faced guys who can jump higher, run faster, shoot better, and you’re not going to be afraid.
This club team is just the last and final piece of the puzzle of the rise of the Aspen High program under Schrempf over the past five years. AHS had been a powerful program under the guidance of former coach Steve Ketchum, who left after the 2013-14 season which ended with an overall record of 19-5. The team fell quickly after that, dropping from 9-11 in 2014-15 and 6-14 in 2015-16 before Schrempf took over.
The skiers had a decent 9-12 campaign in Schrempf’s first season, the 2016-17 school year, but fell to just 4-16 a year later. AHS went 7-14 in 2018-19 before having a breakthrough campaign in 2019-20, dropping 14-10 overall and returning to the state tournament.
Last winter, in a season altered by a pandemic, Aspen finished 13-2 overall and even beat Faith Christian in the Sweet 16 round of the Class 3A tournament before falling to the No. 3 Sterling in the quarterfinals.
“Coach Ketchum had such an amazing, consistent and well supported program, and just a few years away and I felt like the culture of the sport was really gone,” Schrempf recalls. “It was a great thing for me to understand. I don’t think I have ever been able to say that I was going to be here forever. Love it here, but still need to see more places before hopefully settling down here.
It is not yet clear who will succeed Schrempf, as AHS is currently looking to find a new athletic director after Martha Richards recently returned to golf training with the University of Denver. In all likelihood, whoever takes on the role of AD, which is expected to be announced soon, will make the final call. Winter sports practices officially begin on November 15.
Schrempf has said he would like to see the hiring done within the program to maintain continuity and leave a deep group of seniors – Aspen brings back almost all of the important elements of the state quarterfinal squad from the last year – finish what he started.
Both of Schrempf’s parents, as well as his brother, still live in the Seattle area, and he remains close to many of his childhood friends from where he was an excellent trainer before leaving for a brief stint at the UCLA.
But his fondness for the Roaring Fork Valley – he has lived specifically in Snowmass Village in recent years – is not something that will likely ever fade. An avid snowboarder, Schrempf was already planning visits to Aspen this coming winter to both ride and watch a basketball game or two.
“I fell in love with being here. I fell in love with the people I was able to surround myself with and the lifestyle I was able to lead, so it was really hard to leave, ”said Schrempf. “Part of me is always about to wonder ‘I could make a terrible decision.’ But at the same time, I know I’m not and I’m super excited for the new challenge and it’s super reassuring to know that I’ve found happiness here and know I can come back to it anytime.