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Hudson family has basketball flowing through their blood from generation to generation
Wayland – Family and basketball are forever linked in the Hudson family.
Mike and Teri Hudson have six children but their care-giving reaches out to so many more. Mike Hudson is in his 22nd season as the boys basketball coach at Wayland Union. He played for his father, Harry, at Wyoming Rogers and played one season at Aquinas College before following in his father’s footsteps. Mike coached the seventh and eighth grade teams at Rogers before moving on to Wayland.
Teri Hudson played middle school basketball in the Wyoming Park school system at a time when girls basketball was little more than a recreational sport.
That’s no longer true and their daughter, Presley, is an example of the growth in the sport over the last 30 years or so. Presley is 5-6 point guard at Wayland and a good one. She signed with Central Michigan last fall, collected her 1,000th career point last Friday and many consider Presley a candidate for the Miss Basketball award.
Marty Howard coaches the girls team at Wayland and the Wildcats are 9-0, and State Champs has them ranked No. 5 in Class B.
The boys team opened the season with six victories before losing at uneaten Middleville-Thornapple-Kellogg on Friday, 63-60. They are ranked No. 7 in Class B.
The Hudson’s third child, Avery, is a 5-8 sophomore on varsity and is in the rotation having started in four games. Their eldest, Weston, played for his father before going on to a four-year career at Cornerstone College. Weston is a graduate assistant at Cornerstone and when he has time helps dad out at Wayland.
Turner, the Hudson’s fourth child, is in the eighth grade and he plays basketball, too, in middle school and in AAU. This past weekend Turner’s AAU team travelled to South Bend to play in a tournament.
Then there’s Parrish and she plays on the sixth grade team.
And finally there’s Ceezons (pronounced seasons) who is 8-years-old and, as of this past weekend, has not picked up a basketball.
Give her time.
One can only imagine the hectic schedule the Hudsons keep, especially at this time of year. Mike said he and his wife wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Sometimes you have a job for eight-to-10 hours a day and don’t get to see your kids,” Mike Hudson said. “I get to see them every day.
“I teach physical education and health (at the high school). I’ve taught my children and that presents different challenge.”
Presley has never had her father as a head coach but the two have spent countless hours in one-on-one sessions. Mike said he prefers his children to be coached by someone other than himself so that they are able to experience a different coaching style.
The boys team was 21-5 last season having lost in the quarterfinals to Milan. Two starters return from that team and both are seniors. Dylon Aten is a point guard who committed to Cornerstone and center Lacey James (6-9) is being recruited by Division I and II schools.
Hudson said the loss to Middleville “is a learning lesson” and he reminded his players afterward that it’s only January.
The girls team was 13-8 a season ago and Howard this team has greater depth and better team chemistry.
“We play in the toughest (Class B) conference (O-K) in the state with Grand Rapids Catholic Central (ranked No. 1) and Grand Rapids South Christian,” Howard said. “We play a high level of competition. Last year we lost seven games by five points or less. We didn’t have that second or third shooter to help us out.
“And Presley is a special player. She’s a four-year starter and it’s nice to see her develop. She has a tremendous basketball IQ. She holds her teammates accountable and she’s the first to admit when she’s made a mistake.”
