The Legacy of Alex Peavey

The son of a college administrator, he grew up in Durham, Charlottesville, and Tuscaloosa and spent his formative years in gymnasiums watching practices and games, picking coaches’ brains, getting to know the players, and gleaning as much information from them as possible. He was a “kid in a candy store.”  He was living a dream.  By high school, though, he realized that his ability didn’t match his desire or hoops IQ, so he set his sights on a career in coaching, and he pursued his calling with passion and dedication, attributes that define him to this day.  

Twelve years ago, after a four-year stint as an assistant at Wofford College, Peavey arrived at Collegiate to head the boys’ basketball program.

He quickly reached out to returning players and got to know them not just as athletes but, more important, as people.  He created a culture of team-above-self, thoughtful preparation, competitive spirit, and sportsmanship.  

From the very beginning, his guys bought in, and he became their mentor. His teams approached each day with joy, played with purpose, and never relented, even when faced with a marked talent differential that evolved over the years.

Peavey loved the experience.  He never minded spending four to five hours a day during the season planning, analyzing film, scouting, conducting practice, and coaching in games. And that doesn’t include “think time,” camps, and open gyms.

As the seasons rolled by, his commitment and enthusiasm never waned. His responsibilities beyond basketball increased and intensified, though, and he knew in his heart that something had to give.

Consequently, he’s made the difficult but typically well-considered decision to step away from basketball and focus his efforts and prodigious talents on the burgeoning demands of personal counseling in the Upper School.
    
“It’s a matter of time and fairness,” he explained.  “Dividing myself between counseling and basketball just isn’t fair to either entity. The basketball program is in a very good place.  Our kids are amazing. They’ll do great things with or without me.  It’s a privilege to be with them, but counseling gives me the opportunity to serve the greatest number of people.”

As a counselor, Peavey is constantly on call.  He has also developed a mindfulness curriculum that he teaches to all freshmen, as a Senior Seminar unit, and to adult groups both at Collegiate and in the community.
    
And he and Sarah, his wife of seven-and-a-half years, have two children – Bodhi (4) and Jane (almost 3) – who will enjoy having Dad around a bit more.

Throughout Peavey’s tenure, the Cougars have developed a reputation as a courageous, scrappy team that “leaves it all on the court” regardless of the strength of the opponent, score, or time remaining in the game, and along the way they’ve experienced many high points.

The latest came Friday when they scored a 69-54 victory over Trinity Episcopal, No. 8 in the Times-Dispatch Top 10, and avenged a 40-point loss to the Titans a month earlier.  

In 2011, they won the Henrico Holiday Hoops Tournament and in 2006 knocked off perennial Central Region power L.C. Bird in the Times-Dispatch Invitational after trailing the Skyhawks by five points with 30 seconds remaining.  

Alex Peavey, though, is more about the intangible and unquantifiable than results that appear in the agate type in the sports section. While winning is certainly important to him, he sees the bigger picture and teaches life lessons about competitive spirit, accepting victory and defeat with equanimity, and finding meaning in the team experience.

“When Alex says he’s going to do something, he does it to the max,” said Karen Doxey, Collegiate’s athletic director.  “He wants to do everything the right way.  You always get a quality effort and a quality product. He takes the time, he cares so much, and he always gives his best.”

Will there be regrets when the season ends?
    
“I don’t think so,” Peavey said.  “I have to practice what I preach from the mindfulness standpoint.  As cliché as it is, live in the present.  Regrets would only keep me in the past. I have nothing but gratitude for the opportunity to coach.  I’m grateful for the support, grateful for Collegiate’s standards and commitment to sports but also the bigger picture in life.  If we were only teaching our kids sports and not teaching them to be the best human beings they can be, we would all be disappointed.  I’m grateful that Collegiate’s priority is to put character first.”
                      -- Weldon Bradshaw