CAMDEN — There’s a lot more to life than just winning games.

A day after the Holy Cross High School varsity basketball team suffered its third overtime loss of the year, coach Barry Harper’s plan was to bring the teenagers together for a trip to Camden.

But this trip wasn’t for a game. It was for the team and managers to serve the needy at a Camden soup kitchen.

“This is a life lesson for the kids,” Harper said. “It helps them to put their lives in perspective. It demonstrates to the kids how fortunate they are.

“We are 10 minutes away and we’re in a situation where’s there’s a lot of misfortune,” Harper said as hundreds of people started to make their way in the door of the Cathedral Kitchen.

The Cathedral Kitchen is a Camden-based nonprofit organization that serves meals to the homeless and needy people in the area.

Harper said trips to the soup kitchen give the students a chance to serve those in need and a grim look at reality.

“For so many at the soup kitchen, self-esteem and hope are gone,” he said. “They never had any opportunities to get out of their situation.”

Regardless, Harper believes in community service and has brought the basketball and track teams to the soup kitchen about six times a year for more
than a decade.

Alan Bacho, 18, of Cinnaminson said he’s volunteered at the soup kitchen three
times.

“I’m all for it. I love doing it,” said Bacho, a forward on the Lancers basketball team. “I like looking into people’s eyes after I serve them, knowing I did a good job helping out.”

“It just feels good to help out those who didn’t catch a break once in their life,”
Innaurato said.

Cathedral Kitchen coordinator Theresa Jones said the nonprofit couldn’t do what it does without the assistance from volunteers. And she agrees with Harper on the importance of serving the community.

“It teaches them a chance to see what’s going on in the world,” Jones said. “We’re all just one step away from going to a soup kitchen.”

Basketball team manager Karley Kolankiewicz, 18, of Southampton said the trip to Camden was eye opening.

“It makes you thankful for what you have and reminds you to help out others,”
Kolankiewicz said.

Harper couldn’t have been anymore happier to see the team and managers get the message.

“Service is what we’re for,” Harper said.

As for the team, he said he remains hopeful that it will bounce back from its 2-9 record to start the season.

But even if the season doesn’t end with a championship, the players can still consider themselves successful.

“There’s more to life than winning basketball games,” Harper said.

Email: tmchale@phillyBurbs.com

A bit over a year ago, there was every reason to believe that Holy Cross coach Barry Harper had seen, much less coached, his last high school basketball game. An aneurysm in his abdomen in the days before the Lancers holiday tournament appearance in Wildwood left him in a hospital bed, literally fighting for his life.

Several surgeries and the most talented surgeons at both Lourdes Hospital of Burlington County and the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center brought Harper back from the brink.

These days, Harper is back, still fighting, but for traveling calls and fouls that may or may not have been missed by the referees. He's a little lighter and pays better attention to what he eats and drinks, but by every other measure, not much has changed.

"Harp is still Harp," senior Chris Keating said. "He brings the same amount of energy he's always brought. It's great to have him back. He's helping us out a lot."

The Lancers started the season at 0-6 but Harper insists that three of those losses were winnable. The Lancers have won the last two, over Medford Tech and in overtime against Delran. In the second win, a county assistant who was scouting the game claimed that Harper willed his team to victory.

Of course, Harper wouldn't dream of crowing about his role in any win but he is clear on one thing, it's good to be back.

"This is heaven," Harper said. "I can't even put into words what it's felt like to be back with these kids. Last year as hurting as I was, it helped me heal just being around the students here. I didn't have the time to dwell on the pain I was in or dwell on any fears I might have had. It's great to be back coaching. I don't know if I'm doing the best job but I just got another clean bill of health so maybe I can turn it back up another notch."

His players don't feel that they're being short-changed in any way despite Harper's standard for his own performance. Heck, it's tough to notice any change in his game day demeanor at all.