vIVERSON continued from page 18 the NAIA Division II national tournament. In addition, daughter Kara, played for USD. Son Colton played at Minnesota before transferring to Colorado State for his senior year, leading the Rams to the NCAA Division I tournament. As MMC athletic director, Chuck guided the Lancers from a small program with an independent schedule to conference memberships and growth in the number of sports and athletes. MMC currently belongs to the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), considered one of the toughest NAIA leagues in the nation. “Back then (when I started), we had four sports and 45 athletes,” Iverson said. “Today, we have 17 sports with 250 athletes, along with two club sports.” Iverson said he didn’t take a hard line as a coach or athletic director. “I wanted people to feel comfortable around me,” he said. “As an AD, I didn’t want people to fear me. If they had something on their mind, I wanted them to talk to me about it.” In recent years, Chuck has enjoyed a re-connection with professional basketball. Colton, a 7-foot center, was picked 53rd overall by the Boston Celtics in the 2013 NBA draft. He played in the Celtics’ summer league. He didn’t appear headed for a roster spot, but the Celtics maintained their rights to him. Since graduating from college, Colton has played professional basketball in Turkey, Spain and Israel. “We’ve made three trips overseas to see Colton play international basketball,” Chuck said. “We were in Istanbul (Turkey), where you step back in time. Istanbul is so crowded, with 14 million people, it takes you a while to get through the city. It’s almost claustrophobic.” Colton next played in a Spanish city of 250,000 residents as part of the Euroleague, Chuck said. The smaller city had more of a wide-open atmosphere compared to Istanbul’s hustle and bustle, he added. Most recently, Colton played for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Premier League. Chuck said he was astounded by the mix of Biblical and modern settings in the same nation. “Tel Aviv is ultra-modern, like any U.S. city. Then you go 30 miles out, and it’s like being back in Christ’s time,” he said. “You’re walking the same steps that Jesus walked. You read the Bible, and you’re setting foot in the same area. It’s mind blowing.” The Iversons ran into another mixture of Biblical and modern life. “Colton and I prayed at the Wailing Wall. The women were sent to another area to pray, so Carla and Colton’s wife just waited for us,” Chuck said. “After we were done praying, we started walking away. People came up to us, mostly little kids, to get a picture with Colton. It all seemed surreal.” It’s so great to watch your son play. You get the chance to be exposed to all sorts of culture. Colton has returned to the United States, where he’s assessing his future. In one respect, he’s followed his father’s footsteps. Chuck lifted his legs, showing his large feet. “My shoe size is 16, but Colton’s got me beat — he’s a size 18,” Chuck said with a laugh. Fond Farewells Chuck looks forward to his final year at MMC. He believes the athletic department has been left in good hands with new athletic director Chris Kassin and the rest of the staff, including new men’s basketball coach Cody Schilling. “Chris and Cody will be tremendous assets,” he said. However, Iverson said he will miss the relationships he has developed with the MMC staff, players and parents, and the community in general. “As for President Marc Long, I believe in his leadership and direction. He has attracted quality people,” Iverson said. “I’m proud to be part of this college. Great things are happening, and we have a really exciting future.” Iverson credits one other special group in his life. “The (Benedictine) Sisters are great people to be around,” he said. “We have tremendous hospitality here, and there isn’t anything the Sisters won’t do for the college and community.” Iverson remains forever grateful for the many gifts that basketball has brought to his life. “Basketball opened up a lot of possibilities. I was so fortunate how things fell into place,” he said. “I met a lot of good people, and the sport instilled a discipline that I use in everyday life.” Iverson lives just a few miles from his boyhood farm near Meckling and his college years at Vermillion. However, he has also come a long way since then in terms of achievements. “I’m very fortunate and blessed,” he said. “How can you not have a good outlook on life?” vBy Randy Dockendorf Visit Yankton.net For All Things Yankton! -Things to Do -Calendar of Events -Dining & Entertainment -Directory And much more!! -Local News -Shopping Serving the Yankton area for over 20 years online and over 156 years in print! HISVOICEvSEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017v19