Vince D’Adamo: What did you enjoy most about competing in athletics throughout your life?
Matt Knight: There were many aspects that I enjoyed about competing in different athletic endeavors throughout my life. I enjoyed the comradery amongst teammates, working hard to achieve a goal that was set by coaches and players, and just how sports kept me determined to always work to get better. I feel like it is important to always try to be the best person that you can be in whatever field you enter. Competing in athletics gave me the work ethic and drive that is needed to meet goals in life.
D’Adamo: What have you been doing since graduating from high school?
Knight: After graduating from high school in 2001, I went to college at Oregon State University where I earned a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science. My studies and passions ended up taking me to become a teacher. I knew that I wanted to be around the sport of basketball still and get into coaching. I loved being in Oregon so I decided to look for jobs in this state after graduating college. In 2007 I got hired as a Physical Education teacher at a small high school in southern Oregon called Illinois Valley High School, I have now been teaching and coaching there for 10 years. I was married in 2012 to my wife Jessica. This past December we just had our first child, her name is Whitney, and we have had so much fun being parents and taking this next step in our lives.
D’Adamo: What was your favorite class at Vintage High?
Knight: My favorite class at Vintage was probably 6th period PE. We just got to be with our basketball team working on getting better. I enjoyed being in the weight room with the guys and going through conditioning drills together getting ready for our season. I learned a lot in that class time that I still use in my daily life today being in the same working environment.
D’Adamo: What was your favorite athletic moment at Vintage High?
Knight: My favorite moment was in 2000, I was a junior, when our basketball team won the MEL for the first time in 23 years. From day one of that season all of our team members were on the same page. We knew that we had a great opportunity to win and do well with the group of players that we had. We all kept each other focused on that one goal of winning the league title. One of the best parts about that season was the competitiveness of our practices. From top to bottom of the roster guys worked as hard as they could in practice to give each other the best competition that we could get. The absolute best part about that season was beating Napa High School in the league title game. As it came down we needed to win our last game against our crosstown rivals to win the league, if we would have lost, it would have been a co-champions situation. With amazing performances by a few players we were able to pull out the victory.
D’Adamo: How much do you feel you have grown personally since graduating from high school and how much of that do you trace to athletics?
Knight: I feel like I have grown alot since graduating high school. I have had many influences in my life that have gotten me to where I am today. My high school coaches (Bob Hauck, Joe Densberger, and Mike Flohr) were amazing people that taught me a lot more than just basketball. From an athletics standpoint, I feel that playing sports has taught me a lot about teamwork, communication and work ethic. Those three aspects of life I need everyday in my job and family life so I guess I could say that sports has helped me grow immensely throughout life.
D’Adamo: Within your family, who have been the most influential people?
Knight: My parents would have to be the biggest influence that I have had in my life, they have always supported everything I have done and gave me great guidance in life. I would not be where I am today without their help and support. Also, my older brother Russ, has been a great influence in my life. I would give him a lot of credit for my work ethic in sports and in life. Russ is three years older than me so he was always bigger than me and I wanted so bad to beat him whenever we would compete in anything from video games to sports. I give him the credit for making me tougher and striving to be better than my opponents.
D’Adamo: Name a historical figure, dead or alive, in or out of sports you would most like to meet.
Knight: I would most likely like to meet all of the 1992 USA basketball dream team. That would be awesome to be able to be in the same room with all of those great players.
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