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Malibu surfside news | February 15, 2017 | 35
For Cohen, it’s more than fun and games
Malibu senior
reflects on how his
sport shaped him
Ryan Flynn
Freelance Reporter
Last week, Malibu boys
basketball’s sparkplug likely
played his final home
game.
The final two games of
the regular season were like
a nostalgia tour for 18-yearold
Harrison Cohen. After a
Feb. 6 senior night, a 56-35
blowout loss to powerhouse
St. Bonaventure, the Sharks
took to the road two days
later and narrowly lost to
Santa Clara, a team coached
by Cohen’s former coach
and mentor Bobby Tenorio
49-43.
Tenorio, formerly the
Sharks’ head coach, is the
one who encouraged Cohen
to focus on only one sport.
Finding his niche, his role
on the team and his place
among his Malibu classmates
didn’t come easy for
Cohen. He moved from
Santa Monica to Malibu in
ninth grade. Struggling with
learning disabilities, in a
new place where he knew
basically no one, it was basketball
that truly helped Cohen
bloom.
“My freshman year at
Malibu, without basketball,
I don’t think I would have
been able to be myself,” Cohen
said. “My friend group
is so diverse because of this
game. It’s really helped me
come out of my shell.”
Through the team, Cohen
made friends and was
able to come into his own
in Malibu. He’d first gotten
into sports as a boy as a way
to combat his learning disabilities,
at the behest of his
mother.
Harrison Cohen, a senior on the Malibu boys basketball team, served as a spark of energy for the Sharks this year.
Photo Submitted
“I just really fell in love
with sports,” Cohen said.
“Towards fourth grade I
started to really love basketball.”
The game, he said, taught
him humility, trust, hard
work and teamwork. In addition
to junior varsity play
in Malibu, Cohen played
club and AAU ball all across
Los Angeles. Among highly
talented AAU teammates,
Cohen learned quickly how
to be a role player and fill in
all the gaps, be it through
grinding hard on defense or
making the extra pass. Cohen
also refereed at the local
YMCA, giving him the
ability to see the game from
another perspective.
His senior year, Cohen
finally got his shot with
Malibu’s varsity team. He
would come off the bench,
but as a do-everything player,
Cohen seemed perfect
for the role. Coach Richard
Harris often uses the word
“energy” when describing
the scrappy Cohen, who
said defense in particular is
something he takes pride in.
“When the crowd starts
chanting and you get a steal
or whatever, it starts to really
motivate you,” Cohen
said. “It raises your heart
rate and gets your adrenaline
up.”
The senior guard focuses
on being an “all-around
player” and it shows in his
play. Talkative and active
on the court, Cohen at times
can be a ball of energy for
Harris to call upon when the
team needs a spark.
“[Cohen] is a very hard
worker. He’s passionate
about basketball,” Harris
said. “He’s been a great addition
to the team. His energy
off the bench is a catalyst
to this team overall.”
With his high school career
coming to a close, Cohen
is looking toward a future
that may include some
more basketball at the college
level. He has received
offers from multiple schools
and plans to pursue a degree
in sports business or kinesiology.
In addition to Cohen, the
Sharks bid farewell to seniors
Cade McMillin and
Keaton Hicks.