Remembering ‘Christy’ | News, Sports, Jobs - Minot Daily News
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Remembering ‘Christy’

Former Minot, LSU coach Clarence ‘Christy’ Christenson passes

Submitted Photo Clarence “Christy” Christenson.

He was responsible for many memories on baseball diamonds and basketball courts throughout his lengthy coaching career. Clarence “Christy” Christenson, a native of Foxholm, died in Morgan City, Louisiana, last Wednesday. He was 82 years old.

Christenson made his mark in the coaching circles in North Dakota. He served as assistant basketball coach at Minot High School for nearly 20 years and was on the bench next to head coach Nick Olson for seven state tournament appearances, including state championships in 1965 and 1971.

Christenson got his start as a basketball coach in Harvey, which was the smallest school in Class A basketball at the time. He had success. Christenson’s 1961 Harvey team was the first basketball team in that school’s history to qualify for the state tournament.

While Christenson established himself as an excellent teacher of basketball fundamentals, he was also a familiar figure on baseball diamonds in Minot, and elsewhere. At age 19 he was named coach of the Minot American Legion team. He coached the Minot Legion nine to four Western Division titles, making six state tournament appearances in nine seasons.

Minot’s popular Babe Ruth baseball program got its start under Christenson. He coached the Minot Babe Ruth All-Stars from 1970-1973, leading the young teams to a third- and a fourth-place finish at the national level. He also coached numerous youth baseball teams with great success.

“He poured a tremendous amount of time in kid’s activities,” said Rich Feldner, Minot. “He was always coaching.”

Feldner was a young baseball player who flourished under Christenson’s tutelage. He also participated in another Christenson venture – “Christy’s Kids.” The “Kids” were a youthful bunch of basketball players that mimicked the skill demonstrations of the famed Harlem Globetrotters. The popular group performed during halftime of many high school basketball games, including an appearance at the state tournament level.

Christenson moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1973 where he joined former Minot State College teammate Dale Brown. At the time, Brown was the head coach of the Tigers men’s basketball team. Christenson was assigned to promoting LSU hoops which led to the formation of the LSU Tiger Tykes and Tots, a youth program patterned after his former Christy’s Kids. In addition, he conducted several basketball camps in Louisiana for youth from 4 to 12 years of age.

In 1979, Christenson became the assistant women’s basketball coach at LSU alongside the renowned Sue Gunter. The LSU women hoops squad averaged 20 wins a season, posting a 261-135 mark under Gunter and Christenson whom Gunter praised as “the best teacher of basketball fundamentals she had ever seen.”

A “Coach Christy Christenson Scholarship Fund” has been set up at Minot High School. Anyone wishing to donate is asked to contact Brittany Hogan at 701-818-2129.

(Prairie Profile is a weekly feature profiling interesting people in our region. We welcome suggestions from our readers. Call Editor Mike Sasser at 857-1959 or Regional Editor Eloise Ogden at 857-1944. Either can be reached at 1-800-735-3229. You also can send e-mail suggestions to msasser@minotdailynews.com.

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