Photo courtesy of Eric Muszynski holds up a trophy after a Hillman High School basketball game. Muszynski is one of four people being inducted into the Alpena Sports Hall of Fame this year at the annual banquet on Saturday.
ALPENA — From playing basketball at Alpena High School to coaching basketball at Hillman High School, Eric Muszynski has seen a lot of success in the sport over the years.
At Alpena High School, Musinski was the starting point guard and captain of the team that won three consecutive district championships in 1996-97 and 1997-98. He was named All-State Honorable Mention both seasons and earned All-Region, All-Conference and All-Alpena News honors as well as the team MVP honors. During his senior year, he again earned All-Region, All-Conference and All-Alpena News honors as well as the team's Coaches Award.
This year, Musinski will receive a new honor when he is inducted into the Alpena Sports Hall of Fame at its annual banquet on Saturday. The 1998 graduate of Alpena High School is one of four inductees this year.
Musinski said it was his grandmother who recommended him and that she always pushed him to succeed and helped him take the next step.
“I'm honored that she recommended and selected me,” he said. “There are so many great players at Alpena, and to think I'll be one of those talented players is just surreal.”
Musinski was born and raised in Alpena, but called other places home, including Mainz, Germany, between the third and sixth grades, because his father was in the military.
“I started playing basketball seriously in my third year at Mainz,” he says. “I actually got cut from the youth traveling team because I still couldn't use my left hand. When I got cut from the team in my third year, I was in a competitive atmosphere.”
But the competition motivated Muszynski, who tried his hand at other sports, adding football and baseball to his repertoire.
As a youngster, while playing baseball, Musinski led his Little League team to the 1992 Little League State Championship in Alpena, and that taste of success inspired him to want to replicate that feeling in basketball.
By the time Musinski arrived at Alpena High School, he was ready to put in the effort to help his team win, having watched basketball avidly on television and spent hours practicing.
“My teammates and I wanted to take Alpena basketball to new heights,” he said.
And they did just that, reaching the regional finals twice during their high school career.
Musinski scored 704 career points and still ranks in the program's top 20 in scoring, three-pointers made in a season (44) and career three-pointers made (81). He was a member of the Michigan Junior National Basketball Team in 1997 and played in the cross country state finals during his senior year.
After high school, Musinski went on to Alpena Community College where he played basketball and earned an associate's degree, and after graduating from the ACC he also played at Saginaw Valley State University where he earned a bachelor's degree in teaching, majoring in physical education and health and minoring in history.
Musinski has taught and coached at Hillman High School for the past 19 years, and now, after spending almost seven years as the school's athletic director, he is using what he learned as a player on the court to best serve his coaching interests.
“My high school basketball coach was amazing,” he said. “I learned a lot from him, not just as a player, but how to deal with kids, how to be a good coach for kids, how to make everyone feel included in the program and want to be a part of it.”
He won more than 300 games at Hillman and was the recipient of the Associated Press Class D State Coach of the Year award in 2016, the Basketball Coaches Association Michigan Region Coach of the Year award in 2010 and 2015 (nine other nominations) and the Alpena News Coach of the Year award nine times. He has coached two undefeated regular season teams and led teams to eight 20-win seasons. Additionally, his teams have won seven North Star League championships, eight district championships and four regional championships.
“It was also great to get my 300th win as a coach this year,” he said. “Not only is it rewarding as a coach, but it also means the team has had a good run over the years. It was emotional to celebrate all the current and former players who helped me achieve this feat.”
“Coaching is one of the most rewarding professions because of the guidance and education you can have,” he continued. “You can have a huge impact on kids. It's been amazing to be involved in athletics and education for the last 19 years.”
After years of success and many achievements to prove it, Musinski expressed his gratitude to those who have supported him along the way and expressed the honor of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“I want to thank my family for all their support, both as a player and as a coach. All of my coaches have had a huge impact on me,” he said. “I want to thank all of my players, former and current. And finally, my wife, who has been with me on this journey since high school. She has always been a supporting character in my basketball career, both as a player and as a coach. I'm grateful to her for allowing me to pursue my dreams.”
“I'd like to thank the voting committee for recognizing me as a Hall of Famer,” Musinski continued. “I was so happy to get the call. It was a happy moment for my boys, who were at the truck, to hear the call. My sons, Ty and Eli, were happy to share it with them, too. I was happy to call my grandma and let her know. She might have been even more excited than I was.”
On Saturday, at the Alpena Sports Hall of Fame's annual banquet, Musinski will make history alongside 2023 inductees Nathan Burden, Ashley Uno Williams and Tony Skiba.
“Basketball has always been good to me,” Musinski said. “I learned at a young age that if you have a good attitude towards basketball, basketball will give you a good attitude back.”
