Dentist gets smiles on, off court

Dentistry may be Greek to most of us, but with Jim Psomas, it's the other way around.

Psomas is the son of Greek immigrant parents and a longtime Valley dentist. He currently partners with Drs.

George Bourekis and Scott Warnica. The three work from an office on Mission Avenue.

Although the Valley has always been home, Psomas appreciates his heritage and has visited his parents' native country. Unlike his father, though, he was already married when he went.

At age 56, the elder Psomas and a friend returned to Greece to look for brides. He married a 21-year-old and brought her back to Spokane. When Jim was born, his father was in his mid-60s. The last of three children, Psomas grew up on a fruit and vegetable farm in the Valley and graduated from East Valley High School. He also played varsity basketball and golf for the Knights.

After earning a degree in chemistry from the University of Washington, he began preparing for the career he had wanted most of his life.

"I was probably six years old when I decided I wanted to be a dentist," he said. "All along that was what I wanted to do."

Both of Psomas' parents supported his goal. Although they had gone to school through only fourth-grade in Greece, they stressed the benefits of education to their children.

Psomas can't point to a defining moment that led him to dentistry. He just latched on to that career and never considered any other.

Giff Marleau, Psomas' sister, has always been impressed with her brother's determination and focus.

"He's very goal-oriented," she said. "If he sets a goal, he sees it through. He's very easygoing on the surface, but he's very intense and competitive. He really enjoys what he does."

Dentistry isn't the only endeavor that has brought him success, however. His competitive nature finds an outlet on the basketball court.

Doctor is one of Psomas' two titles. He's also Coach Psomas, and when he's not running his dental practice, he's probably running basketball practice. For more than a decade, he has coached AAU youth teams and helped high school coaches develop local talent.

Success in dentistry has bred success on the court. Psomas' teams are typically among the best in their division each year. He recently led a team composed of several college-bound players during a national tournament in Las Vegas.

As with dentistry, though, Psomas had to earn his on-court success. His coaching career began with a baptism of fire. In 1989, he was helping coach an eighth-grade AAU team. The night before the first game, the head coach called and said he couldn't make it. He asked Psomas to fill in for him.

The team won by one point. Later that season, Psomas became head coach by default. "There was definitely a learning curve," he said. "I wasn't comfortable; I felt like I didn't know much. There are times now when I feel like I don't know much.

"Just like anything else, I constantly wanted to get better. I surrounded myself with competent people."

He attended coaching clinics. He read books on topics ranging from motivation to basic basketball principles. He sought advice from the best sources he could find.

Good teams soon became a Psomas hallmark, but not at the expense of developing relationships with players and parents. He won the esteem of opponents, too.

When some high-ranking local coaches realized they needed a showcase for the region's best high school talent, they decided to form a couple of elite traveling teams. To avoid claims of favoritism, they also needed a coach who was not affiliated with any school. Psomas was their man.

John Morrison, a longtime junior college coach, knows Psomas well. He has coached against him and refereed some of his games. Morrison's son, Adam, played for Psomas on the elite team.

"The thing that impresses me most about Jim is willing to help out even though he doesn't have a child playing," Morrison said. "This is not his business; this is just a hobby (for him). He tries to give back to the game, and he's good with kids."

Morrison said players see how dedicated Psomas is, and they respond by working hard also. And although basketball may not be Psomas' profession, he draws plenty of smiles off the job as well as on.

Both dentistry and basketball are serious matters, though, and Psomas knows that.

His guiding principle is to seek perfection and come as close as possible to reaching it. That rings of some famous ancient Greek thinkers. Psomas draws on that tradition and proves it still works.

And that's all good. Of course, it will always be Greek to Psomas.

Copyright 2002 Cowles Publishing Company
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.