FREDERICKSBURG - Jim Stewart added it all up while most of his classmates learned to do the math.

Asked by a teacher about his future, the young Stewart never hesitated. He wanted to teach. He wanted to coach. Period.

Talk about an early commitment. Stewart was in second grade when he announced his plans.

"I don't know why," said Stewart, many years later. "Some people want to be firemen or policemen. Or they change their majors three or four times.

"I never wavered from that. I knew from the time I was a child what I wanted to do."

He's a grown man now, of course. Since leaving Treynor and then college behind, Stewart has lived the life he desired. And he's added up the victories along the way.

Stewart is about to start his 32nd season as a head basketball coach. He began at Fredericksburg High, and then took charge of the combined, Sumner-Fredericksburg program. Along the way, Stewart's won 413 games and made three state tournament appearances, the last coming a year ago. His 2002 Fredericksburg team finished second in Class 1A.

Born to coach? It's been an around-the-calendar job. At various times, he's been involved with baseball, volleyball, football and golf. But he's been a constant presence on the basketball court.

"I think I'm like most coaches," said Stewart. "I think I enjoy the competition against other coaches and seeing kids grow, seeing them develop. Obviously, if you have good players, it's more fun."

One of Stewart's players from a decade ago thinks the coach has a knack for making a team greater than the sum of its parts.

"First of all, he's just a tremendous Xs and Os guy," said Nate Steege, who played at Fredericksburg from 1995 through 1998 and now coaches the boys' varsity at Waverly-Shell Rock.

"He finds ways to get the most out of all his teams. He knows their strengths and their weaknesses. He does a great job in bringing out the best in every team he coaches."

Stewart also found a way to follow his father's footsteps. Eugene Stewart coached a number of sports, basketball among them, at Treynor and then at Iowa School for the Deaf in Council Bluffs.

As a kid setting his career course, Jim Stewart watched his father work with passion and discipline. He grew accustomed to life in the gym.

"I was there for two to four hours just about every day," said Stewart.

Following a multi-sport college career at Northwest Missouri State and Dana, Stewart got his job at Fredericksburg. And, for all the consistency in his life, he's also learned to be flexible.

He'll spread the court, if that will win a game. That style very nearly bought Fredericksburg an upset victory over a much bigger Bellevue Marquette team at the state tournament six years ago. Or if his team lacks size but loves to shoot the 3-ball, he'll do that.

Said Stewart. "I feel it's my job as a coach to put our kids in the best position to win."

Said Steege, "He's had a lot of different teams with a lot of different talent levels. We would adjust and focus on our strengths. That kept us in games every year."

Last season, Sumner-Fredericksburg found a way to win a lot of games. In fact, the Cougars reeled off 22 straight victories on the way to the state tournament. Many of them were dramatic. Stewart's boys rallied from 19, 23 and 12 points down to win in postseason play.

It was a wild and surprising ride, even for a veteran coach.

"Unbelievable," said Stewart. "I mean, you could play those games over in your head and ask yourself, ‘How did we do that?' The answer is, I don't know, but I do know the kids did it.

"The other coaches here will tell you the same thing. These are good kids - very competitive. They don't want to give up."

Another year is about to start for Stewart. Four starters return from the 2009 state tournament team, but the coach figures the Upper Iowa Conference will be a good one this winter.

The Cougars will play hard. Stewart will be an intense presence in practice and on game night.

It all adds up to success.

Said Nate Steege, "I think why so many people enjoy him as a coach is because he can be so intense on the court and be a really good guy off the court, as well.

"The big thing is, he has high expectations. I know he never settled for anything less than the best. That's what I try to tell my kids. The number one thing I took from him - and everybody goes about it a little bit differently - is to give your best everyday in practice and in games."