Three Rivers coach Gene Bess does a demonstration during a girls basketball camp Thursday at the Bess Activity Center. (Alex Abate/DAR) [Click to enlarge]

By ALEX ABATE ~ DAR Sports Writer

Three Rivers coach Gene Bess moves his hands up and down through his chest imitating the perfect form for the beginning of a jump shot as dozens of girls watch Thursday during a summer basketball camp at the Bess Activity Center.

Bess shows the same intensity in his voice and focus with his movements as he always has, but a closer look reveals something slightly different about Bess' appearance. On his hip is a heart monitor.

The monitor has a cord that runs from the unit and connects to Bess' chest. It records his heart activity and if he feels anything abnormal, he is to have the episode recorded and reports it to his doctor.

Bess was ordered to wear the monitor after he lost consciousness and his heart stopped and then restarted at church on June 29. After being admitted to the hospital for a few days, Bess was released but will have the monitor on for a month. Bess is still somewhat unsure of what caused the scare but as he completes a few more tests, he will stick to his regular routine.

"The episode I had was pretty traumatic," Bess said. "It was kind of one of those situations that is somewhat alarming, the heart monitor is just simply trying to find a cause for the situation that occurred."

Bess awakes early in the morning for his workout just like he has been doing for several years now. He has also been doing many basketball demonstrations during his basketball camps at the college.

"I have been back out doing my normal routine and then with the monitor on, I have had no problems," Bess said. "Right now, I am starting to feel good again."

Bess hasn't hit "record" on the monitor yet but if something arises, he won't hesitate to do so.

"I haven't punched it yet, but if I get real short winded or something, then I will punch it and get the information that the doctors want to get from that," Bess said. "They want to know if something happens during my normal routine."

Assistant coach Brian Bess, who is entering his 16th season alongside his father, hasn't noticed the change in his appearance.

"I haven't really noticed (the monitor) or anything," Brian Bess said. "I want him to get a bunch of tests and figure out what is going on."

When asked if he was at all worried or concerned about the incident, Gene Bess said his immediate family was more impacted by it than him.

"Not me, I think my family is a little (worried) maybe," Gene Bess said. "There was no pain involved and it happened really quickly, everything was actually pretty uneventful."

However, members of the team were a bit surprised to hear the news that Bess was in the hospital. Ken Bingham, a sophomore this upcoming season for the Raiders, said he just wants Bess to get better.

"It is OK, as long as he is pulling through it," Bingham said. "He is going to get better but it is kind of weird. He is still doing all the same things, ain't nothing that really does faze him."