Personal Reflections

Definition of a Coach

coach (koch) n.

1. a person who trains an athlete or a team

2. to instruct as a coach

3. to work as a coach

Coach Turek (koch ter’ik) n.

1. Shows how very much he cares

2. Gives the second effort that is rare

3. Lets his pride shine radiantly through

4. Is a fighter and a winner

5. Dedicated to success

6. Develops talents into skills

7. Has fire in his eyes

8. Established a remarkable program

9. Instills pride in the Lady Maroon fans, players and future players

10. Will never be replaced

11. First rate

12. Of extraordinary ability and achievement

13. Carries on great traditions

14. An inspirational role model

15. Never lets a player give up, nor does he

16. Respected

17. Notable speaker

18.Inspires players to give 100%

19. Modest in victory, gracious in defeat

20. OUR CHIEF MIGHTY MAROON

Anna Hallock #35

1995-97

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my hero

Click for picture and reflection

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That's All I Expect

I laced up my white and midnight blue cross-trainers at 5:30am. (Usually, I would still be sleeping for another two and a half hours.) With my Lady Maroon gym bag on my shoulder and lemon-lime Powerade in hand, I managed to quietly close the door at 1516 Hewett. I headed down the hall and stepped into the elevator. Soon it opened on the main floor. I pushed open the front door of Hewett Hall and felt the chilly autumn wind dance upon my face. I had begun the 15 minute journey across campus that I had waited a long time for; the journey to Redbird Arena. I didn’t know what the outcome of today would be, but I did know that I was going to try my hardest and give everything I’ve got.

I pulled open the southwest doors. The last time that I had walked through the doors of Redbird Arena, the Lady Maroons were walking out with a second place trophy. I knew that there were no trophies or medallions this time; there was just a slight chance of becoming a Lady Redbird. I walked down the bleachers to the court. It was so hollow that you could hear every sound in thee whole arena. I quickly substituted my cross-trainers for court shoes and pulled off my black Nike warn-up pants and my EHS Lady Maroon pullover. Then I selected one of the round orange basketballs from the rack. The first bounce echoed around the whole arena. Soon, the head coach called the nine of us to mid court. She spoke for a minute or two and then we began executing drills that I had been doing since the fourth grade.

After an hour of us showcasing our skills, coach brought us together at center court again. She explained that they already have a full roster and they really are not looking to add any. She thanked us for trying out. I walked over to the pile of gym bags, put my warm-ups back on and cut off the ankle tape one last time. My 11 year career has come to a completion.

Now it is time to move on and begin new adventures.

I didn’t want the trills of basketball to stop and I wasn’t ready to hang up the shoes. But I do have a lot of sensational memories that I will cherish forever. I left everything on the court. It wasn’t good enough to make the team, but it was good enough for me because I did my best. That’s all I expect.

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a place to call home

July 6, 1997

Blink. The speed at which high school passes through your life. There are no more bells to be heard, no more ID tags to be sported, and no more combination locks to be rotated. The last locker has closed. It feels like we just walked out the doors one day and it was over. There was no warning that this was the final event. All that is left is the precious memories of Elgin High School. EHS opened my book. Each empty page is now filled with lots of smiles, laughter, and friendships. Some (Dad and Ali) think that EHS is one big picnic. But so what, I learned a lot about academics and about people. I loved being there. Elgin High made me feel important and special. Is high school the best time of your life? I hope not because that means that from here on everything is downhill. High school was fun, but there is so much more to see and do. There are more people to meet and more places to explore.

College is an experiment. It is an analysis of your independence. It challenges your values. It indicates your future. You have your own home, you have your own schedule and you wake up on your own(I need help with this one)! College makes you think about the rest of your life. College makes me feel old--and I’m only 18 ½ . Even though my childhood seems to be wandering off; I will always be able to recall the lessons that I have learned and revive the experiences that have made me who I am.

Illinois State will offer me the opportunity to gain many new friendships and creative ideas. I know that Ali and I will have a blast. Joining the College Republicans and other activities will keep us busy; but we will always be there if one of us needs an ear to listen or needs someone to share a bucket of Moose Tracks ice cream with.

I am looking forward to August 14, the day I begin to call 1516 Hewett "home".

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The Invincible Red

You have been doing it for years and you have made mistakes, but no one was around to witness it. So maybe you do it again. You have never been caught so you must be invincible. Then you look into the rear view, red and blue lights are reflected into your eyes and you are overwhelmed with anger and defeat. Was the cop speeding? No. Angry and frustrated because you were caught being careless. Maybe you were lucky to pay $100 and go to traffic school. Your first ticket could have been issued to you in the hospital. And maybe now you will keep your eye on the odometer like you were taught in driver’s ed. So now you never lose sight of the control panel. The ticket is paid, traffic school is arranged and you are once again invincible. It could not happen twice within two weeks. Well, maybe it could if you do not properly yield at an intersection. You might end up smashed between a curb and a squad car. Yes, a squad car. Now you just want to cry. There will be court dates, lawyers, more cops, insurance, rentals, repairs and more money. Maybe a $2,407.05 State Farm estimate, a lawyer fee, raised premiums, and a complete headache will keep your mind focused as you shift and thankful you are not injured. Some lessons are quite expensive.

And now you can screw the plates on and take the Cavalier to it’s first oil change.

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Don't Ever Give Up

Michael Jordan, Carrie Strug and Flo-Jo; just some of the athletes who have influenced the world. They inspire us to hope, they encourage us to dream, they give us the confidence to believe in ourselves. You pretend that you are as close to them as you are to your own television, and you imitate their every move when no one is watching. When they succeeded, a little part of you steps up onto the platform and accepts that gold medal with them. Their names are engraved in the record books and you recognize their faces on cereal boxes; but the real reason you call them heros is because they don’t give up.

Determination is not reserved for the professional level. If you consider some past EHS athletes you will find it there as well; and if you reflect deep enough in your own heart, I’m sure you will find it there too. Determined athletes have Maroon pride inscribed in their hearts. They inspire others to find that pride also. Players like Sammy Sauceda and Bill Chesbrough have furnished the Old Elgin High School Gymnasium with not only talent and skill, but desire. Most of us never had the opportunity to watch those sensational players. But we did have the opportunity to observe players like Melissa Parker and Leslie Schock. These girls were not called the dynamic duo just because one was 6 foot 3 and the other had natural gun fighter hands. These girls were champions because they would not let their team give up...... They would not let their team quit.

A champion does not give up on themselves either. Are you the athlete sleeping during 6 a.m. conditioning? Are you the athlete missing weeks of games and practices because you were not working hard enough in the classroom? Did you know that a Junior Maroon was peaking around the red curtain as you were dogging those line drills? Or were you the athlete who swam your fastest even when the coach wasn’t looking? The athlete who stayed after practice to perfect the curve ball?

Along with having a tremendous amount of desire, to be that true champion you must also have a dream; a vision of events to come. When you lay awake at night, you can see yourself clear the hurdles or line up the put. All through the night you are swinging a bat or blocking a goal in your sleep. In the locker room the next day, you picture yourself shooting a jump shot to win the game. But the most important part of these dreams is that no matter how much it seems like it is not coming true; don’ t ever give up.

For a few of us sitting here tonight; we will never have the chance to play in an Elgin uniform again, our time is up. But the important life long skills that we learned by being athletes will be with us the rest of our lives. We are predicted to be more successful in the work world and more successful in our general life.

Many of you here may remember Coach Jim Valvano of North Carolina State, who died after a life long battle with cancer. He had a very similar approach to sports and life, which he describes in his 1993 farewell speech. Whether we are in the game, on the bench, at home listening to the play by play, or carrying on your everyday lives and jobs, Coach Valvano’s advice reaches us all. He says, "It is so important, to know where you are and to know how to get to where you want to be. You have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. You have to be willing to work for it, but most importantly, don’t give up, don’t ever give up." It was these words of self encouragement that kept Coach Valvano stable as he battled with cancer and fought for his life.

So Seniors, next year, when you are in that big college game and you think that you can’t win; or next year when you are facing your first college final exam and you think you can’t pass; or ten years from now, you are faced with family or business tragedy and you don’t think you can survive; please remember Coach Valvano and his most important advice as he faced his death: "Don’t give up, don’t ever give up."
Written by Angie and Anna Hallock, presented by Angie Hallock at the EHS Varsity Banquet 1999.
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