March Madness



This from Coe.edu website Sarah (25) and Kayla Waskow (22) 2008 Dunkerton grads play at Coe. March Madness begins for them Friday night.


Coe to host first-round NCAA women's basketball tournament


After winning the first Iowa Conference Women's Basketball Tournament Championship in school history, the Kohawks will now participate in and host NCAA Tournament games for the first time. The Kohawks will face-off against the University of Minnesota-Morris on Friday evening. Other teams in the tournament at Eby Fieldhouse include Lewis & Clark and Howard Payne University.

The Armored Train

Throughout the years I have had students ask me if I went to Woodstock. I always tell them I was the only seven year old to hitchhike there. Although, the day after the Wadena Rock Festival my mom piled my cousin and me into the car to drive down to Wadena, Iowa about 45 miles south of Cresco to see the remnants of that festival.

I can remember the adults talking about what was going on there; music, dancing, and hippies. Those hippies were causing problems outside of a town about the size of Littleton. I have talked about my neighborhood on here before and we had music, dancing and hippies around us.

I can remember riding with my friend’s older brothers and sisters and listening to what my dad would call that “damn hippie music”. Years later I can recall many of those songs, one of those I recall was Cat Stevens (he is now called Yusuf Islam) singing “Peace Train”. Here it is enjoy.



News From the Capital

In every war one of the aggressor’s goals is to take the capital city of the enemy. Well in Iowa girls’ and boys’ basketball the goal of every team is to qualify for the State Basketball tournament held at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

Although the Gladbrook-Reinbeck High School Girls’ Basketball team did not make the State Tournament this year, they and the West Marshall Girls' team are being honored at half –time of the second 2A semi-final game Thursday at the State Tournament for the national single game scoring record they set earlier in the season.

They are also being recognized at the Iowa Hall of Pride in Des Moines. It is a museum where they recognize communities and high schools from around the state and events that were special throughout those communities history. They are putting the basketball and a copy of the official score sheet from that game into the Hall of Pride.

If you missed the story here is the on line version from the Marshalltown Times-Republican.

National Scoring Record

The Paratrooper

In the early 1970's D.B. Cooper hijacked a commercial airline for $200,000 dollars and jumped out of the back stairwell of the airplane from about 10,000 feet. He was never caught. I can remember as an eleven year old kid being awed by this. All sorts of people were hijacking planes back then. The majority headed for Cuba.

Here is a story from seattlepi.com about the many theories of what happened to Cooper. One theory even had him as a woman. Click on the link below his picture. I hope you enjoy this.



D.B. Cooper

An Old War Horse

Angelo Dundee

Click the link above to read about boxxing trainer Angelo Dundee. He was a gentleman in a violent sport. Read his thoughts about Muhammad Ali in this interview from Fanhouse in October 2009.

Leave

The great Apache chief Lone Wolf

Friday is a day off. I get a free day for working two nights as well this week. Three days off, I may go to a college basketball game, walk a few miles down the river road, and even sleep an extra hour or two. Heck, I may even make a pilgrimage up to Cresco. Whatever I decide to do, this song comes to mind, and this video hits the dreams for those three days right on the head. Enjoy it. Here is Travis Tritt and “Great Day to be Alive”.



Foot Soldier

An email from Ron Rohn the Women’s Basketball Coach at Muhlenberg College in Allentown PA reminded me of the great Olympic Marathoner Abebe Bikila. He won the 1960 Olympic Marathon without any shoes, than he won again in 1964 with shoes. He was paralyzed in a terrible automobile accident before he died at the age of 41. Click on his name to read the story from Time Magazine.

War Hero's

Many people have commented about the blog over the Jesup High School State Champions. It has promoted many emails and comments about some of the best athletes to ever play sports at Jesup High School. I would like you as a reader to send me an email with who you believe the five to ten of the best athletes were (males and females), and what sport they played. Please do not send names of athletes that are still in high school.


My email address is jgillespie@jesup.k12.ia.us


Once I have accumulated a list, I will post them on this blog. Even if you just send two or three names that is fine.

Please send this to other people that have been associated with Jesup High School throughout the years.

Thanks for your help.

Automatic Weapons

“Gone in seven seconds” this is what they call the New York Knicks offense that Coach Mike D’Antoni brought with him from Phoenix. They are 26-24 at the All Star break, but in come two more elephants into the room to join Amare Stoudemire. They are the long awaited Carmelo Anthony and “Mr Bigshot” himself Chauncey Billups. Carmelo could average 30 points per game in D’Antoni’s system. And when they need a big basket in the playoffs, when all the others are mentally constipated, the only guy with a World Championship, Billups, will come through. LeBron who?

The Commander and Chief

" If I were to try and read, much less answer, all of the attacks made against me, this shop might as well be closed for any other business. I do the best I know how, the very best I can, and mean to do so until the end. If the end brings me out to be right, what is said against me will not amount to anything. If it brings me out to be wrong - ten angels swearing I was right would make no difference."

A.Lincoln

                                                                                                                                                                       

Victory Day

Two State Champions at Jesup this yearAustin Even recently won the 160 pound 1A State Championship in wrestling this year, and Lidsey Kite won the Girls' 2A 800 Meter Run. There are only seven other state champions in sports from Jesup High School.  Here they are:

Four State Champions in Wrestling

Richard Hunter 1960-1961 120lbs

Jerry Brown 1960-1961 127lbs

Gary Schmidt 1969-1970 165lbs

Mark Vogel 1973-1974 167lbs

Cross Country

1998 Girls' 1A State Cross Country Individual Champion
Heather Kite

1990  Boys 1A State Cross Country Team Championship
Mark Baldwin
Chad Weber
Clint Even
Darin Kite
Kurt Beyer
Matt Erpelding
Matt Jones

Track

1990 1A Girls 4 X 400 Meter Relay Champion

Nan Schlee

Jody Bolton (Note Change)
Dana Becker

Carrie Youngblut

Chinese Warfare



One of my favorite passages from the Tao Te Ching;

"Do that which consists in taking no action;

Pursue that which is not meddlesome;
Savor that which has no flavor.


Make the small big and the few many;
Do good to him who has done you an injury.


Lay plans for the accomplishment of the difficult before it becomes difficult;
Make something big by starting with it when small.


Difficult things in the word must needs have their beginnings in the easy;
Big things must needs have their beginnings in the small.


Therefore it is because the sage never attempts to be great that he succeeds in becoming great.


One who makes promises rashly rarely keeps good faith;
One who is in the habit of considering things easy meets with frequent difficulties.


Therefore even the sage treats some things as difficult.
That is why in the end no difficulties can get the better of him."

The Battle of Galesburg



The following is a quote from Evan Massey Head Girls' Basketball Coach in Galesburg, Illinois. It appeared on a discussion group about the System on Yahoo.

"Can the system work at tourney time?

The better the teams, the better you have to be- just like during the season. Our first two opponents both had won 20+ games. One had given up over 50 points only twice all year- we scored 48 in first half. The other was allowing around 52ppg- we scored 43 points in the first half.

We may get blown out some time but it won't because the System does not work, it will be because we did not execute the System well."

Playing Hardball



I watch as my friends children are now starting to get ready for baseball. It was just as important for me when I was young as well. I think although for maybe the wrong reason. Baseball on my mothers side of the family was religion. All of my mothers brothers were incredible players, long and lean, they could run, hit and they could throw.

One of them had been sparked by the Yankees until he joined the army in WWII. He was injured as grenade fragments entered his legs during the war. He struggled health wise for the rest of his life.

My cousins and I were expected to continue the tradition. My cousins and I had been made ultra competitive by our parents and so sports were a big deal to the entire Benson clan. Baseball was suppose to be the love thou, and it was for many of my cousins and their children.

As for me I struggled with baseball. My eye sight was bad, and so I was lucky to hit my weight in high school. My senior year I graduated at about135 pounds. I know I did not hit that well. Then there was my arm. I threw like a Russian shot putter. My arm always hurt me and the coach worked with me to change it, but I would always revert back to my Russian ways.

As far as the field. My hands were not quick enough, but I had a little foot speed so they put me in the outfield. Remember I could not hit because my eyes were so bad, now they put me 300 feet away from the ball. Each fly ball was an adventure when ever it was hit toward me, then there was the matter of the throw back to the infield.

Thank God I had no options with baseball after high school. I loved basketball for many reasons and that became my passion, thou the main reason may have been I could see what was going to hit me.

Presidential Medal of Honor

Celtic Great Bill Russell has had such a large impact on basketball and his community. Because of this, President Obama awarded him the Medal of Honor. See his thoughts on this important happening on this CNN video.

Bill Russell on the Medal of Honor

He is a Sniper

Have you ever watched the movie "O Brother, WhereArt Thou"? It is a wonderful movie that people of all ages can watch. There is a line in there that 'The Wharvey Girls' say. Talking about the man their mother is about to marry they say "He's a Suitor". Well If they were talking about Jimmer Fredette they would say "He's a shooter." Enjoy this Strongside/Weakside, from the Onion Sports Network.

Jimmer Fredette

Return Fire

The following was a response from Jesup Boys' Basketball Coach Hugh DeBerg about my "Retribution" article. He see's things very clear. He wanted me to put it in my comments, but I thought it was too good to waste there. Thanks Coach.



G:


Kids specializing in a given sport is absolutely crazy in my mind, many of our celebrated professional athletes from the state of Iowa were 4 sport letter winners, and it does not matter what size of school they attended. There are several in state college coaches that want their recruited student/athletes to have experienced all sports available while in high school. One can go to the Iowa State University Ladies Basketball web-site and look at the number of student/athletes on that squad that were multi-sport athletes in high school, and very successful ones at that. Student/athletes need to experience as much as they can while they are in high school, because when they graduate, it is far too late for many to experience the rewards gained from competition. I have one question, how many 4 sport letter winners has our own Jesup Community Schools put out in the past 5 years? Not many come to mind quickly, and we are a small school that should and needs to have multiple 4 sport athletes for our boys and girls athletics programs. Off my soap box, crazy that we need to be discussing such things. H.DeBerg

Retribution



I am afraid a conflict has been started between girls' basketball coaches and volleyball coaches throughout the state. During the basketball season, volleyball players that are out for basketball play in tournaments on the weekends sponsored by the USVBA. It runs the players ragged and sometimes forces athletes to make a decision between the two sports.

Recently, I have heard talk about basketball starting a United States Basketball Association (USBBA) in the fall of the year. This all goes back to an earlier post of mine where we are forcing athletes to choose or specialize in sports.

In USVBA volleyball athletes are paying about $500.00 to be part of it. They are also going out and soliciting sponsorships as well. Is there no stopping this wear on our athletes and on our purse strings?

Can you imagine our athletes playing softball all summer, volleyball during the week, basketball on the weekends in the fall, basketball during the week and volleyball on the weekends in the winter, running track during the week in the spring and playing softball on the weekends, then last but not least while they are playing softball in the summer they are playing basketball on the weekend. Where in tar nation does it stop.

I understand why the number of athletes out for sports is going down, they are tired of being pulled in multiple directions. I can not say that I blame them.

Now back to the fall basketball tournaments. We are talking more money, more time, and more conflicts. I do agree if I was a head basketball coach I would be a little disappointed if an injured or tired basketball player was going during the season every weekend and playing. I can understand a couple of weekends but not regularly. Before you volleyball people get your undies in a bunch can't you see the problem if coaches start to push their players into USBBA clubs. If I was an athlete, I would yell UNCLE!!!!!!

We must have an armistice among the coaching staffs and stop this, or we will kill high school sports.

The Gang of Three

"When we see what astonishing things our teams can do when we take off the shackles, it is a wonder that the System is still the best kept secret in basketball (or at least the most misunderstood)." Doug Porter Head Womens Basketball Coach Olivet Nazarene University

I am convinced Doug Porter, Gary Smith, and David Arsenault are ten years ahead of their time in their thinking when it comes to coaching basketball. Remember, people also questioned and doubted Roger Bannister as he trained and prepared to run the sub-four mile.

Camp Louisville

"I'm hansome, I'm fast, and can't possibly be beat." Muhammad Ali

Every generation has their sports hero. This generation has LeBron James and Tiger Woods, last generaion had Michael Jordan, my generation had "The Greatest" Muhammed Ali. I can remember the adults saying that he talked to much. Regardless, the males of my generation idolized him.

Freakwater

"The Louisville Lip"

Critics of War

"Impossible is Nothing"

The greatest in all the world.

Muhammed Ali- Impossible is nothing Adidas- "The Long Run"

The Navy

“Let us cross the river and rest in the shade on the other side.” ‘Stonewall’ Jackson

From the time I have come to Jesup the Wapsipinicon River has become important to me. I love to fish and canoe it. It is a place of solitude and peace for me. The first house I ever owned was thirty yards from that river on the old Kennedy farm. Many times the river would rise and get to the foot of my door, but it never came into my house. It flooded my well many times and burned up my pump though.

Yet as the river flooded and threatened me and others, for some reason I found a calmness about it that brought comfort to me. Maybe that is why I so dearly love Roger Millers song “River in the Rain.” I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.



Pride In Battle

The first year we went to Moscow was 1994. It was one of my dreams to coach an American team internationally. As I said in an earlier post we were the first U.S. Women’s team to go into Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union. The Russians had played in a tournament down in Florida and we had been offered the return trip later in that summer.


We arrived in Moscow on a beautiful warm July day. We were picked up by an interpreter with an old Mercedes Benz passenger bus. As we drove through the city we were all in awe as we were now in what was five years earlier our country’s biggest enemy’s capital city. Although the name escapes me now, we were taken to a hotel that sat up high in the city overlooking the 1980 Olympic Village. About a block from us was Moscow State University, and another six blocks from us was the residents of former Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev. What the amazing thing was at sort of diagonal from our hotel was a practice ski jump smack in the middle of Moscow.

In that hotel, each floor that we were on had a babushka, whose job was to grandmother those people on her floor. They were extremely kind to us, although they could speak little English.

It was in this hotel that first year that perhaps I have one of the greatest memories of all the years that I have traveled internationally. The morning of our first games, we told the girls’ to be dressed and ready to go at 11:45, game time was one o’clock and the venue was about a half an hour away.

The girls’ were apprehensive and nervous, and wanted to go down to the hotel lobby and wait for the bus. The hotel had very small elevators and so I went down to the lobby early to get out of the way of the players and the other coaches. What I saw next is frozen in my mind as the players came out of the elevators dressed in their U.S.A. uniforms and warm-ups, carrying their U.S.A. bags, the entire hotel came to a standstill. Cleaning ladies, desk clerks, guests, everyone stopped in what I can best describe as awe and reverence.

I do not know if they were surprised to see so many Americans, if they were impressed with how the girls’ acted and carried themselves, or if they were as stunned as we had been on arrival to see Americans in their city, but that moment of time is frozen in my mind.

People in our country today do not understand the extreme honor it is to represent our country.

Grace Under Fire

Talk about grace, here is a great story about four star Army Gen. Peter Chiarelli. CNN contributor Bob Greene's article talks about how some famous and powerful people show magnanimous virtue and understanding in unique situations.

Grace Under Fire

Battle Field Blues

Where I live is heaven, there is no other house with in a quarter of a mile of me, the river is within two hundred yards, and there are four ponds within a mile. Place me then on the prettiest road in Buchanan county and I love it. With that said I love to travel. I have many places I love to visit, two of those cities include Dublin Ireland and Austin Texas. Both places I feel comfortable and at ease, something that is hard for me to do in a city. Guy Clark mentions both of these cities in his wonderful song "Dublin Blues". I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.

Images of War

One of the first days I came to Jesup I was in Larry Baldwins home. He and his wife Rhoda adopted me the first couple of years I was here. In their house they had two caricature prints done by local artist Mort Donlea. I was so impressed and so jealous. Mort had the ability to capture the person in his art.

It was the 1990 Cross Country season that Mort first did a picture of me, and I was so very happy and proud. He was kind enough always to give me more hair and less weight then I really had. That picture was a gift of the Cross Country team.

Mort did a number of pictures for me in the years to follow. Another he did that is included on this page is one of the Senior Cross Country runners of 2002. It was always a treat to go to Mort's home because of the art and the architecture. He was also a tremendous gardener. Over the years, I have become friends with his wife Joyce, his children, and grandchildren.

Mort was a very special man with a special talent. He was taken too quick from us. He gave many people in Jesup gifts of his art that will keep him alive in our memories.

The Dark Side of War

Coach Bailey from Gladbrook-Reinbeck talks about deciding to become a system coach.

"I am officially on the dark side. I had talked to Coach Gillespie last spring about the possibility of implementing the System this season. I struggled with the decision having been a traditional coach for 20 years! I made the decision the weekend before the season began. Coach Gillespie helped my staff and I to get things going and showing us the basics. It has been a learning process for myself and the team. We struggled a bit early at reaching our goals and thus we lost 4 of our first 5 games. About the middle of December we were able to defeat a good team on their home floor while reaching all five of our system goals for the first time. From that point on it seemed like the light came on for our kids, they realized the importance of the goals as they related to giving us a chance to be competitive and win ballgames. We finished our season this week with a 14-7 record while winning our last 8 games. We are leading the State of Iowa in many offensive categories including: points scored 1636; points per game 77.9; field goals made 600; field goal attempts 1528; 3 point attempts 533; 3's made 157. The most amazing stats of all are this is a team with all of the same players from last season, that won three ballgames, and averaged 39.5 points per game. If that isn't an endorsement for the System I don't know what is!!!! Our players, parents, and fans are having a blast as am I. The gym is full when the girls game tips off. This was not the case last season. I have been blessed with great kids who work hard and an administration that said lets try it. My only regret is that I did not tune into the System earlier."

MASH

In sports you here the "We are family" thrown around a lot, but the head baseball coach at Wake Forest practices what he preeches. Read about him here on a blog from CNN.

Taking Care of Family

Artillery

Here is the Marshalltown Times-Republican article on the game between the girls' high school basketball teams from West Marshall and Gladbrook-Reinbeck. They set the national scoring record for total points in a game at 240. It was truely a system game in all aspects.

What fun. Shootout

That's the Way That the World Goes 'Round

I've talked about John Prine and his great song writing. The incredible part is so many fine artist sing his music. One of those artist is a young person named Macyn Taylor. The commercial stations have not found her yet. She travels a few days a year and she posts on YouTube. She is a talent to be reckoned with.

The Battle of Moscow

In the years from 1994-1996 we took Girls basketball teams from Eastern Iowa to Russia. The team we took in 1994 was the first women’s’ basketball team to go in from the U.S. after the Soviet Union fell. Some of the players that went the first year included Emily Bailey and Lori Hopkins from Gladbrook-Reinbeck, and Heather Bickert and Heather Bierschmit from Jesup. Coaches included Virgil Hovden and Nick Donlea, what a super trip that was. What an honor it is to represent your country in basketball internationally.

All three years we were sponsored by the Trinta Basketball School in Moscow. They were part of the engine of the old Soviet sports makeup. In the Soviet days what they would do for sports like basketball, is go to primary schools looking for the best athletes for certain sports and put them into schools that specialized in that sport. Trinta was one of those schools.

Trinta was a boarding school so they had dorms and a kitchen to put us up in. It was located in the heart of Moscow. It had an asylum on one side, a crematorium on one side, and a refrigerator plant on one side. They cremated bodies during the night on Tuesdays and Thursdays. That smell will stay with me the rest of my life. There was a pond on the grounds of the asylum where people would go swimming, some of the sights we saw there were quite unique as well.

The superintendent at the school was a woman and one of the coaches at the school. Her husband cooked for us when we stayed at the Trinta School. He had also cooked for Fidel Castro in Cuba at one point of his life. The car he drove was given to him by Castro. Part of our breakfast every morning included porridge. Although the Russians went out of the way to see that we ate well, we always tried to work in a lunch at McDonald’s and a supper at Pizza Hut. There Pizza Hut supreme pizza included corn on it.

We always went in August of each year so that anyone who played high school softball in the summer here in Iowa could go. Sometimes because of that they struggled to get us games because players and their families would leave Moscow for vacation in August. Now that I think about it that is similar to here.

One day  the second year we went the Superintendant came to me and said the team we were supposed to play could not get enough players together, she asked if it was alright if they put together a group of players to play us. I said sure we just wanted games. She scheduled us to play that day at one.

As our athletes were warming up, players started to arrive. One lady that walked in had a three year old by the hand. Another lady that walked in had a five year old and a baby in a stroller. Both of the ladies laced up shoes and started to warm-up, they had about five other high school age girls on their team.

What proceeded to occur was the largest beating, any team I ever coach took. The final score was 119-19, the mother that came in with the two children had 53 points and 27 rebounds, the other mother only had 28 points. They were open to shoot when they crossed the half-court line, absolutely amazing. That night at supper, the superintendant told me that they both had played on the Soviet Olympic team.

At least Napoleon had the excuse that he had got his army caught in Moscow in the winter.

Parachute Pants

Sometimes I think I need to wear parachute pants so I have enough pockets to keep the money in I need to carry. The reason being we have so many fundraisers in school and community wide. No complaints, because as an educator, I have been part of many over my years of coaching and teaching.

I know that in our community we have several fundraisers presently happening, two of the main ones being for an all-weather track, and the other being for a Buchanan County Humane Society(Animal Rescue).Because of all of these fundraisers I think we should use tax money to build a recreation department.

I have spoken and received emails from many people who see this as being something that would be very positive for our community. There are many people who are stronger then I am when it comes to how much money this would cost our community, and/or would be able to figure out what this would cost our tax base.

I know that I myself am willing to see a bump in my taxes for a project like this for our community.

Hard Times

As I have said before, I would rather listen to goat rope music more than anything else. Yet, there is a video on YouTube that keeps me going back. It is a song that is over 150 years old that is sung by Mavis Staples. Stephen Foster wrote it, the name is “Hard Times Come Again No More”.


Many people have done this song over the years, but Staples version is the most moving version I have ever heard. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Boot Camp

The town of Jesup is a wonderful place; I work in a great school where both the students and the faculty care. There is not much the faculty wouldn’t do for the students or the town or vice-versa. We are blessed.

With that said, Jesup needs a recreational department. The school has tried to provide much of what a community recreational department does, but it has limited funds and limited facilities. Parents also step to the plate to provide their children with opportunities, community businesses have opened to try and provide chances for the community as well. Still our community is limited without a recreation department.

Our community is large enough and wealthy enough to support a rec department staff with a facility. The City Council would have to step forward and begin this process. It is important our city also cares for the young people as well.

There is no doubt a small group would fight the program because of the cost. Yet, think of the opportunities, a bike path or walking path could be made, a recreation center with a gymnasium, weight room, place to hit golf balls, places to play handball, volleyball , and a indoor track (very small) among other things.

As a community we must step up now. It would be better for our community’s population health wise as well. It is proven that people that exercise live longer, healthier and more productive lives. I doubt that this one post can do much, but if enough people read it, pass it on, and promote it, to paraphrase the movie “ Field of Dreams”, “If you build it, they will come.”

Wounded In Action

Hugh DeBerg has given me his book about Northern State basketball Coach Don Meyer to read. It is incredibly moving. On Monday as I was reading it in seminar, I found myself in tears, if my students saw me crying they did not say anything.

Here is an article about him from ESPN.com, I hope you enjoy it.

Don Meyers's Long Journey

Hummie

Paul Humeston passed away recently of cancer. Hummie taught English and drama here at our school for over thirty years. I doubt that there was a kinder gentler man then Hummie. He lived in a giant old house down on Hawley Street here in Jesup and that house was just as unique and valuable as Paul.

Hummie was a true renaissance man, he gardened, acted, wrote, made whine, canned, cooked, wrote, fished, and truly loved his family. I have multiple stories of Paul; they are full of fun, laughter, and camaraderie. Maybe what was special about Paul was that I could show up at his and Caroline’s house at any time of the day or night and they would offer me something to eat or drink.

Paul sold me his and Jerry Donlea’s Cabin on the Wapsie. It was heaven on earth. He even let me keep his canoe down there and use it. One spring day Paul came to the cabin worried about me because the river was flooding. He talked me into taking the canoe to Cutshaw with him and putting it in the water, the access was about three miles above my cabin. The water was so high we could put in the ditch to get to the river. We paddled about thirty yards and the flooded river had us. We were going through timber and over logs and I was scared to death and Paul was sitting in the back of the canoe giggling the entire way. We did that three mile trip in a half-hour. I promised to myself I would never do that again.

Paul played the part of the Norman in a local presentation of “On Golden Pond”. He was full of happiness and fun. I can still see him doing a cartwheel in his room one of the last years he taught here at Jesup. His interest were so diverse.

My condolences go out to Caroline and the rest of the family. He made people’s life and our school better.