I was only 14 years old when my friend introduced me to his 13-year old 'girlfriend,' Gerry at the Sweet Shop next to the Colony Theater on 40th and Waverly Streets, East St. Louis. By summer's end, Gerry was 'my' girlfriend and believe it or not I still had the friend who made the introduction. Gerry and I remained sweethearts throughout high school and three years of college before marrying the summer of 1960, prior to my senior year at Illinois State. It was a seven year courtship.
Upon graduation, I accepted a sales position in my father's firm in St. Louis, Missouri but the coaching itch would not ease. I left that company after one year and took a teaching / coaching job in Assumption, Illinois. Assumption is a small farming community twenty-three miles south of Decatur. Its high school has since consolidated with nearby Moweaqua; now Central A & M. I was head baseball coach and assisted in football and basketball. After two years service, I took my first varsity basketball position along with head baseball and athletic director at Mason City high school, Mason City, Illinois. That community is located in Mason County approximately 19 miles west of Lincoln, 16 miles east of Havana and 29 miles north of Springfield. It was and remains a terrific basketball town. They expected teams to win and they did; in three seasons I watched teams win two regional titles while garnering 62 wins against 14 defeats...remember that was back in the day of the 'one class system.' Mason City was a high school of 275 students playing against the big schools.
It was during that first season at Mason City that I discovered I married the 'perfect' coach's wife. The previous coach at Mason City was a walk it up the floor deliberate offensive coach who championed himself as a defensive minded mentor; I cannot speak to that because I never saw his teams play. Nonetheless, he was appreciated for winning. My coaching approach was more full-court pressing and fast break get-it-and-go-offense!!! Up tempo was the attitude. Early in the season, Mason City was hosting a team and found itself trailing 39-to-32 at halftime; under the previous coach that score reflected a completed game. My wife was headed towards the restroom at halftime when she stopped momentarily to speak to the local doctor. The President of the school board was speaking to the doctor as Gerry waited. The board member said, "We need to get our former coach back and teach these boys defense." Gerry spun on her heels and opened her purse pulling out a 'dime;' handing it to the Board President she said, "Here take this dime and telephone that coach, I'll go home and pack; my husband was looking for a job when he took this one and he'll find an other!" The good physician was kind enough to introduce the school board chief to his basketball coach's wife. We came back in the second half and won big...Gerry walked across the floor and asked for her dime back telling the board member, "You don't pay that well, I need that dime." She remains a Terrier.
Two after thoughts:
I often wondered what that board member thought the night we (Mason City) beat Tremont 114-to-89. I suspect the most difficult part of this story is believing that once upon a time you could make a phone call for 'one thin dime.'
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