Page 8 The Advocate News (Wilton-Durant, Iowa) Thursday, June 28, 2012

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Mr. Hedrick: Wilton's 'unsung hero' W

hen the bell rang on the final day ics in all but two of his 26 years at Wilton. He served as fresh/soph football coach from of school this year, Wilton High School only dealt with losing one 1986-1992 and was varsity boys basketball teacher to retirement but it was a very coach from 1987-1992. Remarkably, the 1987 basketball coaching position was the only one important loss. After 33 years (26 at WHS), Ron Hedrick he ever applied for at WHS. Throughout his career, Hedrick was simretired from his role as a high school math ply known as a coach. As teacher. I said, he has a great mind Hedrick, 55, had known for sports and every coach for a couple years that he in our school system knew was going to retire this it. It wouldnt be uncomyear, as his age and years of mon, year after year, for experience qualified him for an administrator to come the Rule of 88 (retirement into his office (sometimes when your age plus years of By Derek Sawvell just days prior to a season experience equal 88). starting) and say can you He taught high school math at WHS, namely algebra and geom- help me coach Sometimes theyd even say youre going etry. Hedrick was born and raised in Knoxville. to help me coach He even coached Bennett baseball for A graduate of Knoxville High School, he went on to Wartburg, where he attained a degree in two years (1988-1989) when a friend took physical education. He began as a math ma- over there as an administrator and gave him jor but then said to himself I am not taking a call. In 1993, he stepped away from coaching. calculus four. He graduated college in 1979 and the day By 1995, he was asked to help keep football after he got home, he got a call from Twin statistics. While it wasnt coaching, it kept him Rivers High School in Bode, asking him involved. He did that until the day he retired. if he would come there to teach and coach He dabbled with coaching a couple basketball teams in the late 1990s, but by the year 2000, baseball. To know Hedrick as I have for years an interesting situation brought the two of us as a teacher, coach and friend is to know together. that he is an excellent coach with a wonderful On the bench with Mr. Hedrick sports mind. During my junior year of high school, I He always knew he wanted to teach and coach. In fact, coaching jobs are primarily remember being called to Hedricks office. what took him from school to school in the A matter of fact man, he said something like Ive just been told Im coaching eighth grade beginning. After spending two years at Twin Rivers boys basketball and youre going to be my teaching math and coaching baseball, football assistant. OK was the only answer I could give and basketball, he went to Amana Community in 1981, where he taught 7-12 math while and the only one hed accept. I think he liked being able to do the same thing to me that had coaching basketball, golf and baseball. He did that for three years before going to been done to him for years. The difference; West Marshall in 1984, where he taught high my years of coaching experience were zero. However, by my sophomore year, I had school math and coached basketball, golf and softball. He remembers his West Marshall given up playing basketball. Its one of the days very well because in his first year in the largest regrets of my life (more so now than basketball program, the freshmen, JV and then). Hedrick knew it. When I asked him varsity teams combined to go 0-43 for the recently why he asked me, I couldnt even ask without laughing due to knowing exactly season. By 1986, Hedrick had coached 28 dif- what he would say. You needed to do something! exclaimed ferent teams in four different sports at three Ron, shaking his head at me the same way he schools. He came to Wilton in 1986 with a very did 12 years ago when he knew I wasnt playsimple message: When I came here, I told ing high school basketball. Plus its nice to them I dont care if I coach. I can, but its not have another adult or in your case, someone older, to talk to. necessary. I helped him for three years, which took Little did he know hed be involved in athlet-

Case in Point

Ron Hedrick recently retired from Wilton High School after 33 years of teaching mathematics (26 at Wilton). He's shown above prepping the baseball field prior to a varsity game earlier this season. By season's end, he'll have been involved in around 90 baseball games this summer, as he coaches JV and keeps statistics for varsity.
Photo by Derek Sawvell

me through my junior and senior years of high school and my freshman year at Muscatine Community College. When he was in high school, Hedrick ran cross country and played tennis, basketball and baseball. Hell also tell you that the only sport he was ever good at was basketball. It showed, as he has a brilliant basketball mind. He ran very efficient practices and simple, yet effective offenses and defenses. I experienced so much in those three years. Our first year, we had a team that had never won a scored contest as fifth through seventh graders. And while our team didnt win an A game during the season, we were able to win a B game. Our A team got to overtime twice that year, but it wasnt meant to be. The next year, we had arguably the best eighth grade basketball talent in the state of Iowa on our squad, Wes Freie. We lost no more than a game or two behind him and his teammates talents. That group of boys would be instrumental in Wiltons 42-0 baseball team that won the state title in 2005. The end of the line I attended a retirement party for Hedrick on June 10. He had his parents, Ralph and Doris, in attendance. (They still live in Knoxville.) Several former colleagues, coaches and friends gathered to help send him off with a little ribbing and sincerity. Roger Block, a junior high math teacher and coach who retired last year, told several funny stories to the group about Ron, but ended by saying that he had never known a teacher who had given as much time to the kids as Ron.

'Durant kids deserve community support'

Editor: Im a member of the Durant Community School District (DCSD) Board of Directors. In the June 21, 2012 edition of the Advocate News Case in Point on page 8, editor Derek Sawvell recaps a presentation to the board by Maria Brown, district reading specialist, which she and Kara ODonnell, K-6 counselor, compiled from a grades 5-12 survey. Mr. Sawvell quotes 76.3 percent of the students say they will pursue a two- or fouryear college degree and 92.5 percent say they somewhat or strongly feel safe at school. Other data: nearly one in four felt sad or hopeless almost every day for 2 weeks in the past year, and 36.9 percent rode in a car with a driver that has had three or more alcoholic beverages. These last two responses trouble the board and administration and require action by everyone concerned. On page 9, the Advocate News reported on the Durant Community Education Foundations activities. Chairman Ken Huesmann briefed the board that tens of thousands in contributions were provided to the district since 2006. The funds have gone directly into the hands of Durant students, said board president Brian Fargo, who praised the Foundation for its efforts. Additionally, Advocate News reporter Barb Rochholz wrote Ms. Carla Whitlock, Parent Teacher Organization [PTO] president will be missed by Durant. If you have never attended a PTO meeting, you missed an active president who welcomed anyone and any ideas. Whitlock said: Ive never had to struggle to find volunteers in Durant. This community really cares about its children and the school. Join an energized group including new president, Colleen Brown come to a PTO meeting! A page 1 article titled, Citizen questions Durant board, superintendent, quoted a citizen reading from prepared notes for 20 minutes. The Board of Directors and the superintendent willingly listened, compared to the past school board, which would not allow public comments at meetings. While a citizen can question the board about personnel issues, the board cannot comment in accordance with Iowa Code Chapter. 21Open Meetings Law, section VI, Proceduresclosed session, on personnel issues. If you have questions or a suggestion, attend a Board of Directors meeting. Durant kids deserve community support, whether they are sad or depressed, struggling with new math formulas, happily reading or using the latest technology. Support your kids, the school, the faculty, the administrators and the DCSD Board of Directors. Barbara Reasner Durant, IA

In the classroom, he was a great teacher. I took algebra and geometry with him. He was the kind of teacher that spent class period after class period going over examples of problems exactly like those you would see on homework and exams. He would tell you that he couldnt make it any easier, and he was right. All you had to do was stay involved and show some initiative. But coaching is where the long hours really come in. Since 1987, Hedrick coached football for nine years, basketball for 20 years, golf for two years and baseball for 13 years at Wilton. So much for not wanting to coach here. For his career, he coached or took stats for football for 26 years, coached basketball for 27 years, coached golf for seven years and coached baseball for 21 years. He was helping with football stats, serving as an assistant on the basketball team and coaching JV baseball when he retired. And Im sure that each program would love to have him back next year! He has such a love for baseball and has really been happy to be part of a successful program for the last 13 years. Something tells me hell continue with that next summer. Head baseball coach Jake Souhrada called him the programs unsung hero. So what will the man, who is famous for saying I dont know when you ask him what hes doing tomorrow, going to do with all his free time? I dont know what Im going to do, golf and watch every (St. Louis) Cardinal game, he said.

Congress needs 'to move forward'

Editor: Next week, on July 1, the interest rates on new student loans are set to double, from 3.4 to 6.8 percent, unless Congress takes action to stop the rate hike. I am fighting to stop this increase. I grew up in poverty, and would not have been able to attend college and have such amazing opportunities without student aid. I believe we should work to keep the cost of student loans as low as possible for as long as possible; its time to stop playing political games with this issue and Congressional leadership needs to move forward to reconcile the different proposals. On July 1, seven million middle class families will see their interest rates double. It is far past time for Congressional action. I believe in giving all students the opportunity to succeed through attending college and in addition to the student loan issue, we should also be focusing on ensuring access to the Pell Grant program, which helps struggling students attend school. I will continue to fight this issue to make sure middle class families are not hurt by Congress inaction. Congressman Dave Loebsack Representing Iowas Second District

The pen is mightier than the sword!

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