Today’s Streaks Alumni Profile features 1996 GHS grad, Rob Huizenga. Rob was able to be both the boys and the girls basketball managers in 1996.
Obviously being a manager for two sports at the same time required a lot of time commitment on Rob’s part. Rob was recruited by the girls basketball players to become a manager of the girls basketball team.
What stood out about Rob was that he was all about serving others. As a coach, you never had to tell him what needed to be done. Rob was one of those people who anticipated the needs of the team and got the job done.
When we got onto the bus to head to State, Rob gave me a present. It was a little metal charm to put on my key chain to commemorate our trip in 1996. How incredible was that? He was thanking me for the opportunity to serve our team.
Massey- What were some of your favorite classes and teachers?
Rob Huizenga- There were a lot of great classes and teachers in District 205, but some that stood out to me were Sheryl Hinman (English), Hal Devore & Gayle Stewart (American Studies), Steve Peachey (Science) and Sue Dickinson (English). These teachers made teaching more interactive and interesting for many students.
Massey- How did you get involved being manager for the girls basketball team?
Rob Huizenga- Honestly, I don't remember how it happened exactly. I do know that I definitely honed in on my time management skills during that stretch. I think I was in class with some of the girls basketball players and they asked me if I would be interested in being a team manager for them as well and I gave it a shot.
Massey- What are some of your favorite memories from your GHS years?
Rob Huizenga- So many great memories, but the trip to state with the girls basketball team in 1996 was definitely one of the biggest highlights! Made my senior year fly by. That whole postseason run was amazing from the sectional win in the final seconds against Freeport to the big three-pointer by Pendry against Belvidere in the Super Sectional to the bounce back they showed in the third place game against Morris after falling to No. 1 Stevenson.
The third-place medal ceremony stands out too because I remember Coach Massey coming up to me before the ceremony and telling me that they only had enough medals for one team manager and they were going to give it to Erin Snyder. However, when the medals were distributed and I didn't get one, the whole Galesburg section started a Huizenga chant and Coach Massey walked down the line and put his medal around my neck which resulted in more cheers from the Galesburg faithful in attendance. It was a pretty cool memory for me!
Massey- Where did you continue your education?
Rob Huizenga- I went to Knox College after GHS and was recruited by Harley Knosher and Coach Heimann to work in their Sports Information Office with fellow GHS alum Marc Wong. It was a win-win for me, because I got to continue working in sports and with student-athletes. After Knox, I secured a graduate assistantship at Illinois State and worked in their Athletics Media Relations office from 2001-03 and earned my masters degree in Sports Management.
Massey- What have you done in your career and where has it taken you?
Rob Huizenga- The connections I made there sent me to Saint Xavier University, a NAIA school on the South Side of Chicago, where I worked for nearly 15 years as their Sports Information Director and finished as Associate Athletics Director when I left in 2017. I got to promote and travel with so many great teams and athletes during that stretch of my career, including a national championship football team in 2011 and two national runner-ups in softball (2016) and women's basketball (2017).
Thanks to some of those experiences, I was named the 2014 National Sports Information Director of the Year and in April 2015 was presented the award at the NAIA National Convention in Charlotte. It was the inaugural presentation of that particular award since previous Sports Information Directors were honored with the Clarence "Ike" Pearson SID Award which was more of a lifetime achievement honor. The National SID of the Year award has been given out every year since 2014 so it was really cool to be the first person to ever win it.
Massey- What are you and your family up to these days?
Rob Huizenga- In 2018, I stepped away from athletics because the time commitment was too great and I needed something that gave me more work-life balance. I knew that it was going to be a major change for me personally and that I was going to miss working with the student-athletes and coaches, but I had three young daughters at the time and wanted to be more involved in their pursuits and ambitions.
I was fortunate to land a position at the Health, Fitness & Recreation Center at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos HIlls working with memberships and marketing. I have since been promoted to Associate Director of Operations there and have definitely achieved more work-life balance, but still have a connection to a college campus and working with young adults.
My family has been amazing throughout the ups and downs of my career. My wife, Jade (who I met at Knox where she played soccer), and my three daughters Ashlyn (18), Ivy (16) and Lily (13). Ashlyn is a freshman at Illinois Wesleyan University and is leaning toward majoring in either chemistry or mathematics. Ivy is a junior at Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort and is volunteering at a local hospital with aspirations of going into the medical field. Lily is in seventh grade at Summit Hill Junior High and working on her Science Fair project which has to do with the identifying of venomous vs. non-venomous snakes based on geographic regions. Jade is a pharmacist for Walmart.
This past summer, we went on an amazing trip to London and then took a cruise up to Norway, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands to celebrate Ashlyn's high school graduation.
Massey- What advice would you have for today’s GHS students?
Rob Huizenga- If I can impart any advice on current GHS students, it would definitely be...don't be afraid to try new things out and focus your efforts on whatever you are truly passionate about.
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