Massey Quiz #66- Parks & Fields of Galesburg

  

 

 

I have 15 pictures or descriptions of parks and fields in Galesburg. Your job is to identify the names of these. 

The answers are at the end of the quiz. Keep track of your score and read exactly what your score indicates. If you would like- share your score on the Facebook or Massey Blog under the comments. 

1984 Illinois Boys Basketball Class AA State Tourney

State Champions- Chicago Simeon

2nd- Evanston

3rd- Aurora West

4th- Westchester St. Joseph

HOF Insights- Marketing and Promoting Your Program

 

In the “HOF Insights”, I ask a group of successful, veteran coaches to share their thoughts on a variety of topics. Each week, I ask a different question. The questions can be focused on helping coaches, parents or athletes to have a more successful athletic experience.  

In this article, coaches were asked how they promoted their program with young players in the community, within their school, and within their community. 

All four of these coaches were outstanding about establishing a program that was very popular in their communities. 

John Thiel’s Summer Recreation Program

Poster for John Thiel’s Summer Program

Youth Programs in Golf, Tennis, Baseball, Basketball

Starting in the 1950’s and running thru the early 1970’s, John Thiel organized summer programs for students who had finished 3rd thru 9th grades. It was open to students from Galesburg schools and also from students from area schools. The program typically involved instruction in the basic skills of golf, tennis, baseball, and basketball. Golf and tennis were open to female students. The cost for most of the time was $10 per week, and eventually was raised to $15 per week. 

Thiel & College Stars Teaching Galesburg Kids

Below is a copy of a letter that Coach Thiel sent to parents to make them aware of the summer programs. This particular letter was being sent out in 1958. It should be noted that Thiel puts a plug in for having Mike Owens as his assistant. Owens had been a GHS star in ‘56 and ‘57, and at the time was one of the stars of the Bradley basketball team that was a top ten program in America. 

Emphasis on Skills

In a letter to parents of Little League Baseball parents in 1962, Thiel emphasizes that his summer program would not be having games but rather would be focused on skill development. 

Other Schools Wanted to Imitate the Program

The Galesburg program was something that area schools wanted to duplicate for their students. The following letter is from Bushnell-Prairie City Supt requesting organizational details. 

Rock Island Using Thiel’s Program as Model

At this time, the IHSA did not allow member schools to organize sports camps for high school students. That is why Thiel’s program was for 3-9th grades (GHS was 10-12th grades at the time). 

In the following letter, the director of the IHSA sends a letter in 1965 to the GHS Principal telling him that Rock Island was developing a similar program and Galesburg should be aware that high school athletes could not be involved. 

GHS Administration Clarifies the Program

In the fall of 1966, the director of the IHSA sent a letter to the GHS Principal requesting information on Thiel’s summer programs. It should be noted that in the structure of Illinois athletics, the school Principal is the representative of the school with the IHSA. 

In the response to the IHSA, it is explained that a summer recreation program for HS students did not involve instruction. 

The last document, Thiel outlined how the grade school/jh program was organized and run. 

Streaks Success Brings Scrutiny 

In 1968, the director of the IHSA sent a letter to Galesburg, sharing a complaint sent to the IHSA by the LaSalle newspaper regarding Galesburg’s summer programs. The complaint centered around a quote from Thiel in the Galesburg Register-Mail that said, “Thiel works with his teams in the summer and this is when the coach and his players begin to learn to know each other. ‘We establish a rapport with them early,’ Coach Thiel said.” 

It should be noted that sometimes a reporter does not understand the important details. In this case, the reporter may well have seen Thiel working with grade school and JH athletes, and then later saw HS players coming into play. According to letters from the Galesburg administration, the HS program was recreational and did not include instruction.  

Galesburg HS’s principal and AD made it clear to the IHSA that they knew the rules of what was appropriate and not appropriate, and that Galesburg was following the rules. 

Thiel’s Program Becomes a Model in Illinois

By the 1970’s, most Illinois high schools ran some kind of recreation programs for grade school and JH athletes. 

By the late ‘70’s, schools began to include “PE classes” as part of the school’s summer school programs. Students would sign up for a variety of sports in the PE classes. Galesburg for most of the ‘80’s ran PE classes in boys and girls basketball, football, volleyball, as well as girls and boys tennis. Students would receive a PE credit for the six week programs. 

The athletes then could opt out of taking PE during the school year. And the class schedule was set up where a junior or senior student with a free period could leave campus. 

Coaches were allowed to coach their athletes in the PE program but coaches could not coach their athletes in Summer League games. 

In the early 2000’s, the IHSA changed their by-laws to allow a high school coach 25 days of contact with their athletes in the Summer. Each contact day could involve a formal practice or coaching the players in a game. 

In the 2020’s, the IHSA reduced the contact days allowed to 20 days. 

It is interesting that some old-timers shared that in ‘40’s and ‘50’s they were “encouraged” by CC Vandyke to sign up for his corn detasseling crew, and during breaks they ran football plays. 

In the ‘30’s and ‘40’s some of the most famous Illinois basketball coaches also coached cross country. These coaches used this as an opportunity to get their basketball players in shape in the fall, as well as letting them shoot and play after cross country practice. 

So while the rules of what a coach can or can’t do with their athletes has changed thru the years, coaches have always tried to find ways to give their athletes an opportunity to train in the summer months. 

  

Part F

Part G

Part H

Part I

Part J

Part K

Part L

Part M

Part N

Part O

Part P

1984 Illinois Boys Basketball Class A State Tourney

State Champions- McLeansboro

2- Mt. Pulaski

3- Providence St. Mel

4- Lena-Winslow

Streaks Alumni Profile- Dennis Jacobs 1970

Today’s Streaks Alumni Profile features Dennis Jacobs from the Galesburg HS’s Class of 1970.

Dennis match anyone for most Silver Streaks boys and girls basketball games seen thru the years. He is not a critic, he is a fan supporting the coaches and players. As a sophomore, he was a manager for John Thiel and the Streaks ‘68 basketball team. There are not a lot of games that he has missed in the last 50+ years. 

Anyone who knows Dennis knows he is a really good guy. I am so glad that he was willing to share some of his memories!

This Week in Galesburg History- Oct 5, 2026

 

 

“This Week in Galesburg History” 

St. Louis Cardinals get a bang for their bucks.

Park Drive Dairy has ice cream you can’t refuse.

Local disco has 25 cent beers and kissing booth.

Last lots at Hawthorne Center are up for bid.

Knox is cool and has hot President.

GHS alum comes back to beat the Streaks. 

This is a look back at the history of Galesburg (and the world). What was going on 100 years ago, 75 years ago, 50 years ago, 30 years ago, 20 years ago, and 10 years ago this week? 

“This Week in Galesburg History” appears on Mondays on the WGIL website and the Massey Basketball Blog.

Inside Hoops- Pre-Practice Routine

I liked to have a routine the players would perform as soon as they came on the floor. I didn’t want the players to come on the floor and just do “free shooting.” I wanted the message to be that as soon as we got on the court it was time to be purposeful and to get to work. 

1957 Illinois Boys Basketball State Tourney- Official Program

 

Sports Reporters- Memorable Games- Part I

(Originally published in December 2024)

High school sports in western Illinois has some great stories. Communities have loved their sports teams and supported them. A big part of HS sports over the years has been the tremendous coverage of local media. Sadly, many local papers no longer exist so some great stories today go untold.  

I asked some of my favorite sports reporters to share one of the many great games they covered. They have shared some really wonderful stories. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did. Thanks for sharing!!

I have gotten such a good response, I have divided it into two post. I will post the second part tomorrow.

Don O’Brien- Quincy

I covered a lot of things during my more than two decades as a sports writer - World Series, the Masters, U.S. Open, NFL playoff games. But nothing beats the 1998 Class AA boys basketball state tournament, held in Peoria.

The state tournament was still new to Peoria back in 1998, the town having swiped it from Champaign a few years prior. After what was arguably the best Western Big Six Conference boys basketball season ever, two teams - Galesburg and Quincy - made it to the Elite Eight and Carver Arena in Peoria. (And the only reason Moline wasn’t the third WB6 team there is because Galesburg bounced the Maroons in the sectional final.)

Indiana Fever- 10 Questions That Must Be Answered

The Indiana Fever have been an exciting team the last three years. They are loaded with three WNBA All-Stars. They have two players who were selected as #1 picks in the draft. Yet the Fever have been a fixture in 6th place and have won only one play-off series in three years. The Fever organization has under-performed. As the Indiana Fever start the off-season, here are 10 questions that will need to be answered by the Fever organization and/or the Fever players. 

1956 Galesburg HS Reflector

 

HOF Insights: Choosing a System & Then How Much Do You Change It Over Time?

(Originally published in September, 2025)

This Week’s Question-  Why did you choose the offensive or defensive systems that you used? Players change from year to year, how did changes in players impact your system? Did you stick with your system or did you make changes to your system? And finally, in the years you coached, how much did your system change thru the years? 

1956 Illinois Boys Basketball State Tourney- Official Program

Streaks Alumni Profile- Curt Wilcox 1979

Today’s Streaks Alumni Profile features Curt Wilcox from the Galesburg HS’s Class of 1979. 

Curt has gone onto to have a wonderful teaching and coaching career in Texas. There is no doubt that he has impacted many, many students. 

To be a successful football coach is not easy. Texas HS football is very serious stuff. 

I appreciate that Curt took the time to share his GHS memories and his life after GHS!