 |
| 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
