Lynda (Clevidence) Erickson- Mom & Coach

Lynda (Clevidence) Erickson played for the Streaks in 1990 & 1991. She was a very athletic post player. She was not afraid to be physical, and sometimes the refs thought too physical. Lynda was a great teammate, who understood what it meant to play hard. She was very coachable. When you spoke, she listened with her eyes. Lynda helped create a positive culture on our team with her attitude.  

She went off to Illinois Wesleyan, and I never saw her again until 7-8 years ago. Her daughter was playing basketball for Dunlap. Lynda has not changed, and was easily identifiable in the crowd. 

I wanted to do this Q/A with Lynda to talk to her about being a mom to four very athletic children. I find it interesting to hear how “athletic moms” parent “athletic children.” And the other big thing I wanted to talk to Lynda about is her coaching career. Lynda has been a youth coach for her kids as they have grown up, and now she is sophomore girls basketball coach at Dunlap HS. We need former female athletes to get into coaching, so it is exciting to talk to Lynda about her coaching journey. 

Barry Swanson- Rivalries & 1966

In 1960’s, Galesburg basketball teams took the floor with warmups that declared “Streaksburg,” and the players had their last names across the back of their jerseys. From the moment they took the floor, it was obvious the Streaks program under John Thiel was a special program. Not only was Galesburg one of the elite teams of Illinois. Galesburg with Thiel, Quincy with Sherril Hanks, and Pekin with Dawdy Hawkins made western Illinois the center of Illinois basketball. 

In the second part of questions with Barry Swanson, he focuses on the Pekin and Quincy rivalries, and the magical year of 1966. 

Barry Swanson- Looking Back

 

The John Thiel era of the late 1950’s thru the early 1970’s was an exciting time in Galesburg. Boys basketball took over the community. Galesburg had just built a new high school, and a new gym. Everyone in town wanted season tickets to see their beloved Streaks play, and every boy in town wanted to play for John Thiel.

 

Barry Swanson grew up in the Thiel era. He was inspired by the teams of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. He was able to live out the dream of playing for the Streaks in 1964, 1965, and 1966. It meant playing in front of a packed houses every night.

 

My first experience with Barry was when he returned to coach the “Ponies” (Soph Streaks) for the 1974-5 season. I was just out of college, and was his assistant on the 1975 team. I had fun living out my dream of being a coach, and realized how much I had to learn. It was fun and exciting, in part as our team went 22-0. Eventually I moved over and coached girls basketball, and Barry went onto become the Streaks varsity boys coach.

 

Barry Swanson has a unique perspective on Galesburg boys basketball. He grew up watching the Thiel teams of Bumpy Nixon, played for the Streaks in the 1960’s glory days, and then coached Galesburg. I appreciate he was willing to share some of his memories of these times. I am posting his responses into two different posts. The first post I ask him about growing up in Galesburg, playing in the 1960’s, Dale Kelley, John Thiel, the 1976 team, and teams of the 1980’s. Later I will post with the focus on the Galesburg, Pekin, and Quincy rivalries of the ‘60’s, and the 1966 season. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

 

Stef Mitchell- Tough & Confident

 

Stef Mitchell was a great shooter for the Streaks from 1991-1995. She could do a little bit of everything. She could handle the ball vs pressure and she could pass. Today she still ranks #9 all-time in assists with 364. She could score from threes but she could also post up. Today she is still the #10 all-time scorer for GHS with 1135 points. She had the height to guard multiple positions, to post up, and to rebound.

 

The biggest thing she brought to the Streaks program was a combination of a toughness and of a confidence. She started as a sophomore in 1993 on a team dominated by seniors- Christy Hickey, Heather Aten, and Ann Henderson. They went 26-4, and lost a heartbreaker in the Sectionals. To play as a sophomore on a mainly senior team is not easy, you are tested. This experience helped shape her over the next two years.

 

A huge part of Stef’s competitive strength came from her experience as an all-state golfer. In golf, you are out there by yourself. As a golfer, she learned to handle tough situations. That personality gave her an edge that she brought to the basketball court. After golf, often it seemed like tough situations basketball were easy for her to handle- she seemed competitive but calm.