Streaks Alumni Profile- Reed Allison 1996

Today’s Streaks Alumni Profile features Reed Allison from the GHS class of 1995.

At GHS Reed was active in sports. He was a leader throughout his years at GHS. He was President of both the FCA and the G-Club. 

Reed has gone on to have an outstanding career in education. He has been a classroom teacher, an administrator, and today is an athletic director. Just as Reed was a leader at GHS, he has been a leader in education.  

Sports/Activities at GHS

4 years of Football and Track, Freshmen Basketball, Fired Girls Basketball Practice Player, Union Co-President (Ted Trueblood) for Summer League Officials Association

(Editor’s Note- While Reed and Ted Trueblood formed a Galesburg Summer League HOF crew as refs, his competitive nature created some issues as a practice player with girls basketball. I feared for safety of our players. He also was instrumental in our advisory class forming an All-Time Greatest Athletes HOF. He was very insightful until he started pushing for Secretariat to be included.)

Favorite Teachers/Classes at GHS

I really enjoyed all of the Social Studies classes that I took at the High School and I relate that directly to the teachers that I had.  I was very fortunate to have teachers that got me engaged in the subject area.  John Glasnovich, David Moore, and Hal Devore were teachers that made me want to learn more and eventually share that knowledge with others as a Social Studies teacher myself.  My situation was unique as I knew most of my teachers personally before I even got to the High School.  With my parents both being teachers, I had the ability to see teachers as people and not just someone delivering content.   

Some of Favorite Memories from Growing Up in Galesburg

With both of my parents teaching in District 205, much of my childhood revolved around the schools and school events.  My dad had me at practices at an early age and I loved every minute of it.  Those Silver Streak teams of the mid to late 80's were my heros.  I probably attended as many sporting events at GHS as anyone in those days.  The players on those teams were so nice to me and included me as part of their group.  Looking back, I really appreciate how they treated me.

Many people have said it in your interviews before, but Galesburg was a special place to grow up.  There was a strong sense of community pride.  The Register Mail, at that time, was very special with its coverage of high school and youth sports.  When I tell kids now that all of the box scores from all our Little League games were in the paper and that we had two radio stations at every game, they do not believe me.  Even college teammates that were from the suburbs did not have that experience.   

The coaches that I had at GHS were career educators who put students first in the classroom and on the field.  As an Athletic Director today, that is the biggest difference that I am seeing.  Many coaches that are teachers do not coach for their entire careers.  Athletic Departments are depending on coaches who are outside of the district.  That was very rare 30 years ago.  

I was fortunate to grow up in a great neighborhood and had lots of kids that had similar interests.  We were usually playing some game until after dark somewhere on Kellogg or Prairie Street.     

Education After GHS

BA from Knox College in Political Science and Secondary Education; Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership from Aurora University

Career

2001-2007- Social Studies Teacher at Sycamore High School.  I was also the Head Boys Track Coach, Assistant Football Coach and Winter Sports Coordinator.

My time in Sycamore was great as I met some great people and learned first hand what it took to be a teacher and a coach.  The head coach that hired me was Daryl Graves and he showed me the importance of making connections with kids and coaches.  You can be successful but we are in a relationship business and if we are not developing those relationships, what are we even doing it for?  I then worked for Joe Ryan and he really showed me what it took to be detail oriented and work to get better at the craft of coaching.   I also met my wife Katie during this time and she continues to be a teacher in the district.  Sycamore is a great community and is where we choose to raise our family.  It has really come full circle as some of the students that I had my first few years at Sycamore have kids my kids age!   

      

2007-2024- Dean of Students at Geneva High School.  I was also an Assistant Football Coach.  

Although Sycamore was a great fit, I was able to get into Administration at Geneva.  I felt that I could have a bigger impact on the building overall as an administrator.  I was fortunate because I was still able to coach and that is not always true for administrators.  As a coach at Geneva, I was given a great deal of input and responsibility by Rob Wicinski, the Head Coach, and was able to serve in several different roles in the program.  We had a great deal of success, making it to the State Finals once and the Quarter Finals another few times.  That being said, we also went 0-9 one season.  This showed me that it is not just about the wins and losses.  We were the same coaches and the kids were the same type of kids that we had when we were very successful.  The separation from an all time great season and an all time bad season can just be a few factors.  The 0-9 season definitely makes you look at everything that you are doing, but if you are true to yourself and doing what is best for kids, it is not a failure. 

   

2024-Present- I became the Athletic Director at Harlem High School in Machesney Park.  It has been a great change and a new challenge that I have really enjoyed.  I think my perspective of growing up in a family of educators, being an administrator and being a coach for over 20 years gives me a good understanding of what is needed in an athletic department.  I have coached in State Championship Games and I have gone 0-9.  We were the same coaching staff and worked just as hard in both seasons.  I really try to keep that in mind when looking at "success".  I want kids to have a great experience.  Obviously winning helps that, but not every team will get the wins on the scoreboard.  What else are we doing for the kids?  How are we supporting coaches and athletes?  This job never ends and along with the principal, is the one that is usually on call 24/7.  I like knowing that people can count on me and that I am a dependable place for them to go to for help.