Knightstown's Gym of Inspiration

Hoosiers (1986) has been listed by many media outlets as one of the greatest sports movies ever made. The film was ranked #13 by the American Film Institute on its 100 Years… 100 Cheers list of most inspirational films.  More importantly, Hoosiers was been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”  

It is a timeless movie that transcends generations and incites inspiration.  The story may take place in the basketball rich-tradition state of Indiana in the early 1950s, but its premise relates to teams around the globe since it could happen any year, anywhere, to anyone.  It could even happen to the small community of Knightstown, Ind.

The movie is known for its inspirational plot, inspired by the story of the 1954 Milan Indians, as well as its cast of known actors. Casting Gene Hackman as coach Norman Dale, Dennis Hopper as Shooter, and Barbara Hershey as Myra Fleener was a huge step towards the movie's success even before a scene was filmed. I have always felt that in many films, the actors alone are not the most memorable characters in a scene.  In many cases, the film location creates the perfect backdrop that without it, I question if the scene would have had the same impact on viewers. As a result, my favorite character casted in the movie Hoosiers is none other than the small Knightstown gym used as the home of the Hickory Huskers.

My twin brother and I with the Hickory Huskers

Over the last ten years, I have visited The Hoosier Gym seven times.  My first visit was in 2003 when I was completing an internship with Pacers Sports & Entertainment in Indianapolis.  I have attended various events held in the gym since then, including the 20th and 25th anniversary reunions of the filming of Hoosiers, which brought back many of the cast and extras.  In addition, my brother and I attended the 2009 Hoosier Reunion All-Star Classic basketball game where we cheered on the likes of Parade Magazine All-Americans Skylar Diggins (Notre Dame) and Kelly Faris (UConn), as well as, Indiana’s Mr. Basketball, Jordan Hulls (Indiana).  My brother’s varsity girls basketball team from Northeast Missouri also had the opportunity to practice prior to the big game as the All-Stars watched on.  A memory that will stay with them forever, especially as they watched many of these players compete for a NCAA National Championship the next four years.




I was amazed how well the old gym had been maintained and how much it still resembled how it looked when filming wrapped in 1985. The lobby contains a vast amount of memorabilia from Knightstown basketball past, as well as, Hoosiers production and filming pictures and much more.  The timeworn ticket booth as you enter the lobby is only a glimpse of the nostalgia that awaits as you step through the doors and walk onto the gym floor.  The lobby, gym, and basement gives you a rare look into what small-town, early twentieth century basketball would have been like. While shooting around, you can't help but be inspired by your surroundings.

Ticket Booth

The Historic Hoosier Gym should be included on every basketball fan’s bucket list. When driving through Indiana on Interstate 70, it is only a 4 mile detour southeast on IN-109. It's accessibility is just one of the reasons I enjoy visiting.  It is available to the public to tour and even shoot a few baskets. If you want to rent it, you can do that as well. I guarantee you’ll visit it more than once.



Scotland Co. Lady Tigers practicing

2009 Hoosier Reunion All-Star Classic basketball game

Shooting hoops prior to the 25th Hoosiers Anniversary Reunion

Thousands of basketball and movie fans visit the gym annually, but that wasn’t the case years before Hollywood set up production in the small community. With the persistence of one resident and a little luck, Knightstown's old gym has went from unused to inciting inspiration to all who visit it.

According to The Hoosier Gym website (thehoosiergym.com), in the early 1920s the Knightstown Community School didn’t have a gymnasium of their own.  Games were either played above the local drugstore or in the basement of a local church. Knowing the importance of having a gymnasium, hundreds of citizens and local businesses in the small Knightstown community helped raise the funds to begin construction. In late 1922, the construction of the Knightstown Gym was completed and available for games and civic and community events.  Improvements were made over time, which included the exterior face lift with a front entrance and lobby, basement dressing rooms, and large classrooms.



Knightstown gymnasium in 1935 before the front lobby was added

The front of The Hoosier Gym today

Locker room used in filming

In 1966, the Knightstown Panthers played their last regular season game at the gym.  A newer facility was constructed and for the next 20 years, the old gym saw little activity...until 1985.

According to Gayle L. Johnson, author of The Making of Hoosiers - How a Small Movie From the Heartland Became One of America's Favorite Films, in March 1985 the filmmakers and studio were scouting locations throughout Indiana to film Hoosiers. Their goal was to find a community with everything they needed - an early 1900s era high school and gymnasium and an appealing downtown.  Director David Anspaugh and the writer, Angelo Pizzo explored the state, including the town Milan, which inspired the film but it was considered too large even though it had a population under 2,000. They visited many communities in the southern region but those towns were also too large or the gyms too new. 



Front entrance to the lobby

While reading about the location search in the newspaper, longtime Knightstown resident Peg Mayhill immediately thought of the Knightstown gym.  In The Making of Hoosiers, Johnson states that with a school yearbook in hand that showcased her town's 1920s era gymnasium, Peg visited the Indiana Film Commission. Mayhill made multiple follow-up contacts with the Film Commission to make certain her community's gym would be under consideration. 

Her persistence paid off when the filmmakers decided to visit Knightstown in late spring. The old Knightstown gym would be considered but a decision would not be made for several months. In late summer, a press conference was held at Butler University, where Pizzo and Anspaugh announced the list of possible filming locations had been narrowed done to five locations, Knightstown included.







In the upcoming days, Mayhill and the Knightstown community would learn that the Knightstown gym was selected to be the home of the Hickory Huskers.  Johnson mentions in her book that writer, David Anspaugh would comment, "we saw countless gymnasiums. ... We walked into this gym in Knightstown, and there was no mistake. We were home; this was it."  Pizzo said that the building reminded him of the "glory days" of Indiana basketball, before school consolidation, when every town, no matter how small, had its own school and team.

Not only was the design of the gym what the filmmakers were looking for but the gym was ideal for filming as well. The filmmakers liked that the gym had windows on three sides which brightened the space and gave it a feeling of openness.  The rafters formed a intricate latticework.  Greenish gray paneling separated the bleachers from the court. 

Let's win this game for all the small schools that never had a chance to get here. - Merle Webb (Hoosiers)

When reading about Mayhill's determination to have the old Knightstown gym considered for the movie, I couldn't help but be reminded of the Hickory player Merle Webb and his message before the state final game about "winning the game for all the small schools that never had a chance to get here."   The quote also ties well into what the Knightstown gym was up against.  The gym was once a center-piece of the community for decades but had seen little activity for years.  Knightstown's newer, larger gym was now serving the community.  The old gym's chances of surviving were growing less and less each year.  But thanks to an outspoken and determined community member, the old Knightstown gym had won the chance to be an essential part of something special.  It had won the BIG game.

Walls consist of greenish gray wood paneling

Intricate latticework in rafters & greenish gray bleachers

Memorabilia display in lobby

The film's producers would choose multiple communities, like Knightstown, near the Indianapolis hub to film their sports movie.  Since they were unable to find a single town that provided the school, gym and downtown, the film would use separate locations for each. New Richmond, to the west of Indianapolis, would serve as the fictional town of Hickory. Nineveh, to the south, would be home to Hickory High since they had the old schoolhouse that the film producers were looking for.  All classroom scenes, as well as, Jimmy Chitwood shooting hoops outdoors where filmed there. 

The hidden gem that many Hoosiers fans might not be aware of is that the film's writer and director did find their ideal community that had everything they needed.  In April of 1985, they scouted Waveland, a community of 460 located in the west-central Indiana, near Crawfordsville.  Its 1912 school, 1937 built gym, along with the town's downtown square were ideal for what they were looking for in the same location. However, they would soon learn that construction was to begin on a new school. Waveland had passed a bond to tear down the old high school (then used as an elementary school) and build a new school. Construction could not be halted since contracts had been signed, nor could the community leaders be convinced to hold-off demolition.  As a result, scouting continued and Knightstown would eventually be selected.


Waveland High School - built in 1912





Waveland High School Gym (Kyle Neddenriep photo)

 

It’s hard to say what the fate of the Knightstown gym would have been if another gym was selected for the film. Would it have been torn down or left to deteriorate or used as a community center?  I'm not sure anyone knows. What is known is that due to fate, thousands of fans flock to Knightstown each year to see the old gym and find inspiration.  Celebrities, college teams, and ordinary people across the world know of Knightstown and their historic gym.  With the help of the community and those that care for the gym, it will probably never be demolished and the inspiration that we all get from stepping inside, will live on.

In 1987, respected movie critic Roger Ebert published the following review of Hoosiers.  He said, "'Hoosiers' is a comeback movie, but it's not simply about the comeback of this small team, the Hickory Huskers. It's also about the comeback of their coach, a mysterious middle-age guy named Norman Dale (Gene Hackman), who seems to be too old and too experienced to be coaching in an obscure backwater like Hickory. And it's also the comeback story of Shooter, the town drunk (played by Dennis Hopper, whose supporting performance just won an Oscar nomination). Everybody in this movie seems to be trying to start over in life, and, in a way, basketball is simply their excuse."

You could say the same thing about Knightstown's Hoosier Gym.



 

A Lesson in Patten Gym

Many will associate Northwestern University with academics since it's a private research university, has one of the largest university endowments in the nation, and is placed high in the national and world university rankings.

Others may associate it with athletics since twelve of Northwestern's nineteen varsity programs had NCAA or bowl postseason appearances. Additionally, Northwestern is a charter member of the Big Ten Conference, which is the oldest Division I college athletic conference in the United States. 

Some think of both since Northwestern plays in a conference known for its academics and athletics. Prior to the addition of Nebraska in 2011, the Big Ten was the only Division I conference to have all its members in the Association of American Universities, which is an organization of leading research universities devoted to maintaining a strong system of academic research and education.

Prior to 2002, I didn't know much at all about Northwestern University but my first visit to the Evanston, Ill campus would be an educational one.  When I now see or hear the university's name in the media, I too think of both academics and athletics, but for a different reason.

Northwestern University Seal

Northwestern University Athletics Logo

While attending graduate school in 2002, our sport management club met with various sports professionals in the Chicago area to talk about their organizations and learn how they apply business principles to the sport industry. The conversations that day were a great balance between sports and academics.

Following our meeting with Northwestern's Athletic Director, our sport management club was escorted throughout the many Evanston campus athletic facilities, including Welsh-Ryan Arena, Ryan Field, and the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion / Norris Aquatic Center.  All were very impressive in their own right but it was at our last stop that the Assistant Facilities Director made a nonchalant remark that caught my wondering attention.

As we walked across an ordinary basketball court in a dark facility on our way to the basement, I vividly remember him turning towards a few of us in front of the class and quietly remarked, “you know the first NCAA Men's Division I Basketball tournament championship game was held here in Patten Gym." My ears perked up.

I would learn the week following our club trip that the first NCAA Men's Division I Basketball tournament championship game was indeed held in Patten Gym in 1939 on the campus of Northwestern University, but in the original Patten Gym, not its successor that I walked through on our tour.  Nevertheless, history had taken place on Northwestern's campus and it was a basketball fact that I had not seen or heard before. 



Original Patten Gym (University Archives)

As both the original and new gymnasiums are cemented into the rich history of the Northwestern University campus, so would the history be cemented in my brain and retained for future use.  Eight years later as we prepared to travel across Illinois to play in some of the state's historic gymnasiums, the new Patten Gym was included but I would have to educate myself of its past first.
 

James A. Patten

According to the University Archives, the original Patten Gym was designed by George Washington Maher and opened in 1910. The gym was named for James A. Patten, a former Evanston mayor, philanthropist, commodities broker, and Northwestern University board of trustees president. It's unique design is said to have derived from armories and massive train sheds. Patten was the largest such building in the Chicago area and many argue that it had the finest athletics facilities in the country.  In 1921, bleachers and a removable basketball floor were installed at ground level on top of the dirt floor and would seat 4,000+ spectators. The arena included a track, a baseball practice field and a swimming pool but its most popular tenant would the Wildcats basketball team;  therefore playing host to their home games.

Original Patten Gym with dirt floor (University Archives) 

Original Patten Gym - site of the 1939 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament  (University Archives)

University Archives also indicate that in the building’s early years its entryway was decorated with pure gold plating.  Although intriguing, what I found even more interesting was that in 1917, James Patten commissioned the popular American sculptor, Hermon MacNeil, to design statues appropriate to an atmosphere of athletic aspiration, which would be placed in front of Patten Gym for all to see while entering. MacNeil is known for designing the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (1909–12) in Washington Park, Albany, New York, the Standing Liberty quarter (1916), and later for sculpting Justice, the Guardian of Liberty on the east pediment of the United States Supreme Court building (1935). 

For Patten, MacNeil would sculpt two 9-foot tall bronze Greco-Roman figures of athlete accomplishment and scholarly wisdom. A male athlete in victory, entitled Physical Development and a female figure in academic pursuit, referred to as Intellectual Development. The statues have been known to generations of students by the nicknames of “Pat” and “Jim".



Physical Development



Intellectual Development

After nearly 30 years of use, Patten Gym was demolished in 1940 to make room for Northwestern's new Technological Institute which would house the School of Engineering. Prior to demolition, the original arena would make history in 1939 and host the first NCAA Men's Division I Basketball tournament championship game. The tournament included eight schools playing in a single-elimination format to determine the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball tournament championship.  It wouldn't be until the 1951–52 season when the tournament would be extended to 16 teams and it wouldn't be until 1975 that more than one team from the same conference could play in the NCAA tournament.

The 1939 Tournament began on March 17, 1939, and ended with the championship game on March 27 in Patten Gym. Thirty-minutes prior to the tip off of the championship game, an exhibition game was played, under the original rules of basketball, in front of the crowd of 5,500. In the audience as an honored guest, Dr. James Naismith. 

The championship game would be the last basketball contest played in the original Patten Gym. Although Ohio State kept the game close at halftime with a score of 21-16, Oregon would finally pull away and beat Ohio State, 46-33.

Oregon vs. Ohio State in 1939

As Patten Gym was being demolished, a new gymnasium was being constructed.  It would also be named for James Patten.  The new Patten Gym was rebuilt at 2407 Sheridan Road, just a few blocks north of the original Patten Gym though it would be notably smaller. The new gym's exterior is of lannon stone, which was used on many other University buildings, and the architectural style echoed some of the Gothic details of the other buildings on campus, such as Deering Library, Scott Hall, and of the proposed Technological Institute which would be constructed where the original Patten Gym stood.
  


Basketball court in new Patten Gym (University Archives)

Although varsity athletes worked out in the new Patten Gym and their coaches had offices there, the facility afforded little room for spectators. The basketball courts measured a full 18 feet short of regulation size.  As a result, the Northwestern Wildcats played its home games at Evanston Township High School for a twelve-year period until McGaw Memorial Hall (now known as Welsh-Ryan Arena) opened in 1952.

According to the University Archives, "the new gymnasium was intended to meet the needs of the growing program of intramural sports at Northwestern, as well as to hold physical education classes". 

Today, Patten Gymnasium continues to serve as the primary location for the intramural sports program, and sport club programs, such as women's fencing, lacrosse, field hockey, and men's and women's soccer. In addition, it's seventy-five feet long by six lanes wide swimming pool area was renovated in 1998 and became the Gleacher Golf Center, which is arguably the finest indoor learning center in collegiate golf. 

New Patten Gym - built in 1940

As our family walked into the ivy-lined Patten Gym in October 2010, we were appreciative that the staff was congenial and accommodating.  Although students and faculty need identification to enter, they didn't think twice about letting us in to look around and play our game of 2-on-2. The student managing the front desk was not aware that another Patten Gym came before this one, nor that it had basketball significance. I wasn't surprised.

Although the gym lights were turned off on my first tour years earlier, the gym was glowing this time around. I now could see that a regulation game could not be played here, let alone the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball tournament. Nevertheless, we played our game at the new gym to pay homage to the history that had taken place at the original.

Patten Gym basketball court in 2010

Warming-up for our traditional 2-on-2 game



Shooting to see who gets the ball first

The original gymnasium may no longer stand, but there are still a few reminders of it on campus.  While traveling on Sheridan Road, look over at the Technological Institute which houses the Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science.  The original Patten Gym once set on this parcel of land prior to 1940.  Or you can do what we did and visit the new Patten Gym, which is only a few blocks north of the original site on Sheridan Road.  The inside may look nothing like the original, but when you approach the front doors you are reminded of the past.

That is because the front doors and the two MacNeil statues were retained from the original gym and relocated to the new gym facing Sheridan Road.  They were dedicated during Homecoming on Nov 2, 1940.  It is these hidden gems, representing both athletic achievement and intellectual development, that come to mind when I see or hear of Northwestern University in the media.


New Patten Gym in its early years

According to the Hermon A. MacNeil website, the male statue is named Physical Development and is of, "two stylized men playing football, one standing, one fallen. The standing figure's proper right leg is forward, his muscles well-defined. A cape is draped behind him and over his proper right arm. At his waist he wears only a sash. In his proper left arm he holds a ball with a bird on top. The fallen male has his head at the feet of the other man, and his body and legs extend upward behind him. His proper left hand braces his fall, and he wears a helmet and shirt. Around the back of the piece are sculpted vines and foliage."  An inscription on the statue is from Alfred Tennyson's Ulysses. It reads:

"To strive to seek, to find and not to yield."

Alfred Tennyson

The female statue is named Intellectual Development (aka The Scholar). It is a standing female with torch with eagle atop. A boy is seated at her feet holding lyre with turtle shell. The inscription on the back reads:

"And after all - is not that enough to have lived for-
To have found out one true thing and therefore
one imperishable thing in one's life"
- Charles Kingsley

According to the Hermon A. MacNeil website, the quote refers to Eratosthenes excellent attempt to calculate the circumference of the earth from the shadows of the sun in two different locations, on the solstice.

MacNeil's statues out front of Patten Gym 

After finishing our game of 2-on-2, we walked out the original wooden front doors and down the steps towards Sheridan Road. We passed between the famous MacNeil statues representing physical and intellectual development and couldn't help but think how important their images and message are in a setting such as Northwestern University.

It doesn't surprise me that MacNeil chose these themes for his sculptures. These hidden gems are symbolic of the importance of being a well-rounded individual. Studies have been conducted over the years that reveal that sports participation in school does in fact show promising results for improving students’ academics. The thought is that students who participate in sports, have a competitive disposition which also motivates them to do well in their studies.

Where once the statues were a beacon to student-athletes walking into the original Patten Gym of the importance of having both a sound body and mind, the same two statues now remind all students participating in intramural, club sports, and physical education classes of the importance of physical and intellectual development.

I leave you with this final history lesson since we are on the subject of athletics and academics.  Northwestern University hosted the first NCAA Men's Division I Basketball tournament in 1939, nearly 75 years later there is only one "BCS" conference team to never make the NCAA Division I tournament...

...the Northwestern University Wildcats.
 



Written for Success

It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen. - John Wooden

In 2002, Once There Were Giants: How Tiny Hebron Won the Illinois State Basketball Championship and the Hearts of Fans Forever by Scott Johnson and Julie Kistler was published in honor of the 50 years since Hebron won the single-class state championship. The book introduced a new generation of basketball fans to a team who defied all the odds through team work and dedication to become heroes in the state’s greatest high school basketball success story. Most importantly, it brought forth in great detail all of the paths leading to and away from the championship title run in 1952, including the personal stories of the basketball program, coaches, and players that years later would make all the difference.  

As we know in sports, it's the little things that make big things possible.

In March 2012 and ten years after the release of the book, hundreds gathered at Alden-Hebron High School to celebrate the 60th anniversary reunion of the state championship. Although the players did not know what they had accomplished at the time of their victory, they undoubtedly would come to realize how special their achievement and team were to the sport and their community. From the thousands that greeted them along the caravan route back to McHenry County after their monumental win, to the thousands that they have met over the last sixty years, their defeat of powerhouse Quincy (enrollment 1,035 in 3 grades) to become the first district school and the smallest school (98 enrollment) to win the single-class title is one for the ages and will never be duplicated again.  Even the largest of accomplishments can happen to the smallest of schools.

The players were introduced to the crowd in Alden-Hebron's Tigard Gymnasium and shortly thereafter, they shared personal stories about the memorable season and answered dozens of questions from those in attendance.  It was amazing the amount of minute detail the players still remember today when telling each story, including the score during a specific possession or what a coach said in the locker room.

As quick as the players answered each question, they were just as quick to give recognition and praise to their coach, Russ Ahearn, who developed an instilled in his players the value of sacrificing personal glory for the common goal.  Although gone, his dedication, bond, and passion will never be forgotten by his players.



60th anniversary reunion  - March 2012

From left to right: Bill Schulz, Paul Judson, & Phil Judson

Coach Ahearn may have been a man of short stature (he stood 5’6’’), but he rose above most coaches due to his work ethic, preparation, communication, and philosophy. Many times during the reunion celebration the Hebron players spoke proudly of Ahearn’s knowledge of the game and pointed out how he was ahead of his time, especially in the psychological aspect of the game, and how he concentrated on the small things. 

Coach Russ Ahearn

Phil Judson talked to the fact that Ahearn knew that they needed a good schedule in the 1950-51 and 1951-52 seasons. This meant no more games against smaller schools and blow-out victories. Since Ahearn was also the Athletic Director, he scheduled his team to play larger schools and play on the road in larger gymnasiums in preparation for the state playoffs and it's electric atmosphere. Ahearn needed to get his players to believe in themselves by building self-esteem rather than undermining it. Therefore, tiny Hebron played the likes of Joliet Township, Riverside Brookfield, Lake Forest, Marengo and Harvard. Road games consisted of Oak Park, Waukegan, Barrington and Belvidere that had much larger enrollment. Ahearn also took his Giants to the Kankakee Holiday Tournament where they beat South Shore of Chicago, Kankakee, and Danville.  

Player jerseys and warm-up top for the 1951-52 Season

1952 State Championship trophy and pictures

Paul Judson reminisced about coach Ahearn walking into the locker room before the start of the 1952 District Tournament in Richmond.  Ahearn briefly spoke to the team and before he left, he wrote the number 11 on the board, circled it and then instructed the team to, "win the next 11 games and you win the state title.” After he stated those memorable words, he walked out of the room. Sometimes the smallest amount of words of inspiration can leave the biggest impression.

It is also known that coach Ahearn had strict discipline with his team throughout the season. Players were handed a list with fourteen points on how to conduct themselves at all times.  In his Instructions To The Team, Ahearn informed each player that they do not have to go out for basketball, but if they decide to, he expected them to follow his instruction in order to have as good as team as possible. 

His instructions included everything from getting at least nine hours of sleep, being a gentleman, not tolerating tobacco or alcohol to being on time to practice, hustle at all times, treat opponents and officials courteously, but play to win.  Instruction #14 summed it up - if you don’t follow these thirteen points at anytime during the season, please turn in your suit. Let somebody else have it and root for the team – we’ll think more of you.

Great coaches continually challenge their athletes to do better and push their limits. One way great coaches inspire their athletes to believe in themselves is by continually putting them in situations which challenge their limiting beliefs. Ahearn pushed his team outside of their comfort zone, physically, mentally, and emotionally, and then helped them discover that they can do better than they first believed they could.

This holds no truer than Ahearn's development of Bill Schulz.

Alden-Hebron High School

Alden and Hebron schools consolidated in 1948, the same year that Russ Ahearn was introduced as the school’s new basketball coach and principal. When he rounded a corner on the first day of school, he bumped into a lanky fourteen year old eighth grader from Alden named Bill Schulz.  Seeing this new kid's height as an opportunity, Ahearn asked Bill to take gym class since he had never played basketball before. Shortly afterwards, Ahearn asked Bill to join the basketball team, but only after getting permission from his father, since he had farm chores to attend to.  Ahearn would work with Bill in gym class and during practice, honing his skills to make him a basketball player. Working on the small things to get better was a challenge that both coach and player were up for and would later pay off.

Within 5 years, Hebron would defeat Quincy 64-59 in overtime to win the coveted 1952 state championship. The 6-11 junior Bill Schulz would lead the team in scoring with 24 points. 

Retired jerseys from 1952 starters & Howie Judson

Without the book, Once There Were Giants, many basketball fans may never had known the Hebron story, especially the challenges the team and coaching staff overcame to reach the tournament's pinnacle. Many of coach Russ Ahearn’s personal stories and notes that appear across the pages may still be stored away, never to be found by his daughter for years to come. Many may not have known that during the 1949-50 and 1951-52 seasons, the Green Giants won eighty-five games, while losing only eight.  Many may not have known that Hebron would be ranked at the top of the Associated Press poll the majority of the season, but they were still seen as underdogs in the finals.  Additionally, many may not have known that in 1951-52, the Hebron varsity squad had only six players on its roster and all five starters would get Division I scholarships to play basketball, making their story even more special.

Without the undertaking of the book, many of the player's personal stories may never have been put to paper and made public, including the mention of a note of recommendations given to Bill Schulz by coach Russ Ahearn. A note, although frayed, that he still carries in his wallet today. 

It was this hidden gem that I spoke to Bill about in the days following the 60 year reunion celebration.  To Bill, the list of recommendation is just that, a list. But, I think most basketball fans and basketball historians would feel quite differently.

Bill Schulz standing tall in the middle

In the spring of 1951, following Bill Schulz's sophomore season when the Green Giants finished 26-2, coach Ahearn worked on a plan to improve Bill's skillset as a big man.

Bill recalled coach approaching him in the hallway in the spring of 1951 and asked if they could talk about next year.  During the conversation, coach Ahearn gave Bill a list torn from one his spiral notebooks and asked him to review it, which Bill didn’t think twice about doing. 

Contained on the sheet titled, Recommendations for Bill Schulz, was a list of twenty-two recommendations to follow, which stressed drills, proper conditioning, and diet. Ahearn led with the important remark, "the very minimum if he wants to become a polished ball player by Nov. 1951."

Below is the full list of recommendations:

Recommendations for Bill Schulz 

The very minimum if he wants to become a polished ball player by Nov. 1951

1.  Jump Rope --5 minutes per day -- jump on toes.

2.  50 pushups --  done on fingers -- 10 at a time.

3.  100 jumping jacks -- 20 at a time --for coordination.

4.  Drag dribble -- 5 minutes for footwork.

5.  Ball handling -- ball around body between legs.

6.  Rebound for 5 minutes with rim covered.

7.  Shoot like a forward from side & in front.  2 handed high (kiss style).

8.  Right and left pivot shots -- 5 minutes

9.  Get down and take starts like a sprinter, say to yourself on your mark, get set, go, & see how fast you can get away -- Run at top speed for about 50 yards -- 10 times a day -- 3 or 4 sprints at a time.

10. Hang around our regulars from last year -- Paul Judson, Phil Judson, & Don Wilbrandt, Bill Thayer &

       Ken Spooner -- Learn to think the way they do -- adopt their splendid habits.

11. Continue to be a splendid gentleman & win the sportsmanship award when you are a senior or junior.

12. Do not imitate any players of the past -- They are individuals -- so are you -- Be yourself & help your

       brothers to learn the game.

13. Shoot an unlimited time every day -- Be a scorer.

14. Squeeze a ball in either hand.

15. Matching exercise with another center -- 5 minutes

16. Come up to the gymnasium and day this summer & shoot in the gym or any evening from 6:30 on.

17. Eat good solid foods.

18. Convince your brother that he'll be a good player when he is a junior & senior.

19. Start drive/step with either foot -- take big step back & shoot.

20. Observe all training rules.

21. Get a lot of sleep.

22. Set your scoring aim at a 20 point average next year.

                                                      Mr. Ahearn -- Coach


Page 1 - Recommendations of Bill Schulz

The list of recommendations had a big effect on Bill in the early years; therefore, he made an effort to follow through with each item because he wanted to improve as a player and teammate. Due to his daily chores on the farm, adhering to all recommendations would be challenging.

The list also speaks volumes as to what type of teacher and coach Ahearn was because it was carefully thought out. The front page was written in blue or black pen but portions of the back page were written in both pencil and red ink;  therefore, Ahearn must have gathered his thoughts over a period of time about what recommendations would be most important to Bill's improvement and development as a player. 

Page 2 - Notes in different color

Upon receiving the note of recommendations, Bill first put it in his locker but later folded it and put it in his wallet.  Bill knows that he was carrying it in the Fall of 1951, because he pulled the list from his wallet and recorded the note "Ford is left handed" while scouting the McHenry center early in 1951-52 season. Having the piece of paper in his wallet also made it convenient to capture an important thought.

The list had an effect on Bill during the 1951-52 season and several years following but until 2002, the list was somewhat forgotten.  Bill said, “it was there because it was there”.  He is not superstitious, it’s just that the list had been there for so many years, why remove it? The list was briefly mentioned in the Once There Were Giants book, which has resulted in fans asking to see it from time-to-time.  As a result, portions of the list have become illegible but not to worry, Bill made copies in 2002 so the information would never be lost. 

If not asked to show it, he removes it from his wallet every March.  He carefully unfolds the paper made up of eight tiny squares from the creases, reads the list, relives the successes since receiving it, and then carefully folds it and puts it back in his wallet.

I asked if he had plans to donate it to one of the basketball Hall of Fame museums in Illinois since it is a part of the Hebron story, but Bill honestly responded,  “I have never thought about it.”
 

Bill being asked if he still had the note in his wallet

Bill talking about the note of recommendations

I personally feel that the list is representative of the Hebron story.  It's about working on the little things to excel.  It's about being a team on and off the court. It's about taking care of body and mind to put yourself in the best position to win. But most important, it's about seeing potential in not only one player, but an entire team.

The list may have been folded and forgotten for many years but the coach's words and his pupil’s preparation and determination to win will never be forgotten.  The list symbolizes the “little things” that coaches should instruct and players should take to heart. 

Work on the little things, and big things are sure to come. 
 
That's an important note that all basketball players should carry with them.

 

1952 State Champs