Basketball Hall of Fame | District Coach of the Year | Scholarship Information

IOWA GIRLS’ COACHES ASSOCIATION 2008 ASSISTANT BASKETBALL COACH OF THE YEAR

DEWEY TORKELSON, GRAETTINGER-TERRIL
Dewey started in 1977 at Terril and he served as girls assistant basketball for15 years. Terril and Ruthven-Ayrshire merged and Dewey was an assistant for 4 years; then 3 years with Graettinger-Terril plus one year as volunteer assistant. He served as girls assistant or head track 1973-2007 for the same 3 schools listed above, 34 total years. In those 34 years he also served 15 years as the junior high coach at the same time he was
working with the high school program. In addition to the girls program he also spent 12 years in football as either a high school assistant or junior high coach and 4 years as head football where he took 2 teams to the playoffs. He was 4 years in boys basketball where he was an assistant for one year and a head coach for 3 years. He took one team to the sub-state finals. Dewey also spent 8 seasons as head baseball coach during his career.
What former Head Girls Coach Roger Conway is trying to say is that when there was a need for a coach and none was available, he would always step forward for the sake of the students.
Nominated by Roger Conway, Terril

DAVE VELTHOFF, TRI-CENTER
Dave has been coaching basketball at the Junior High level for 30 years. He has coached High School CYO (Christian Youth Organization) and is now assistant high school girl’s basketball coach. Dave is an Elementary Counselor and has also previously assisted in HS girl’s softball. Dave spends count less hours watching film and inputting stats into the computer. After each game, he provides me with team and individual stats. He takes time to watch game film and writes up scouting reports on other teams. He is the type of assistant coach that makes the head coaching job easy. I can take care of the X’s and O’s because of the work that he does to prepare. He is always busy during the off season taking any age of girl to anything they want to play in. It does not matter if he is not there coach, if there is no adult to take them, and they want to play, he will be there. He is a great person, teacher, and coach.
Nominated by Becky Thomas Tri-Center Head Girl’s Basketball Coach.

VERN KING, SOUTHEAST POLK
Vern King is a middle school history teacher at Southeast Polk and has served as assistant basketball coach for 31 years. Vern is a selfless individual who isn’t happy unless he is helping other people, especially kids. He has been current coach Adam DeJoode’s assistant for only 2 years but in that time Adam said that he has never been around him in a bad mood or even slightly grumpy. Vern has such a positive view on life that it can’t help but rub onto others. He has coached at every level, including head coach. He has also coached girls track and softball. Vern will retire from teaching in May after 35 years in the profession. He was on the bench during Southeast Polk’s 1977 State Championship season and still sits there today. Vern has worked with two IGCA Hall of Fame Coaches (Ray Svendson and Bob Merkle). He has helped thousands of kids become better people and I can’t give him a higher recommendation for this award.
Nominated by Adam DeJoode, Head Girls Basketball Coach

OTHER NOMINATED COACHES:
Jim Baker, Martensdale-St. Marys
Marc Bruning, Spencer
Jeff Corbett, Lynnville-Sully
Chris Ehlert, Marshalltown
Jay Flaws, Carlisle
Mike Ford, Algona
Darlene Fuller, Central Decatur
Larry Heath, Burlington
Mike Thissen, Davenport Assumption
Marj Thornburg, Essex
Mike True, Forest City
Kevin Van Donge, Unity Christian of Orange City

Gatorade Games: IGCA Senior All-Star Games

Teams will be picked January 27. Directors for each class are: Brian Bertini 1A and 2A (bertinib@glenwood.k12.ia.us); Todd Borrison 3A (Borrisont@mail.assumption.pvt.k12.ia.us); Larry Niemeyer 4A (LNiemeyer@cr.k12.ia.us). The games will be held Saturday and Sunday, March 29-30. ONE-HUNDRED TWENTY senior girls will participate. For many, this will be their last experience as a high school basketball player. On Saturday night, March 29, the IGCA will present the 2008 Hall of Fame for Coaches and Officials.
There is no cost to play in an IGCA All-Star game, just transportation to the game site.
Coach Larry Niemeyer, Cedar Rapids Jefferson, is the chairman for the Gatorade games. Coach Niemeyer needs your help! If an athlete is chosen for the game, information will be mailed to the coach to forward to the player. Please instruct the player to return the commitment form immediately! Getting commitments from 120 players is sometimes difficult. Please help by getting materials back in a timely manner!
This is an exciting event for the chosen players. Please help us by nominating players from your team or in your area. Contact the director for your class. We have an extensive process of picking the team and we hope all deserving players are chosen.

2008 Basketball Hall of Fame Inductees

2008 Hall of Fame Basketball Induction. 6:00 pm, March 29, 2008. Clarion Hotel, 525 33rd Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids. The 2008 Hall of Fame class includes active coaches: Dan List, Cedar Falls; Tom Lilly, Xavier; Dave Birks, Rockwell City and Dan Pommerenke, Sioux City East. The retired coaches are: Bryce Wickett, Luverne; Don Peterson, Lakota; John Shoenfelter, Earlville; Joel Kruckenberg, Gilbert; Marv Murray, West Monona; Renaud Rysdam, Bondurant; and Mick Angel, Harlan.

The following basketball referees will be inducted into the officials portion of the hall of fame.
Those referees include: Von Bornholtz, Sioux City; Tom McQuillen, Moscow; Kevin Neuman, Stockton; Pete Peterson, Urbandale; Steve Bebout, Woodward; Roy McGuire, Treynor.

The Jerry Wetzel Service Award will go to George Tracy, Ankeny. The Administrator of the Year will go to Scott Kibby, CR Jefferson Athletic Director. All inductees will receive information soon.

Membership and District Coach of the Year/State Coach of the Year

To find out if your school is a member of the IGCA go to this link on the IGCA web site: http://www.iagca.org/Membership/0708schrpt.pdf. If you cannot find your school, download a membership form at http://www.iagca.org/Membership/schmembershipform.pdf and send it in as soon as possible. Remember, this year the IGCA District Coach of the Year must be a member to be honored. The State Coach of the Year must also be a member and will receive a State Coach of the Year ring from Jostens. The ring addition was approved last spring by the executive committee.

IGCA Scholarship Nomination Information

Scholarship Criteria and Form

Spring 2004, the IGCA Board of Directors accepted changes in the nominating process for the IGCA scholarship. The most significant changes included giving more weight to daughters of IGCA members and eliminating the requirement of going into coaching/education. Up to four $500 scholarships are typically awarded.

To apply, all materials must be MAILED to Kim Arndt, IGCA Past President, Indianola High School, 1304 E. 1st Ave., Indianola, Iowa, 50125. Applications must be postmarked by April 15, 2008. Incomplete or handwritten applications will not be considered.
To submit an application, each female athlete must include the following:
1. Full name, home address, school and school address.
2. Please list if your parent is an active coach and a current member of the IGCA. List their school and position. Bonus consideration for daughters of IGCA members.
3. GPA and ACT score (or SAT if the ACT was not taken) and class rank. Please include number of total seniors in graduating class.
4. List intended field of study and college (if known) the student will attend. Bonus consideration to those going into education and/or coaching.
5. List all activities the student has been involved with in both in the school and community.
6. A short recommendation from your high school counselor, principal or activities director, on school stationery, also confirming GPA, ACT and class rank.
7. Type written one page essay on “The Value of Involvement in High School Activities”. Consideration will be given to the message of the content and and how well written the application is.

Applicants must be a female senior and active in high school sports. If the student is awarded the scholarship, a check will be written directly to the student. All applications will be judged on a weighted point system. While special consideration will be given to daughters of active IGCA members and those going into education or coaching, the essay, high school activities and GPA/ACT averages are the main sources of consideration.