| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Swimming coach Bev Ball is retiring from McMurry |
|
|
University in 2017, drawing to a close a storied career in athletics |
|
|
that has spanned 67 years; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, A graduate of Throckmorton High School, Bev Ball |
|
|
went on to earn a bachelor's degree from North Texas State |
|
|
University and then took a job at Jefferson Middle School in |
|
|
Abilene; after teaching and coaching there for three years, she |
|
|
joined the faculty at Abilene High School as the girls' tennis |
|
|
coach; she switched her focus to swimming 15 years later and coached |
|
|
the sport at Abilene and Cooper High Schools for a total of 32 years |
|
|
before retiring from the Abilene Independent School District in |
|
|
1999; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, The following year, Ms. Ball was hired as the first |
|
|
swimming coach at McMurry University, where she was tasked with |
|
|
developing the program from scratch; through her leadership and |
|
|
acute knowledge of the sport, she molded the War Hawks into a |
|
|
fiercely competitive team, and in 2016, five McMurry swimmers set |
|
|
school records at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference swim |
|
|
meet; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, In recognition of that accomplishment, Ms. Ball was |
|
|
selected as corecipient of the 2016 SCAC Coaching Staff of the Year |
|
|
Award; she has also earned a host of other accolades, including a |
|
|
2012 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Swimming and Diving |
|
|
Hall of Fame, a 2012 Woman of Outstanding Achievement Award from the |
|
|
Abilene branch of the American Association of University Women, the |
|
|
1999 Chuck Moser Girls' Coach of the Year Award, the 1998 Theron |
|
|
Pickle Outstanding Achievement Award from the Texas |
|
|
Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association, and a 1997-1998 Coach Who |
|
|
Makes a Difference Award from Fox Sports Southwest; moreover, she |
|
|
was inducted into the Big Country Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, One of the longest-tenured coaches in any sport in |
|
|
Texas, Bev Ball has proven her abilities at the middle school, high |
|
|
school, and college levels over the course of six and a half |
|
|
decades, and the exemplary record she has built as a coach, mentor, |
|
|
and role model will continue to resonate in Abilene and beyond for |
|
|
decades to come; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby congratulate Bev Ball on her retirement from |
|
|
McMurry University and extend to her sincere best wishes for the |
|
|
future; and, be it further |
|
|
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
|
|
prepared for Coach Ball as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
|
|
House of Representatives. |