Wheaton Academy coach Brooke earning wins, awards

Jiminy crickets, time goes by fast. It seems like yesterday Jeff Brooke starred in soccer and basketball for Wheaton Academy.

Now he's the Warriors' longest-tenured boys soccer coach, at eight seasons, and the program's all-time victories leader with 149.

He has three children with another due in July courtesy of wife Rachel, a fellow Wheaton Academy graduate.

And in late March, Brooke was honored as a sectional coach of the year for boys soccer by the National Federation of State High School Associations based on his body of work for 2014-15.

"This was really a pretty big honor," said Brooke, 32, joined as an NFHS sectional coach of the year by Naperville North cross country coach Dan Iverson. NFHS Section 4 includes Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan.

(Brooke graduated from Wheaton Academy in 2002; interestingly, the Warriors' website notes that 2003 soccer grad Ryan Souders, men's coach at Calvin College, was the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division III Central Region coach of the year.)

In the applicable season, 2014, Brooke's Warriors won the Class 2A championship in their third straight trip to the final four. In his eight seasons his teams have won seven regional titles.

Last fall Wheaton Academy's first in Class 3A due to the IHSA's new "success" adjustment, it went 19-4-1 and Northwestern-bound forward Ty Seager was named the Gatorade player of the year for Illinois.

The key on the field, Brooke said, is contained within the program's long-held mantra of "Stronger Together."

"It's a self-sacrificing version of the game, and we rarely do it perfectly, but that's our goal," Brooke said. "It's quick, entertaining soccer. We want to play fast, we want to play quick. Every touch is designed around that."

Brooke's philosophies and influences have been molded, like most upper-echelon coaches, from a network of resources including program assistants Joe Selvaggio, a former Wheaton Academy goalkeeper; and former Taylor University teammate Andy Howard.

"I'm just thankful for, in all honesty, the recognition. I'm really just thankful to coach great players. The coach-player relationship is an incredible gift. I stay close to alumni and the people close to the game," Brooke said.

"If I could say one thing, I think it's a team effort from the players to the coaching staff to the athletic department to the school. I'm happy to get the honor, but it's a team effort."

ICYMI

Daily Herald correspondent and prep volleyball expert Phil Brozynski reported that on March 31 Wheaton Warrenville South coach Bill Schreier established a new boys volleyball wins record with two victories in opening pool play at the Tiger Classic.

With his 560th win Schreier eclipsed the prior record of 559 held by Brother Rice's Paul Ickes, now the athletic director at St. Ignatius.

Going on to win the Classic for the fourth time and first since 2012 behind players such as tourney MVP Alex Carr and outside hitters Zack Meyer and Mark Harrison, Schreier's career mark is 564-112.

That's still less than half of retired St. Francis girls coach Peg Kopec's 1,248 state-record career victories. But hey, DuPage County contains both boys and girls record holders. Not bad.

Don't look now, but St. Francis boys coach Mike Lynch is moving swiftly up the ladder.

Illinois High School Association records are incomplete, but after making a few calls it appears that entering Glenbard East's Springfest this weekend, Lynch's 450 victories ranks him fourth behind Schreier, Ickes and Prospect's Mike Riedy (456).

Looking good for fall

Top Gun Football held a 7-on-7 tournament the last week in March, a two-day, 64-team competition in Lake Barrington.

The offensive MVP was Glenbard North receiver Jace James. The defensive MVP was Glenbard North defensive back Greg Newsome. Fifth on the list of 64 all-tournament players was Panthers defensive back Tyrik Henderson.

Good in all fields

It's interesting to hear how a brief adventure can mold one's destiny.

Like each of Jack and Laura Glenn's three children, middle child Taylor grew up participating in youth group activities at Community Presbyterian Church of Clarendon Hills. Eventually, like older sister Riley before her and kid brother Jack after, Taylor attended a weeklong "mission caravan" to Camp Courageous in Monticello, Iowa. It's a year-round care and recreational facility for people of all ages with disabilities.

It didn't sound like the concept behind the camp truly resonated within Taylor. Then it sunk in.

"I went freshman year just to be with my friends and I loved every minute of it," said Taylor, a junior on Hinsdale Central's softball team.

"It stuck with me," she said. "I've been doing it ever since."

The first baseman's vistas have expanded beyond that one-week commitment.

During her first-period class Glenn drives to Darien for a sign language course taught at Hinsdale South; it's a skill that can come in real handy when working and playing with special needs students. She now hopes to major in special education and minor in deaf studies. She is looking at Northern Kentucky, Texas Christian and Wake Forest.

Glenn has been involved with Hinsdale Central's Special Olympics basketball team. She applied for adaptive physical education, instead of taking Hinsdale Central's typical P.E. class, to help with the special needs students.

"She just does things to make people happy," Laura Glenn said.

Gifted enough athletically to play on the Red Devils' varsity softball team all three years thus far, as well as playing for the Lisle Slammers travel team, just last week Taylor Glenn landed a summer job with the SEASPAR special recreation association in Downers Grove.

The temperament and skills Glenn displays off the softball diamond translates well on it,

"She leads by example, by working incredibly hard," said Red Devils softball coach Lee Maciejewski, now in his 39th year coaching softball and 123rd season overall including football and basketball, with a little baseball thrown in.

"When something needs to be said, she says it. When something needs to be done, she does it. And when the old guy starts being a tad mean-spirited in his criticism, she is his conscience. She is remarkably well-grounded as a player and as a person," Maciejewski said.

Then there's the time Glenn delivered a fire truck to a Hinsdale Central student's house.

The result of a two-pronged plan, while working as a student aide she learned her partner loved fire trucks. He being a senior, she felt he deserved to go to the high school prom "like any other senior would," she said.

A leader of her church group happened to be a Clarendon Hills fireman, and through contacts he orchestrated the thrilling sight of a truck pulling up at the boy's house. Taylor popped out holding a sign asking, "Are you fired up for prom?"

"He was overwhelmed at first, I think mostly because of the sirens, they were really loud," she said. "But he said yes. He gave me a hug afterward. He seemed really happy."

As her mother said, Taylor likes to make people happy.

"I've never really classified myself as a patient person. I never thought this would be something for me," she said. "But after seeing the difference that people like me just being friends with them can make with these kids, seeing their smiles, it's just so rewarding."

doberhelman@dailyherald.com

Follow Dave on Twitter @doberhelman1