It all pays off for forward-thinking Currins
Palatine coach Steve Currins finally had time to reflect after finishing up a distinguished and rewarding 34 years of coaching cross country.
Currins had just led Palatine's girls team to a seventh-place finish at the IHSA Class 3A meet on Saturday - its eighth top-10 finish in nine years.
But Currins wanted to talk about the book "Pay it Forward."
The expression "pay it forward" is used to describe an obligation to do three good deeds for others in repayment of a good deed one receives.
And that is exactly what Currins' athletes have done.
Such as Henry Nykaza, a member of the Beecher boys cross country team in the 1970s who is now an assistant cross country coach at his alma mater.
Or Palatine's Jill Morrill, who finished 24th at state in 1995. Morrill was a babysitter for current Pirate sophomore Sarah McIntosh, who finished fourth this weekend.
Currins' athletes have always had a way of paying it forward.
"If someone does something nice, you pay it forward," said Currins reflecting on his former runners. "That's what's kind of nice when you see those things happen."
And Currins has seen plenty during his 34 years.
Currins attended Alton High School near St. Louis and graduated from the University of Illinois.
Currins has coached at Beecher, Crete-Monee and Palatine during his career. He also had a one-year stop as head coach at the UIC in 1980.
Since taking over the Palatine girls program in 1991 Currins has led the way to eight state trophies and four titles.
The Palatine program won consecutive state titles in 1989 and 1990. The Pirates didn't miss a beat after Currins took over, reeling off state titles in '91 and '92; taking second in '93 and '94; then adding a pair of titles in '95 and '96, before completing an unbelievable streak by taking fourth in '97.
Currins also holds the state record with 73 consecutive dual meet wins from 1987-1998 at Crete-Monee and Palatine.
He has coached 27 all-state runners in girls cross country the most by any coach in Illinois. That group includes Crete-Monee's Shelly McBride, who won the state title in 1982.
"When I went into coaching, I never envisioned anything like this as far as records," said Currins, who was inducted into the Illinois Track and Cross Country Association's Hall of Fame in 1997. "I wanted to coach because I have such a passion for and love the sport. I love working with high school kids and I love seeing people accomplish things they never thought possible."
One of Currins' most rewarding moments was coaching his two daughters Elisa (Class of 1992) and Carolyn (Class of '96).
Elisa and Carolyn were members of the dominant Pirates teams of the '90s, making all-state and earning membership in the Palatine Hall of Fame.
"That was priceless," said Currins of coaching his daughters. "But you have to separate being a coach and father. I would coach them on the course, then leave it there when we went home."
One of Currins' biggest assets is his ability to adapt over the years, keeping the Palatine program one of the tops in state.
"You never think you know everything," said Currins. "One of the great things about cross country have been the coaches, they are happy to share and your constantly talking and sharing ideas."
Currins was honored in 2004 by the National High School Athletics Coaches Association as the National Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year. He is the only girls cross country coach in Illinois to receive that honor.
Currins has done more than his fair share of paying back a sport he's so passionate about. The dividends are sprinkled around the country with many of his former athletes now coaching.
It was a cloudy and chilly day at the Class 3A meet but Currins was still shining brightly, urging his Pirates on.
His Pirates' squad dedicated the back loop, renaming it Currins loop, and each of the runners surged during that part of the race in honor of their outgoing coach.
"This was just a great group of girls and they're just great students - that's the great part," said Currins, reflecting not only on this squad but also his past teams. "You see them go off to college and be successful; I love the people you meet, that's the best part. If it wasn't for that I would have quit a long time ago."