Bill Text: TX HR1623 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Congratulating Bev Ball on her retirement as the swimming coach at McMurry University.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-05-11 - Reported enrolled [HR1623 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HR1623-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 1623 | ||
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| 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. | ||
| Lambert | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 1623 was adopted by the House on May | ||
| 4, 2017, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
