Wool leaves varsity team after 10 years of coaching

Headline, Sports — By admin on April 1, 2010 2:20 pm

by Daniel Brount, Focus Editor, and Jennie Alcantar, A&E and Photo Editor

After Louis Wool, varsity boys basketball coach, led the varsity basketball team for 10 out of 22 years of coaching, he resigned from the head position.

Coach Wool plans to coach one of the lower teams instead since the varsity team involved too much stress.

“I am really exhausted mentally, physically and emotionally, and I needed a break from being the head coach… I still love coaching kids and basketball and being part of Wheeling outside of the classroom, just the stress of being a head coach has worn me out,” Coach Wool said.

He told the varsity team about his resignation when they gathered for a meeting.

“I was shocked. He’s been coaching for a long time and he’s been a mentor to us,” Riley Harvey, junior said.

Throughout his career as a coach, Coach Wool has had several successes such as winning a Conference title in 2004 for the first time in the school’s history for 31 years.

“Coach Wool is a respectful coach and takes players seriously and for real. He’s in touch with the players,” Harvey said.

Not only has Coach Wool led the team, but he also took them to do several types of community service such as reading to students at Booth Tarkington Elementary School and singing to people around the holidays.

“He’s a good example of a good person and of how we should live to be,” Harvey said.

Despite Coach Wool’s resignation, he is confident in the team for next year.

“We have more returning players than I’ve ever had including eight players. Without a doubt, this is the best returning group I’ve ever had. They are really nice kids as well,” he said.

While he felt that it was a difficult decision, he knew it was time to resign.

“I gave it a lot of thought and I made the right decision because I told myself if I wasn’t 110 percent into it and because I was tired in so many ways, I knew it was the right decision,” Coach Wool said.

“Everyone here has always been really supportive of me whether students, parents, faculty or the community. I’m glad I had the opportunity to be head coach all these years. It’s been a big honor,” he said.

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Tags: basketball, booth tarkington elementary school, carol, louis wool, riley harvey, wheeling