WBCA tickets
- What: WBCA Hall of Fame ceremony
- When: Saturday, Oct. 2. Coacktails at 4:30 p.m., dinner at 5:30 p.m.
- Where: Madison Marriott Hotel in Middleton
- To get tickets: Contact Joan Petitgoue at (608) 744-2585 or at (608) 778-2524 or e-mail www.tristate@mhtc.net
MONROE - As a teacher, coach and referee, Monroe's Loren Homb has been on every end of the emotional roller coaster when it comes to prep sports.
When Homb is inducted into the Wisconsin State Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame as a "Friend of Basketball" Oct. 2, there will be a lot of emotions.
"It's quite an honor," Homb said. "When you think of the Hall of Fame, you think of the great coaches in the state. To be honored with them, I'm really appreciative of this honor."
Homb is among 28 friends of basketball, referees, high school coaches, college coaches and boys and girls players who will be inducted this year. The inductions will include Gov. Jim Doyle, WIAA's Deb Hauser and former Marquette coach Al McGuire.
Homb has been the WBCA All-Star game site chairman for 25 years and was instrumental in relocating the all-star game from Oshkosh to Madison. When Homb met with the WBCA executive board in 1986, he said that to take over the game site chairman post, he wanted the game moved to Madison and another co-chairman to assist him in the Madison area.
"A lot of times things get ingrained," he said about the reluctance by some to support moving the girls all-star game to Madison. "We wanted to make it equal for them (girls) as well."
Homb said the all-star game has raised more than $100,000 over the past 10 years for the Midwest Athletes against Childhood Cancer fund.
Homb has served as a teacher for 31 years. He started teaching middle school and high school social studies and driver's education at Argyle High School in 1979. For the last 21 years, Homb has been a sixth-grade teacher at Monroe Middle School.
Homb has 10 years of coaching experience at Argyle High School. He coached three sports including boys and girls track, girls basketball and volleyball, along with five preps for five years. Homb built a volleyball program that won one match in his first year to finishing second in the conference in 1984. He guided his team to one regional final in his five-year stint coaching volleyball. In his short career coaching basketball, he compiled a 51-50 mark.
Homb wanted to stay connected with the sports scene so he chose to referee. He has served 30 years as a referee for volleyball matches, basketball games and track meets. He has officiated six state volleyball tournaments, 23 volleyball sectional finals and 23 regional final matches. He has refereed three basketball state tournament games.
Homb said the most memorable sports accomplishment is working his first state basketball game between Hilbert and Greenwood.
"You officiate the same way you do at Black Hawk and Argyle as you would in a junior high school game," he said of the state tournament. You are very nervous and excited. The rules are still the same. You have to keep the same perspective."
After three decades as a referee, Homb is now getting the chance to officiate a second generation of players whose mothers he remembers from coaching and officiating.
"I can still remember Kim Wellnitz when she was in seventh grade," Homb said of Black Hawk graduate who will play basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. "She just had a rocket serve. She was just hurting people on the other side. They didn't want to get in the way of her serve. The comment I always get now is that you are still officiating."
When Homb is inducted into the Wisconsin State Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame as a "Friend of Basketball" Oct. 2, there will be a lot of emotions.
"It's quite an honor," Homb said. "When you think of the Hall of Fame, you think of the great coaches in the state. To be honored with them, I'm really appreciative of this honor."
Homb is among 28 friends of basketball, referees, high school coaches, college coaches and boys and girls players who will be inducted this year. The inductions will include Gov. Jim Doyle, WIAA's Deb Hauser and former Marquette coach Al McGuire.
Homb has been the WBCA All-Star game site chairman for 25 years and was instrumental in relocating the all-star game from Oshkosh to Madison. When Homb met with the WBCA executive board in 1986, he said that to take over the game site chairman post, he wanted the game moved to Madison and another co-chairman to assist him in the Madison area.
"A lot of times things get ingrained," he said about the reluctance by some to support moving the girls all-star game to Madison. "We wanted to make it equal for them (girls) as well."
Homb said the all-star game has raised more than $100,000 over the past 10 years for the Midwest Athletes against Childhood Cancer fund.
Homb has served as a teacher for 31 years. He started teaching middle school and high school social studies and driver's education at Argyle High School in 1979. For the last 21 years, Homb has been a sixth-grade teacher at Monroe Middle School.
Homb has 10 years of coaching experience at Argyle High School. He coached three sports including boys and girls track, girls basketball and volleyball, along with five preps for five years. Homb built a volleyball program that won one match in his first year to finishing second in the conference in 1984. He guided his team to one regional final in his five-year stint coaching volleyball. In his short career coaching basketball, he compiled a 51-50 mark.
Homb wanted to stay connected with the sports scene so he chose to referee. He has served 30 years as a referee for volleyball matches, basketball games and track meets. He has officiated six state volleyball tournaments, 23 volleyball sectional finals and 23 regional final matches. He has refereed three basketball state tournament games.
Homb said the most memorable sports accomplishment is working his first state basketball game between Hilbert and Greenwood.
"You officiate the same way you do at Black Hawk and Argyle as you would in a junior high school game," he said of the state tournament. You are very nervous and excited. The rules are still the same. You have to keep the same perspective."
After three decades as a referee, Homb is now getting the chance to officiate a second generation of players whose mothers he remembers from coaching and officiating.
"I can still remember Kim Wellnitz when she was in seventh grade," Homb said of Black Hawk graduate who will play basketball at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville. "She just had a rocket serve. She was just hurting people on the other side. They didn't want to get in the way of her serve. The comment I always get now is that you are still officiating."
