The Schmidt House

I was inducted into my Howland High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
It was quite an honor.
Below are my father's speech he gave as my Presenter, some photos and my speech.
It was a wonderful weekend - I felt very celebrated.

Words from my Dad - Earl Williams:

Dear Megan

Per your request I am writing out the “Hall of Fame” Introduction Speech. As a matter of background I never wrote out the speech. I put it together in my mind shortly after you ask me to give it. It took about a half hour to organize my thoughts and the flow. I then gave the speech silently in my head a few dozen times over the weeks before the night of the event. Three or four days before that night, was the first time I did it out loud and then only to check the three minute requirement. The day before, I bought the index cards. The day of…..I wrote one reminder note on each of six cards. During the speech I showed the whole pile of cards to the audience, but never referred to them during the actual speech.

THE SPEECH

Good evening. I just have few notes here. (Show the pile of index cards) I would like to give you a little insight and perspective as to how we got to this point. I remember when Megan was just a week or ten days old. I had her lying on my lap with her feet against my stomach. I would be making stupid faces and silly sounds, and she would just light up and laugh at me. I knew then and there; someday I would be up here trying to give this speech.

Then there was the time when she was about four or five. She wanted to do something and I was busy and just told her NO! Later that evening, remembering her disappointment, I thought, maybe that wasn’t very fair. The next day we sat down and had a talk. I promised her there wouldn’t be any more quick NO’s, we would talk about whatever it was. If she convinced me or I convinced her that’s the way it would be. Needless to say she won most of those discussions. That was the way it was, until one day her senior year. She wanted to stay all night with her friends at Willow Lake. That was the only time I had to say I’m the dad and you’re the kid and the answer is NO.

Now she’s in elementary school. I notice her diligently work on something. Upon closer inspection I see she is putting all her activities in a planner. Practice at this time, study these hours, game time, a party. I just thought that was pretty good for and eight year old. Then I noticed, before a day got really full she would set aside time for a couple of ten minute breaks. WOW that was just amazing.

Then she was in junior high, active in so many different things. Her mother came to me one evening and said “She wants to take on something else….don’t you think she’s doing too much already?” After a moment’s thought I replied, “She’s already accomplished more than we ever dreamed of doing….why not just pick her up if she fails.” Well of course she never failed.

Then there was high school which you can read about in tonight’s program. Soon she was being recruited but several schools to play basketball. She signed with Cleveland State and did very well. She also graduated with homers with a double major. The she stayed with the team and got a masters degree in her fifth year of scholarship.

Then on to teaching and coaching at two universities in Indianapolis. It was there she meant her husband Joe who also excelled in academics and played basketball at the coregent level. I know this because there are two basketballs on the top shelf of the guest room, signed by the team and showing so many thousands point achieved. What memories those must talk about. Together, she and Joe have four terrific children, two of which are here tonight Joey and Morgan.

Did I mention she had a Franklin Planner at age eight? Well, today she has a smart phone. As you might expect the calendar in that thing is full morning till night. The only real differences are; this one is electronic and she no longer has time for those ten minute breaks.

It is my pleasure to introduce Megan Williams Schmidt.

MY SPEECH: Howland High School Induction Speech

All of us have a story to tell. We all have people in our lives who have impacted our path in life – the direction we go – the way we live.

I started as a daughter & grandchild, then a sister, a friend, and then a team mate. Sports have always been a part of my life. I loved playing soccer – the cool days while the sun was shining bright, leaves changing colors, the smell of wet mud. I loved track – warm sun on your face as you fly - jumping over a bar and landing into a big cushion, running around the bend of a track (passing people by). But what I really loved was basketball. There was something just instinctive in me – the ball releasing from my fingertips, gaining position on the block, grabbing a rebound from the air, blocking that short girls’ shot. You can’t TEACH Tall.

Although it seems like half a lifetime ago (well, I guess it was) my career at Howland HS holds many fond memories. I had great coaches – Coach King, Coach Gergle and Coach Lowers, are even here tonight. They put up with my quirkiness (having the right color scruntchy was very important to me and being the number 44 or a multiple that was divisible or added up to something to do with 4 was required) - they pushed me, they taught me and most importantly, they believed in me. I remember very clearly my freshmen year being scared to death that I was going to get cut from the basketball team. I walked up to Coach Lowers and asked him “Did I make it? Coach just chuckled at me. “Yes, Megan, of course you made it.” I couldn’t believe it. I was so excited. I never cared about anything as much as I cared about seeing my name on that paper on the locker room door….I think I even asked him same thing my sophomore year…Little did I know what was ahead for me.

My senior year in HS, my freshmen English teacher gave me a file with some papers I had written – one in particular just amazed me. I didn’t even remember writing it, but that assignment was to write what I was going to do once I graduated high school. My first sentence was, I am going to college on a full-ride scholarship for basketball. At that point in my life, I did not believe what I was writing, I was just dreaming….I did not believe I would even make that basketball team. But, my coaches always did.

My success in sport, my accomplishments and my awards – were not my own. They belong to many others.

My parents and brother have been my greatest fans. In every sport, in all kinds of weather (thank God basketball was in a gym!), all over the country – my family was there. It was extremely important that was to me. Thank you Mom, Dad and Ry Ry for supporting me so well. My grandparents, the only one still alive and here today is Barb Young, they all were a blessing to see in the stands cheering me on as well, Thank you, Gram.

My teammates – in every sport, being a part of a team was my greatest motivation to make myself the best I could be. Those girls, many in multiple sports with me, had a huge impact on our team success and my ability to continue on into college playing a sport. We had such talented teams that I got to be a part of.

The teachers, administration and HAC, some still around today, have committed their lives to the betterment of the youth of this school – and I am forever thankful to have been one of them.

My story through high school was only half way through the life I live now, but this school, these coaches and my friends and teammates at Howland HS are a big reason I am who I am today.

After college, I went on to coach college basketball and was a professor. It made me appreciate all the more how much my coaches here in HS put up with. I NEVER let my players pull the kind of stuff you all did! Coaching was definitely my calling and identity for a long time.

Today, I am a wife to an amazing man – my husband Joe - and a mother to 4 beautiful blessings – Joey, Morgan, who are here and Jameson and Jackson who are fast asleep (hopefully). I know I have now found my true calling and identity through the blessings God has given me.

I am so honored and humbled to now be able to add to my story that I am a Hall of Famer. What a wonderful gift!

Thank you to the committee who plans and prepares this event and to the Kings for all their hard work to celebrate and remember the athletes of our school.

Congratulations to the rest of the honorees and thank you for this Honor.

Here are some photos from Friday night's football game, Howland vs. Niles - we were introduced at Half Time.

Then from the Hall of Fame Induction Banquet the next evening - it was such an honor and it was even better because my HS Coach was inducted with me!