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Saturday
March 13, 2010 Since 1922 |
The Big 3-0-0
By Michael Pineda
Baytown Sun Published September 6, 2007 When the Barbers Hill volleyball team takes the floor today, they will have the opportunity to improve to 17-2 on the season. A victory would also serve a higher purpose for head coach John Leonard. It would give him 300 career victories.
The Eagles will face the winner of La Porte and Angleton at 1 p.m. today in the Dickinson Tournament. Entering the game, Leonard has accumulated a career record of 299-168, including a 145-44 record at Barbers Hill in his sixth year at the varsity level.
“I don’t know how I feel,” Leonard said. “It’s coming at a funny time with our family. I think it will mean a lot later on. At 300 wins, it will be a dot on my timeline but it is about the relationships that you develop.”
The satisfaction that accompanies a milestone achievement is tempered by Rene Leonard’s battle against cancer. Rene Leonard, John’s wife of 20 years, is being treated in a Houston hospital and will not be able to attend the game.
She was diagnosed with cancer last February. Two weeks ago, Rene was admitted to the hospital for a procedure and has been working towards a full recovery after which she looks forward to returning to the classroom. Leonard is a teacher in the Barbers Hill district.
Before the current hospital stay, Rene was a regular at the Eagle games. According to John Leonard, Rene’s advice over the course of his career has been invaluable.
Leonard’s head coaching career began inauspiciously with a winless season at Class 2A Buffalo, the first season of competition for the school, in 1987. The next season Buffalo posted a 6-13 record and advanced to the playoffs. Those two seasons began a career path that Leonard always knew he would follow.
“I always thought that I could win,” Leonard said. “Growing up, I wanted to be a coach or a rodeo clown. I was fast and I thought I could help the cowboys out. I think that I would have been the type of clown that would have studied the bulls and the cowboys. I would have looked for mismatches.”
Leonard began to foster his love of coaching in school. Unable to participate in intramural because he played football, Leonard took up coaching. On the field he was nicknamed “Jackrabbit” for his running and jumping ability.
“I was a late bloomer,” Leonard said. “I was little but when I was young I could run and I could jump. I can still run a little bit.”
Leonard continued to coach intramurals at Stephen F. Austin. It was in Nacogdoches where he reached his first highlight as a coach, leading two intramural teams to the championship. During the game, Leonard sat in the middle and let the teams battle it out for the title.
“I learned that my gift was to coach and teach,” Leonard said.
Leonard took another step forward while attending SFA. Because the basketball courts were backed up, Leonard and some others began to play volleyball. Before long, he was playing every opportunity that presented itself.
Early in his career, Leonard continued to coach basketball. He took a girls’ head basketball coaching job at Channelview in 1989 and was an assistant in volleyball. He enjoyed success on the hard court leading Channelview to 91 wins. In 1994, Leonard took over the varsity volleyball job and led the Lady Falcons to two regional finals appearances.
He took over the Humble job for two years before landing at Barbers Hill where he began the program from scratch. In the Eagles third year at the varsity level, they posted a 39-3 record and advanced to the state tournament where they fell to Monahans in the 2004 3A state title match.
“I always wanted to go to state,” Leonard said. “It was everything that we thought it would be and more. We even outscored Monahans 94-93 in the state title match.”
Leonard entered the season with a 283-166 career record but it was not until a break during Barbers Hill’s Locals Only Tournament that the subject of 300 wins was broached.
“Several of the coaches were sitting around and we were talking about when coach Matthews of Dickinson celebrated her 500th victory,” Leonard said. “She said that I had to be getting close. We came to my office and figured out where I was on the list. I had no idea of where I was at.”
Leonard will be the first to admit that he will enjoy the milestone farther down the line. The most important thing is getting Rene home and resuming a normal family life.
“I have mixed emotions,” John Leonard said. “It’s hard to be happy with Rene in the hospital. I hate that she will not be there. It strains it a little bit, but we’re going to be alright.”
Baytown Sun Published September 6, 2007 When the Barbers Hill volleyball team takes the floor today, they will have the opportunity to improve to 17-2 on the season. A victory would also serve a higher purpose for head coach John Leonard. It would give him 300 career victories.
The Eagles will face the winner of La Porte and Angleton at 1 p.m. today in the Dickinson Tournament. Entering the game, Leonard has accumulated a career record of 299-168, including a 145-44 record at Barbers Hill in his sixth year at the varsity level.
“I don’t know how I feel,” Leonard said. “It’s coming at a funny time with our family. I think it will mean a lot later on. At 300 wins, it will be a dot on my timeline but it is about the relationships that you develop.”
The satisfaction that accompanies a milestone achievement is tempered by Rene Leonard’s battle against cancer. Rene Leonard, John’s wife of 20 years, is being treated in a Houston hospital and will not be able to attend the game.
She was diagnosed with cancer last February. Two weeks ago, Rene was admitted to the hospital for a procedure and has been working towards a full recovery after which she looks forward to returning to the classroom. Leonard is a teacher in the Barbers Hill district.
Before the current hospital stay, Rene was a regular at the Eagle games. According to John Leonard, Rene’s advice over the course of his career has been invaluable.
Leonard’s head coaching career began inauspiciously with a winless season at Class 2A Buffalo, the first season of competition for the school, in 1987. The next season Buffalo posted a 6-13 record and advanced to the playoffs. Those two seasons began a career path that Leonard always knew he would follow.
“I always thought that I could win,” Leonard said. “Growing up, I wanted to be a coach or a rodeo clown. I was fast and I thought I could help the cowboys out. I think that I would have been the type of clown that would have studied the bulls and the cowboys. I would have looked for mismatches.”
Leonard began to foster his love of coaching in school. Unable to participate in intramural because he played football, Leonard took up coaching. On the field he was nicknamed “Jackrabbit” for his running and jumping ability.
“I was a late bloomer,” Leonard said. “I was little but when I was young I could run and I could jump. I can still run a little bit.”
Leonard continued to coach intramurals at Stephen F. Austin. It was in Nacogdoches where he reached his first highlight as a coach, leading two intramural teams to the championship. During the game, Leonard sat in the middle and let the teams battle it out for the title.
“I learned that my gift was to coach and teach,” Leonard said.
Leonard took another step forward while attending SFA. Because the basketball courts were backed up, Leonard and some others began to play volleyball. Before long, he was playing every opportunity that presented itself.
Early in his career, Leonard continued to coach basketball. He took a girls’ head basketball coaching job at Channelview in 1989 and was an assistant in volleyball. He enjoyed success on the hard court leading Channelview to 91 wins. In 1994, Leonard took over the varsity volleyball job and led the Lady Falcons to two regional finals appearances.
He took over the Humble job for two years before landing at Barbers Hill where he began the program from scratch. In the Eagles third year at the varsity level, they posted a 39-3 record and advanced to the state tournament where they fell to Monahans in the 2004 3A state title match.
“I always wanted to go to state,” Leonard said. “It was everything that we thought it would be and more. We even outscored Monahans 94-93 in the state title match.”
Leonard entered the season with a 283-166 career record but it was not until a break during Barbers Hill’s Locals Only Tournament that the subject of 300 wins was broached.
“Several of the coaches were sitting around and we were talking about when coach Matthews of Dickinson celebrated her 500th victory,” Leonard said. “She said that I had to be getting close. We came to my office and figured out where I was on the list. I had no idea of where I was at.”
Leonard will be the first to admit that he will enjoy the milestone farther down the line. The most important thing is getting Rene home and resuming a normal family life.
“I have mixed emotions,” John Leonard said. “It’s hard to be happy with Rene in the hospital. I hate that she will not be there. It strains it a little bit, but we’re going to be alright.”