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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives wish to congratulate Lori Blade on the
4occasion of her retirement from Edwardsville High School
5(EHS), where she has served as the girls basketball and
6softball head coach for many years; and
 
7    WHEREAS, Coach Blade was first hired as the girls
8basketball coach at EHS in March 2002; she joined the softball
9program as an assistant coach the following spring before
10stepping up to lead the team in June 2003; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Prior to coaching at EHS, Coach Blade served as
12the softball coach for Carrollton High School for eight
13seasons; and
 
14    WHEREAS, After a combined 1,529 basketball and softball
15wins over her career, Coach Blade announced her retirement
16from coaching in June 2022; and
 
17    WHEREAS, In 18 seasons with EHS's softball program, Coach
18Blade won 13 Southwestern Conference championships, 15
19regional championships, and six sectionals and placed in the
20state tournament three times; as a coach for Carrollton High
21School, she led her teams to an additional eight regional

 

 

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1championships, six sectional championships, and six
2appearances in the state tournament; and
 
3    WHEREAS, Coach Blade had similar success with the EHS
4girls basketball program, winning 13 Southwestern Conference
5championships, 17 regional championships, and 13 sectional
6championships and making six appearances in the state
7tournament; at Carrollton High School, she won an additional
8seven regional championships and five sectional championships;
9and
 
10    WHEREAS, Coach Blade is the only head coach in Illinois
11High School Association History to retire with over 700 wins
12in two different sports; she has a record of 786 wins and 131
13losses in softball and 743 wins and 92 losses in basketball
14over 26 seasons of each; she is ranked fourth in all-time wins
15for softball and eighth in all-time wins for girls basketball
16in Illinois history; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Coach Blade is a member of multiple halls of
18fame, including the National High School Athletic Coaches
19Association Hall of Fame, the Illinois Softball Coaches
20Association Hall of Fame, the Illinois Basketball Coaches
21Association Hall of Fame, and the Southern Illinois University
22Edwardsville Hall of Fame; and
 

 

 

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1    WHEREAS, Coach Blade's time and dedication to the
2mentorship of hundreds of students, encouraging them to do
3their best in both their sport and their community, has had a
4lasting impact on those students and their futures; therefore,
5be it
 
6    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
7HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
8we congratulate Lori Blade on her retirement from Edwardsville
9High School, and we recognize her commitment to the community
10and the mentoring of its students; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to Coach Blade as an expression of our esteem and
13respect.