Bill Tucker

Anyone who has attended a Taylorville High School sporting event over the past thirty-three years has seen Bill Tucker on the sidelines assisting coaches an players and even game officials, as a volunteer manager, trainer and general team helper. Tucker first began his volunteer work at the junior high school, keeping score for the tethers basketball teams. With the high school always in need of help, Tucker began keeping the score book and statistics for the basketball team on road trips. The more he was around the athletic programs, the more he felt he could offer. He began assisting the football program. With his organizational skills he volunteered to see that equipment was organized and maintained. He assisted in keeping helmets in safe working condition and uniforms ready for each Friday's games. He was able to attend many practices and and provided support that allowed coaches to spend their time coaching. While most of his time was spent with basketball and football, Tucker managed to make time to help athletes and coaches in almost every program at the high school.

After a few years, he saw a need for someone to assist in handling minor injuries, so he took his free time to receive training to become an athletic trainer. With this education, he helped the coaching staffs of most sports with taping ankles, nursing injuries and providing basic trainer service to the many athletes that participated in sports. In caring out this role, he spend much of his free time transporting athletes to area facilities that would provide the necessary therapies that might allow an athlete to heal more quickly and get hack in to active participation.

But the schools were not the only place Tucker volunteered his time. He began coaching a Little League team in 1969 and served in a variety capacities, including league president of the Little League Board until 1981.Tucker was recognized by both the community and the Illinois High School Association for his volunteer work by being selected AC1 "Outstanding Citizen" in 1981 and was elected to the IHSA Hall of Fame in 1988.