Schools
Troy 30-C coach receives John Davis Service Award
John Davis has coached cross country at the district for more than 30 years
In his more than 30 years of coaching the Troy 30-C Cross Country Team, John Davis has trained 90 All-State runners, and his teams have been in the top four in the state 25 times, with an overall IESA state title in 2007.
He’s worked with 25 coaches and around 4,000 athletes and was honored at a recent Troy Community School District 30-C school board meeting with a service award.
School Board President Mark Griglione said Davis has put Troy on the map for cross country.
“If anyone goes out into this hallway and sees the number of trophies the Cross Country Team has earned for Troy,” Griglione said at the meeting, “it’s unbelievable. It is a great program and has been for years. Thank you so much for putting us on the map for Troy. It’s one of the great cross country programs in the state.”
Troy Director of Athletics and Activities Meagan DeGroot presented Davis with the award and said she met Davis when she was a young girl at the Joliet Park District, and for the past 11 years, she has enjoyed working with him at Troy.
“John has an incredible way of connecting with kids and their families,” DeGroot said. “One quote that reminds me of John is, ‘A good coach helps improve your game, but a great coach helps improve your life.’ It is an honor to have a coach dedicate 30 years at the junior high level. From Troy as a whole, we can’t thank you enough for your time and dedication to the Troy athletic programs.”
Davis said he shares with children and teens what he has learned over the years, “Work hard, have fun, be kind and be present.”
