That Hecker, quite the character

There is always the discussion of the tangibles that you take from a team sport which might include scoreboard results or life lessons.

Memories and relationships are also an integral part of the experience in athletics. I remember so many teams that had that special person who made everybody laugh, sometimes it was consciously and sometimes by just how they were. My first volleyball team that I coached at Newport Harbor High had some pretty funny guys on it. Steve Timmons, who went on to be a three-time Olympian, had some pretty funny moments and Ted McGinley, who has had quite an acting career, could really make it happen. Ted was actually the ball boy at UCI in the first years when I played basketball there.

In the girls’ game at Newport, there have been quite a cast of entertaining personalities. In many minds, Newport’s Jeannette Hecker is the funniest. When I did some research on good Hecker stories, the initial response from everybody was a smile and a chuckle for this girl that everybody loves.

Newport’s Dan Glenn, who had the privilege of coaching Jeannette for four years on his varsity team, relayed a classic story about one of Jeannette’s first days on his varsity as a freshman. Glenn had been organizing practice and had left the team to set the nets up.

When he returned to start practice he found that Jeannette had eaten his lunch and had thought nothing about it. This was her freshman year.

I caught up with Misty May who also laughed about Hecker stories.

She remembered quite a few tales but had to laugh the hardest at this same story that Dan Glenn had shared with me. She extended the story to tell me that Coach had kicked Jeannette out of practice because of the lunch eating episode and had her sit in the bleachers while the team lifted weights. When they returned, Jeannette was fast asleep in the bleachers. Typical Hecker.

Former Corona del Mar and UCLA standout Kim Coleman, who played on the Assn. of Volleyball Professionals Tour for many years also shared some great Hecker tales.

They were playing together in the Huntington Beach Open and their first-round match was against the famed Holly McPeak, which guaranteed that there would be television and media at the match. Hecker showed to warmup with a dress on. Holly could not wipe the smirk off of her face.

When the match started, the first game was close with Holly chuckling at every Hecker antic. In the second game, Holly and her partner got off to a big lead which prompted Jeannette to abruptly walk off of the court. When Kim went to Jeannette, she was putting on lipstick and make-up. Kim asked what she was doing and Jeannette’s response was, “If we’re going to lose on television, we might as well look good.”

The “makeup timeout” brought more smiles from Holly which changed when Jeannette hammered some balls at her. I guess the makeup timeout worked.

This Saturday night at Newport Harbor, the Newport girls’ volleyball team will hold their first annual alumni match starting at 5:30 p.m. Jeannette Hecker will be there and I guarantee that there will be lots of laughs. There will be players from all of the years and I am sure that there will be more stories than outstanding volleyball play. From the 70’s, look for Anne Yardley, Liz Echternach, and Kari Rush (who wants to block her daughter, Mackenzi, during the game). The 80’s will have Mary Allison Mix,

Jenny Evans, Julie Evans, Anjanette Gan DeGarceau, and, hopefully, Lara Asper Sellers (another classic who played at Stanford and still lives up there). The 90’s could bring a whole cast of players with Hecker, Misty, Sara Fairborn, Tina Bowman, and Tara Kroesch White.

Maureen McLaren was one of those “never to be forgotten” personalities of the 90’s and I hope that she makes one of her surprise appearances. How about the 2000’s with Brenda Waterman, Heather Cullen, Marissa Cothran, Allison Lent, Taylor Burnham, Krista Dill, and April Ross (who just returned from an international competition with Brazil). Also playing and organizing the event is Newport assistant coach and alum, Taylor Govaars.

When talking to Misty about Jeannette, she remembers equally how passionate and caring that Jeannette is. Misty has special memories of the times that Jeannette spent helping Misty’s mother, Barbara, as she battled cancer in her last few years. Now a nurse at Hoag Hospital, Jeannette is bringing her passion for people and her love for life to those in need even off of the volleyball court.