BY CHAD DARE
Danville, IL, Commercial-News
March 18, 2007
DANVILLE — Doug Barnette was looking for a way to
honor former Danville coach Gene Gourley.
Barnette, a major sports agent living in Danville, also wanted
to help the Danville YMCA.
He found a way to do both with a $25,000 donation to honor
his former coach.
The basketball floor in the large gymnasium at the Danville
YMCA will be coined “Gene Gourley Court” to serve
as a permanent reminder of his contributions to the Danville
High School basketball program and the Danville community as
a whole.
“Coach Gourley is a guy who has affected so many lives
in his career, and he really does not even fully comprehend
the things that he has accomplished both professionally and
personally,’’ Barnette said. “When I look
back on my playing days and the great coaches that I played
for, like Mike Stephens, Mark Dicken and Andy Houpt, it makes
me fully appreciate the commitment that coach Gourley made
to the Danville program.
“He’s the guy who orchestrated it all. If it was
not for my parents and coach Gourley, I feel quite certain
that I would not have achieved the success that I enjoy today.
They taught me discipline and what it means to work hard and
do things right.’’
According to an official release from Player Management International,
John Alexander, the executive director of the Danville Family
YMCA, said he was excited about the contribution and the opportunity
to honor a great person and coach like Gourley. Alexander’s
son, Jeff, played under Gourley during his one season at Armstrong-Potomac.
“Gene Gourley has always been a wonderful example for
our area kids,’’ said Alexander in the release. “He
has always held to the four core values that we teach in all
of our YMCA programs — caring, respect, responsibility
and honesty.
“We are happy that Doug and his family thought of us
for the donation, and at the same time, chose to honor a great
man such as coach Gourley.’’
Gourley, who won 359 games in 21 years at Danville, was both
honored and humbled by Barnette’s gesture.
“I’m not sure that I’m deserving of this
honor, but I’m very, very pleased that the contribution
is going to help the Danville YMCA, and ultimately, help the
Danville community,’’ he said. “When Doug
told me about this, I thought he was joking with me.
“But, when he told me why he was doing this, I thought
it was an excellent idea. This is going to be something that
is not only going to help kids in Danville, but it will help
all the kids in the county.’’
Barnette said he chose the YMCA because that is where he spent
the majority of his childhood.
“I spent countless days and night in the gym with my
father and/or my brother playing basketball,’’ Barnette
said. “We basically lived there and it is still a place
where it starts for all athletes in the Danville area, which
is why I thought it was the most appropriate way to honor a
guy that not only had a major impact on Danville High School
basketball, but on the community, itself.’’
The Danville Family YMCA was established in 1883 and now serves
over 10,000 annually with programs designed to build strong
kids, strong families and strong communities.