[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 87 (Tuesday, June 18, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S4582]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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                         TRIBUTE TO MIKE CURRY

 Mr. ENZI. Madam President, I wish to take a moment of the 
Senate's time to call your attention to the retirement of one of the 
true heroes of my home town of Gillette, WY. For 30 years our local 
basketball team, the Camels, has been coached by one of the finest high 
school coaches of all time--Mike Curry.
  Mike has been doing a good job for so long we thought he would be on 
the bench on the Camels' side of the court forever. That is why it took 
us all by surprise when Coach Curry decided to retire from coaching at 
the end of this past season.
  Over the years Coach Curry has been more than our coach--he's been a 
Wyoming tradition. Ask anyone who is a Camels fan who has been 
responsible for their success and every one will tell you our secret 
advantage has been the coaching ability and basketball knowledge of 
Coach Curry.
  His concern for each of his players, and his great love of Campbell 
County High School, has been evident for all the years of his service 
to the people of Gillette. It shows itself in the hearts of those he 
has coached and in the lives of those he has worked with as their 
teacher. He has always been one to lead by quiet but focused example 
and that important quality of his has made him a role model that has 
helped to provide guidance and direction to all those with whom he has 
worked.
  If you ask the members of all those championship teams that played 
for Coach Curry, they will tell you that they learned some important 
lessons from him that helped to shape their lives. Thanks to him they 
came to realize what high expectations, teamwork, making good, 
thoughtful decisions and refusing to ever give up on a goal can mean to 
the pursuit of a difficult challenge. Ask his current players and they 
will tell you what it has meant to play for Coach Curry and to receive 
the legacy of success from his past efforts that helped to get them 
inspired and motivated right from the start. They knew before they even 
made the team how successful Coach Curry's Camels had been and that 
made them ask more from themselves than anyone else would have ever 
thought was possible for them to achieve.
  Coach Curry is now ending a remarkable career. In 30 years he has 
collected 605 wins and 12 State titles. If we were to ask him which one 
was sweeter--the first win or the last--I have a feeling he would tell 
us that they were all special because each one was made possible by a 
team of young men committed to winning and to each other.
  For my family, we will always remember Coach Curry for the impact he 
had on our son, Brad. He also touched the rest of our family as we 
watched the Camels play for and learn from a very strong, steady coach. 
For the community of Gillette, we will always remember the key role 
Coach Curry played in strengthening Gillette's sense of community and 
increasing our sense of pride in our school and those who wore its 
colors.
  Congratulations and good luck, Coach Curry. You did a great job and 
you can now look back on your coaching career with the satisfaction 
that comes from a job well done. You can also look ahead to some new 
adventures as this chapter of your life comes to a close and you begin 
a new one. God bless.

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