[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 62 (Thursday, April 13, 2023)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E306-E307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
RECOGNIZING LOUIS HOELMAN III
______
HON. JAMIE RASKIN
of maryland
in the house of representatives
Thursday, April 13, 2023
Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to congratulate my constituent Louis
Hoelman III on everything he has accomplished to date in a dazzling
teaching and coaching career in Montgomery County, Maryland.
Mr. Hoelman is himself a proud graduate of Montgomery County Public
Schools. He attended Parkside Elementary School, Highland View
Elementary School, Eastern Junior High School (as it was known at the
time), and the great Montgomery Blair High School. He went on to
Montgomery College and graduated from the University of Maryland with a
degree in Kinesiology.
Mr. Hoelman launched his career as an Athletic Director at the Silver
Spring Boys and Girls Club. In 1993, he returned to Montgomery County
Public Schools as a physical education teacher at Piney Branch
Elementary School. In 1999, he joined the staff of Montgomery Blair
High School as a physical education teacher and, in 2001, he became the
head coach of Blair's varsity girls' softball team. Over the years he
has also coached basketball, team handball, field hockey, and cross
country. In 2022, he became the head coach of Blair's varsity co-ed
golf team and led them to the final round of the State Golf
Championship. In addition to his very busy teaching and coaching
career, he is the founder of the renowned Takoma Sports Camp for boys
and girls.
By the end of Blair's 2022 softball season, Mr. Hoelman had amassed a
total of 294 wins over his softball coaching career. I understand that
as of today, he stands on the cusp of racking up 300 career wins. He
has received numerous Coach of the Year awards, including citations
from the Montgomery Gazette, the Washington Examiner, Montgomery Blair
High School, and, most recently, the National Federation of State High
School Associations.
Beyond his remarkable record of successful coaching, Mr. Hoelman is
known for his warm,
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inclusive and exuberantly friendly attitude towards all students. He
displays great enthusiasm for ensuring that every student experiences
the physical and mental health benefits of exercise. He is dedicated to
helping young people develop a positive relationship with physical
activity to benefit them for the rest of their lives.
During remote learning at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr.
Hoelman taught physical education from his living room. Under the most
arduous conditions, he went all out to keep his students active and
engaged--from leading them in 20-minute workouts every class to
coaching them on how to improvise sports equipment using whatever
materials they had at home. His dedication and creativity gave students
a much-needed energetic break from the isolating and stressful
circumstances of the pandemic period.
Like people in thousands of families in Montgomery County, I am
profoundly grateful to Mr. Hoelman for his three decades of passionate
service to our community and our children, and I look forward to seeing
everything he will accomplish in the years to come.
____________________