Their Place, Forever
February 9, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
It’s surreal, Terry Reid said, humbling and overwhelming every time he sees his name hanging on Marlette’s gymnasium wall.
A little more than a month has passed since the school dedicated one of its most visible buildings to the longtime basketball coach. Thing is, Reid added, those honors usually are bestowed after a person has died – not while he’s still working the sideline, as Reid has done for Raiders teams over the last 40 years.
On the opposite wall hangs a new scoreboard, also dedicated Dec. 28. At the top is the name “Kyle Hall,” one of Reid’s eight grandchildren, a standout player who graduated last spring. Below hangs a photo of number 35, palming a basketball, gazing across the floor where Reid guides his junior varsity team through the same drills he’s been teaching for decades – and where he helped his grandson earn an opportunity to play at the college level.
“Every practice, … there’s a picture of him. And those eyes. I look up, and it kinda chokes me up,” Reid said.
“We’ve been blessed with grandkids who have let you know their feelings for them. ‘Hey Grandpa, see ya, I love ya.’ Those were the last words I heard from him, the day before he died.”
Reid wasn’t sure if he could return to coaching after that day, July 16, when during the early morning hours a car crash claimed Hall’s life as he drove home from a friend’s house.
Reid’s wife of 52 years, Jackie, convinced him to go back – both for himself, and for his grandson. And it seems just right they will be remembered in a place that has meant so much to both.
The plan comes together
Reid, 72, grew up in Redford Township, coached at Redford and then Detroit Benedictine for a short time before moving to Marlette in 1972. He’s coached a variety of teams, including the girls varsity for 21 seasons and the boys for 12 over two tenures, and hundreds of athletes including his daughter and Kyle’s mom Tammi, and currently Kyle’s little brother Dakota.
Kyle Hall got serious 
about the game as a junior. At 6-foot-5 and at a Class C school, he was a post player – but realized he’d need better perimeter skills to play after high school. Reid never officially coached Kyle – Hall skipped Reid’s JV team to join the varsity as a sophomore. But that summer before senior year, Grandfather and Grandson got to work, a few hours three days a week, through tough times and good ones that come in part with coaching one’s child, or in this case, grandchild.
After earning all-league and all-area honors in his final high school season, Hall was slated to join the Alma College men’s basketball team this fall – in fact, the Scots wear his initials on their pre-game warm-up shirts. Alma College also recently acquired a new scoreboard, and Kyle “told me one time … I’m going to light that sucker up,” Reid remembered.
That was Hall. He’d visit potential colleges with Tammi and his father Mike, and coaches would ask Kyle to list his strong point. Answer: Confidence. Weak point? Same answer. “He went out every game with the plan to win,” she said.
She recalled Kyle’s big feet: “He could run down the floor in three leaps.” Sports were his obvious first love. A three-sport athlete every year of high school, Kyle played football in fall, track and later golf in the spring. Every inch of his bedroom wall was covered either with pictures or clips from newspapers, his workout plan, and the terminology he was learning for nursing. Hall had passed his certification test to work as a nurse assistant two weeks before the crash. He had plans to pursue jobs at the hospitals in Marlette and Alma, and after getting his bachelor’s degree head to University of Michigan or Ferris State University for his master’s in nurse administration.
“When Kyle got something in his head, that’s what he’s going to do,” Tammi Hall said.
‘You just knew that he cared’
Terry Reid is an old-school basketball coach. Fundamentals rule. Defense first. Life has been basketball, golf, and family. He’s Marlette to the core – after all, the dog’s name is Red Raider Reid.
Prior to the gym dedication, the Huron Daily Tribune reported Terry’s various successes: a 315-149 girls varsity record, 100-98 with the boys varsity, and a combined seven District and five league championships. He also led the baseball team to a league title, coached in the football program and was athl
etic director for 18 years on top of teaching a variety of subjects.
The branches of his coaching tree spread throughout Michigan’s Thumb, and further. Reid estimates at least 40 former players have gone on to run their own teams. Brown City boys basketball coach Tony Burton and Bad Axe girls coach Brent Wehner both played for Reid, as did Kentucky Wesleyan College co-women’s coaches Caleb and Nicole Nieman. Closest to home, former players Chris Storm and his wife Cathy Storm now run Marlette’s boys and girls varsities, respectively.
“You just knew that he cared. … At the time you don’t realize it, but he becomes a true friend shortly after high school and throughout your career,” Chris Storm said.
“You always live through the tough times as well as the good times of teams. He’s been one who has persevered over the years. Everyone certainly goes through it; there are certain teams that don’t accomplish what they should, and that falls on the coach. But he’s always been able to keep his focus on the kids. That’s what we’re here for, and they know it.”
Like any grandparent, Reid takes pride in all of his grandchildren. An athletic bunch, he can recognize basketball potential – even in those who have chosen to play that other winter sport, hockey, instead.
But admittedly, Reid’s relationship with Hall took on another level because of their time together on the court. Storm’s son Alex teamed with Hall in 2010-11 and now plays at Rochester College in Rochester Hills, and Chris Storm recognized the similar tensions to his coaching his son.
But, “there’s certainly no question the time (Reid) spent with him and put in paid off for Kyle,” Storm said. “It was kinda neat they were able to share in that success at the end.”
He will be remembered
Reid said between 30 and 40 people came to the Halls’ home the night Kyle died.
His showing at the funeral home was scheduled to run from 1-9 p.m., but went until 10:20. After a small private funeral, the family went to the gym for a community ceremony – and found it packed.
“I really found out I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. The support we received at that time, and to the present, has just been unreal,” Reid said. “They stuck with Mike and Tammi, and they still do.”
For the dedication, Kingston agreed to have its varsity girls and boys teams play at Marlette on the same night, instead of the usual JV/varsity doubleheader. Every Kingston player came into the stands and hugged Mike and Tammi. The Raiders boys team has had a bit of a tough one this winter coming off last season’s 17-5 finish – it was just 6-8 heading into Friday – but beat Kingston that night by 20.
In a small town, Storm said, something like Hall’s death brings somberness to the entire community. And, of course, it still hits the family hardest. But Reid is back coaching his junior varsity, with no plans to stop.
And after Dakota is done playing for the JV, Mike and Tammi stick around for the boys varsity games. They watch and support the friends and community that have supported them – and now in the building where they are surrounded by reminders that will continue to live on.
“He was so much fun to watch. I realize he was my own, so obviously I think higher of him. … But it was just so much fun to watch him play,” Tammi said.
“My husband and I talked quite a bit, and that’s where he’ll be remembered, on the basketball court. He packed a lot in those 19 years. ... I think he would think that’s pretty cool.”
PHOTOS courtesy of Reid and Hall families.
TOP: Terry Reid waves to the crowd during the Marlette gym dedication Dec. 28. (Middle) The scoreboard dedicated to Kyle Hall hangs on the eastern wall of the gym. (Right) Hall's retired jersey also hangs at the high school.
MIDDLE (1): A sign honoring Reid and remembering Hall hangs on the western wall of the gym.
MIDDLE (2): Hall (jumping) celebrates his team's outright league championship in 2011. Grandfather Terry Reid is among those pictured behind him.
MIDDLE (3): Reid (left) and Hall posed for a shot during the postgame celebration of that championship win.
BELOW: The full scoreboard, plus a photo of Hall, also were dedicated on Dec. 28.
Athens' #13 Makes 'Miracle' Comeback
By
Pam Shebest
Special for MHSAA.com
October 19, 2015
ATHENS — Damon Knowles talked about baseball and basketball with his cousin, Luke Lamson, one warm Sunday last December.
That’s not unusual for the two young teens, but that day Lamson lay crushed beneath the wheels of a semi trailer loaded with corn and weighing more than 30,000 pounds.
His cousin had crawled beneath the trailer to keep Lamson awake until the ambulance arrived with the Jaws of Life. Both boys were in eighth grade at the time.
Immediately following the accident, “My dad told me to go get the phone so we could call 911,” Knowles, 14, said. “I went under the trailer and was talking to Luke. I just had to keep asking him if he could breathe.”
That accident drastically changed the way Lamson figured his freshman year at Athens High School would play out. Instead of running cross country and playing basketball this year, he is on the sidelines cheering his teammates.
The fact the 14-year-old can actually do that now is a story of amazing recovery and faith.
Knowles, his dad John and Lamson were the only ones at the farm, moving the corn to the silo at the time of the accident. None of them knows exactly how the accident happened, but John Knowles said the ground was soft from rain the day before, which probably kept his nephew from being crushed to death.
Lamson said he was awake the entire time, but doesn’t remember much about the accident.
“It didn’t kill him because we kept the pressure on him,” an emotional John Knowles said. “I could have drove the truck off him. Had a piece of machinery there, I could have tipped the truck off him.
“But I kept the pressure on him and he didn’t bleed internally. There was a higher power telling me not to get the trailer off him. He should have never made it out from under the trailer, never made it to the hospital. The first couple days were nerve-wracking.
“By the time I got to the hospital (later that day), half of Athens was there. We had over 90 people in the waiting room that night; probably 25 of them spent the night.”
Said Lamson’s mother, Lucy: “Being the adult and the one driving the vehicle, my brother was a mess. This little guy (Damon) was down there with Luke, underneath the trailer while he was pinned and held his head and made him stay awake and just kept talking with him.
“To me, that was the first miracle. Luke is sitting here right now because of it.”
The family created a Facebook page, Lukey Lamson’s Comeback, to post updates for friends and family.
The first entry explained: “He has a shattered pelvis, a compound fracture in his shoulder, a fracture in his lower back, and numerous open wounds. He currently just got out of surgery and they were able to attach a wound vac to help his wounds heal.
“We are receiving some communication from him such as waves, thumbs up, and hand squeezes when he is off his sedation medication, which is only for a few minutes at a time.”
Lamson, who spent two months in Kalamazoo’s Bronson Methodist Hospital and one in University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, said at the beginning he wasn’t sure he would live.
“There was times in the hospital that Luke wasn’t real fun to be around,” his uncle said. “There was one time I come around the corner and my mother and my sister were crying. I said what’s wrong. They said Luke wants to die.
“So I walked in there. I asked the two nurses to leave. We had a good heart-to-heart talk, and things changed.”
By Dec. 10, three days after the accident, Lamson was taken off the ventilator. And by Christmas, he had survived seven surgeries.
On Dec. 28 he was moved from the intensive care unit to a regular room, and by Jan. 20 he was able to sit in a wheelchair for the first time. He left Bronson for Mott’s on Feb. 3.
One bright spot in those early days came from Bronson Hospital’s Dr. Michael Leinwand who learned that Lamson is a huge Michigan State fan. He arranged for a visit from two students from the MSU dance team along with mascot Sparty.
Lamson had an attitude adjustment at Mott’s, where he found inspiration after watching an ESPN short called “Miraculous: The Austin Hatch Story,” about the University of Michigan basketball player.
“(Hatch) survived two plane crashes and lost his mother, father, two siblings and a stepmother in those two airplane crashes,” Lucy Lamson said. “He had a crushed pelvis, brain injuries. He worked like there was no tomorrow, and he didn’t have the family to support him.
“After we watched the story, Luke looked at me and said he doesn’t even have his mom and his dad to help him, and I do. That’s when he kicked it in.”
Lamson has had 22 surgeries with another scheduled for later this week, goes for physical therapy three times a week and has actually walked Athens’ home course at Stanton Farms with the cross country team.
He expects to be on the sidelines cheering on the team at its regional Oct. 31 and hopes to be a manager for the basketball team.
Lucy Lamson said it is not just the community who has come together to support the family, but also teams in the Big 8 Conference.
While at Mott’s, the teen wanted a leave to attend an Athens basketball game when his sister, Josie, was on the homecoming court.
He worked hard to meet all the criteria his doctors set and planned the surprise.
“We played our rival, Union City,” Lucy Lamson said. “They did a fundraiser for him, too. My sister was thanking everyone and then Luke rolled in in his wheelchair. and everybody just cried.”
Lamson’s basketball number has always been 13, and that number actually gave the family some comfort.
“After the accident, that number kept showing up everywhere,” his mother said. “The room he was in at one point was 13. Damon’s first gymnastics meet after the accident, he drew 13. They won a basketball game by 13.
“Players had headbands made that had 13 on them. Other teams in our conference that played our team would come in with 13 on their shirts or wristbands. At a dollar store for fundraiser stuff, the amount came to exactly $13. That was our way of knowing that God was with us and Luke would be OK.”
Lamson, Knowles and Riley Howard, all freshmen, figured they would be battling each other on the cross country team this year.
Instead, Knowles and Howard are running with Lamson cheering them on.
Although basketball is his first love, “We talked Luke into running cross country his seventh grade year, so he ran seventh and eighth grade years,” said coach Missy Hamilton, who also teaches science at the middle school.
“He’s just amazed everybody because we didn’t think he’d be back in school last year. He came back after spring break, in a wheelchair. He’s starting to walk a little bit. Now he walks the halls (with a brace on his left leg).
“I’m hoping he’ll be ready to run with us next year, and by the time he’s a junior, full time. As he works through his physical therapy, he becomes stronger and stronger.”
Damon Knowles has dedicated this cross country season to his cousin.
Asked if he thinks of Luke running beside him during meets, Damon replied, laughing and without hesitation: “Maybe behind me.”
Howard said Lamson is an inspiration to the other athletes.
“I’ve known him my whole life,” Howard said. “I was worried that he wasn’t going to make it, but I was really surprised because he’s up and walking.
“It’s inspired me to work harder, actually, because he’s not doing this right now, but he’ll be back. The team likes it when he’s there supporting us.”
John Knowles said the family has become even closer since the accident.
“There’s been a lot of great things that have come from this accident that is bigger than any one person or any one sport,” he said. “You’ve got to have bad days to appreciate the good days. Sports is a great teacher of that.”
Pam Shebest served as a sportswriter at the Kalamazoo Gazette from 1985-2009 after 11 years part-time with the Gazette while teaching French and English at White Pigeon High School. She continues to freelance for MLive.com covering mainly Kalamazoo Wings hockey and can be reached at [email protected] with story ideas for Calhoun, Kalamazoo and Van Buren counties.
PHOTOS: (Top) Luke Lamson, in bed, is surrounded by his doctor, members of the Michigan State University dance team and Sparty during his stay at Bronson Hospital. (Middle) From left, John Knowles, Damon Knowles, Lucy Lamson. (Middle below) Luke Lamson sits up as his recovery continues. (Below) Lamson played basketball during middle school. (Top and middle photos courtesy of Lamson family; head shots by Pam Shebest, basketball photo by Photography by Char.)