44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

RECOGNIZING COACH PETE SHOCK'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SPORT OF BASKETBALL, THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS STUDENTS AND THE COMMUNITY OF CLIFF.

WHEREAS, Coach Pete Shock began his distinguished coaching career at Cliff high school by following in his father's footsteps a generation and more than five hundred victories ago; and

WHEREAS, Coach Shock has demonstrated his coaching ability by amassing an amazing and impressive career record of more than five hundred victories and fewer than one hundred sixty-five losses, most of which were close anyway and probably would have been won if the Cowboys would have gotten just a couple of good calls; and

WHEREAS, Coach Shock as a math teacher and guidance counselor has made a lasting impression on the lives of hundreds of young men and women, instilling in them the value of a sound mind, sound body and sound reasoning; and

WHEREAS, Coach Shock has led his Cliff Cowboys to the state tournament for eighteen consecutive years and returned with championship trophies in six of those years and runner-up trophies in three more; and

WHEREAS, Coach Shock has instilled in his players and students the need to stay not only within the bounds of the basketball court and the rules of the game, but also within the bounds of decency, citizenship, honor and integrity, and within the rules of fair play and sportsmanship; and

WHEREAS, Coach Shock has also demonstrated the value of a smothering defense, the beauty of a morale-crushing half-court trap and the effectiveness of a momentum-turning fast break; and

WHEREAS, the members of the legislature have a unique appreciation for the sport of basketball after a team consisting of members of the house of representatives, and cheered on in spirit if not in person by members of the senate team, was "narrowly" defeated by virtually every opponent in 1998's legislator-staff tournament, which resulted in the cancellation of the 1999 tournament; and

WHEREAS, Coach Shock has received awards almost too numerous to mention, including being inducted into the New Mexico high school coaches' association hall of honor, being twice named coach of the year by his colleagues and being four times named coach of the year by the nemesis of most coaches: sportswriters and broadcasters; and

WHEREAS, Coach Shock has received the national recognition he richly deserves for all his work both on the court and in the community, bringing pride to all New Mexicans and recognition to the town of Cliff, by being named the national federation interscholastic coaches association boys' basketball national coach of the year;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO that hardy congratulations and heartfelt thanks be extended to Pete Shock for his contributions to the community of Cliff, the state of New Mexico and the sport of basketball; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Coach Shock be respectfully requested to accept the position of "Coach for Life" of the legislative team in the unlikely event that the legislator-staff tournament is ever revived; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that copies of this memorial be transmitted to Coach Pete Shock.