Search Key to the City or anywhere on the web

Coach Royce Teakell Honored
High School Gym renamed the Royce Teakell Gym

2005, January 14

On Friday, January 14th, 2005, Coach Royce Teakell, who passed away at the age of 61 on September 28, 2003, was honored during the basketball homecoming game by having the high school gym renamed the Royce Teakell Gym. Eulene Teakell a retired teacher from Elmore City and the widow of Coach Teakell accepted a basketball signed by former students who attended the dedication. Erik Yeiser, 1987 ECHS graduate and member of the basketball team that won the state championship the same year, gave the following speech.

"Hi my name is Erik Yeiser and I'd like to welcome everyone to this very special occasion. I'm sure that most of you have noticed some faces that haven't been in this gym in many years. It takes a very special man to get this many young men to travel across this state, to honor him for what he has done, and what he has meant to them in their lives. Royce Teakell influenced thousands of young people in his life. I can tell you that I got into coaching and coached for 10 years. And everything that I did, from the style of play, to how I made my kids act, was a direct reflection of the influence Coach Teakell had on me. Every Badger Basketball player that I know and grew up with had and has great character. They are good people. We have Royce to thank for that.

I have to also thank and recognize Mrs. Eulene Teakell for all she has done as well. Eulene was like a second mother to me and many other young men through-out the years. As far as I can tell Eulene is the mother of over 1000 boys. They say that "beside every great man is a great woman" and Eulene that definitely goes for you.

In the thirty-one years that Royce coached he had two losing seasons. His first season and his last. To do that at a small school is a tremendous feat. Royce took average athletes year after year and molded them into winners. I hope someday with the help of some influential people that were friends with Coach Teakell that we can get Royce into the Oklahoma Coaches Hall of Fame. Again, I'd like to thank everyone for coming and have a wonderful evening."

Submitted by Kelly Fox.
Permission granted to post by Erik Yeiser & by Eulene Teakell

Search Key to the City Custom Search

or Search anywhere on the Web Custom Search

Return to the Elmore City, Oklahoma community page on Key to the City
Top USA City Directory and US Cities Resource Guide

This page was last updated on 9 July 2012 at 6:16 pm

Be sure to come back soon! We'll keep the light on for you!!