Recognizing Louis Hoelman III

Floor Speech

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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, 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.

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