The Illinois Association of Park Districts’ Best of the Best Gala recognizes the accomplishments of various organizations’ members statewide. Last year’s 17th annual gala, which took place on Oct. 20 in Wheeling, awarded Mike Hill of Forest Park with the Good Sportsmanship Award.
“Basically, it’s someone that gives time unconditionally to a youth organization to better that community and the participants in that program,” Hill said, describing the award.
Mike Hill, president of the Forest Park Youth Soccer Association, started with the organization around a decade ago as the assistant coach on his oldest daughter’s soccer team for kindergarten through second graders. His youngest daughter also joined a soccer team, and both played through eighth grade. Hill was an assistant coach until they went to high school.
Somewhere in the middle of his coaching career — he works as a mechanical design engineer for his day job — Hill joined the Forest Park Youth Association board, then became its president around five years ago.
“I grew up with youth sports: basketball, baseball, football,” Hill said. “I wanted to be a part of it and give back what I got out of participating.”
It was this dedication that spurred Jackie Iovinelli, the Park District of Forest Park’s executive director, to submit Hill’s name for Illinois Association of Park Districts’ Best of the Best Gala.
“I had no clue about this,” Hill said of the award. He wasn’t aware he was nominated until he received a call from Iovinelli telling him he won the Good Sportsmanship Award.
“After I got over the surprise, it was a good feeling to be recognized,” Hill said. And he doesn’t plan on stopping his efforts with the Forest Park Youth Soccer Association any time soon. His goals for this year include getting more kids involved with the organization.
“I’m hoping that we see more participants,” Hill said. “It was strong a long time ago and then the Forest Park kid population dropped off, and now it’s coming back.” But he also said he hopes that more parents get involved with their kids’ soccer teams, citing a need for more coaches for younger children’s teams.
“You don’t have to be a soccer expert,” Hill said. “We just want someone to come in and be a positive influence on the kids and help them learn skills.”