Our family met Doug Ogle in October 1985 at Brian's parent-teacher meeting at Edgewood Middle School. Doug was in his first year in the Warsaw Schools system, and was Brian's math teacher and the new eighth-grade coach. At that meeting, Doug asked us if Brian would be coming out for the basketball team. With this being Brian's first year in the Warsaw Schools system, no one in the Tiger basketball program knew this very short, at that time, and shy youngster. With Doug's encouragement and support, Brian tried out and made the eighth-grade team.
Few remember that Brian was on the reserve freshman team the next year, but with Doug's coaching and the encouragement, he shared in his letters of support to Brian, Brian developed a love for Tiger basketball. The encouragement letters continued to Dan and Ben.
As Dan and Ben followed in Tiger basketball, we have first-hand knowledge of the many hours of instruction that Doug provided Brian, Dan and Ben. Our family has benefited from his involvement, and we are glad that he has been a strong part of the Tiger basketball program for 23 years.
We believe there are many other families that also appreciate the role model he has been through these years.
Our community has benefited from him and his family's role in our community. Each year, during the Christmas season, he would arrange for the junior varsity team to go caroling. Grandpa and Grandma Elliott were beneficiaries of this expression of care and concern exhibited by the young Tigers.
We support him and appreciate the role he has had with our family. Thank you, Coach Ogle, the Warsaw Community High School Tiger basketball head coach. Next year, we will, for the 26th consecutive year, purchase our four season tickets and continue to support the coach and the young men and women in the Tiger Basketball programs.
