As head coach at the old W.A. Berry High School in Hoover, the late Bob Finley taught his students as much about integrity and character as he did about football.
The cherished awards given each year since 1996 in Finley’s name promote the values he stood for.
The Finley Awards honor exemplars of outstanding character in the Hoover City Schools system, including one employee and one senior from each high school.
“Coach Finley was a humble, quiet coach and person,” says Aimee George, Finley Committee chairwoman. “He was a man of great faith, was active in his church and helped lots of people. He went above and beyond as a coach and teacher.”
“He was a man of character,” says Jennifer Hogan, principal at Hoover High School, “Coach Finley set positive examples for integrity, grit, humility, and hard work.”
January is the beginning of the Finley Awards season.
Three Hoover teachers will be honored for their work in the classroom at the “Teachers in the Trenches” awards ceremony, to be held Jan. 30 at 7:30 a.m at the Hoover-Randle Home & Gardens.
The committee will also acknowledge winners in February and host two events in March, including a recognition event for character winners in Grades K through 12 at the Finley Center on March 20 at 6 p.m.
Finley, who died in 1994, left a tremendous legacy because of all the people he influenced
“We have so many people in the community who were coached by him at Berry or taught by him at church, so there’s a ripple effect,” George says. “They learned how to handle things in a humble, kind way because of Coach Finley.”
Hogan is one of the people who was deeply affected by Finley. A veteran educator, she played basketball for him at Berry in the 1980s.
“Coach Finley was like a father figure to me,” Hogan says. “He pushed our teams hard and expected a lot from us. We didn't want to disappoint him. I feel very fortunate to have gotten to play for him.”
Hogan learned many lessons from Finley. For example, “preparation is key,” she says, referring to Finley’s rigorous study of their opponents, careful game planning and emphasis on fundamentals.
“As a teacher or school leader, I have made it a priority to be prepared for the benefit of my students and staff,” Hogan says.
Hogan and her teammates learned humility from Finley.
“Coach Finley never bragged on our team or was boastful about our success, and he showed grace whether we won or lost,” Hogan recalls.
Hogan also learned from Finley that you can be “fiercely competitive” and still be polite, she said. “He picked up trash in the bleachers after games. He was respectful to others.”
Finley’s example is always there in Hogan’s work as an educator.
“There have been countless days that I have asked myself, ‘What would Coach Finley think of this? What would Coach Finley do?’” Hogan says.
Finley taught hundreds of young people — both athletes and non-athletes — about integrity, generosity and compassion, not only in what he said, but in how he lived.
For more about the Finley Awards, go online to hoovercityschools.net/finleyawards.
