Dave Hinton: Successful husband-wife coaching duo to be recognized

Jan. 6—A sports coop back in the early '90s brought more than two schools — Shiloh and Chrisman — together. It also brought together Dave and Missy Tingley.

It also forged a successful coaching partnership that will result in the duo being named into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in May.

Missy was a freshman at Shiloh High School and Dave a junior at Chrisman, both meeting as members of the cooperative's cross country team.

"We had a pretty team-oriented, close-knit cross country team," Missy said. "We would talk. We had a big group," Dave remembers.

Toward the end of the school year, Dave hinted a couple of times that they should go out on a date.

"I think she thought I was joking," he said.

The following season he got the courage to formally ask her out. She agreed.

Their first date was to Pizza Hut and a movie.

"I guess I made her laugh enough she wanted another date," he said.

They became high school sweethearts. Just at different schools.

Eight years later they married.

The former Missy Barrett is already in the hall of fame as a player.

"She was the best high school basketball player I've ever seen," her husband said.

After high school Dave attended Danville Area Community College and Eastern Illinois University, and Missy enrolled at Millikin in Decatur, where she played on the women's basketball team.

Missy was a top-five vote-getter for the Miss Illinois Basketball award in Illinois her junior and senior years and averaged more than 30 points a game.

"I was probably on Millikin's campus more than I was the other two campuses," Dave said.

His help as a scout team member playing against the women's team and developing scouting reports likely helped him become a successful coach.

"Coach (Lori) Kerans taught us a lot before we even knew it," Dave said. "Neither one of us at the time thought we would be coaches."

By perusing the scouting report, he learned how to pick up things quickly.

"I knew more plays by the end of the year and why they did them, and whether (players) were right- or left-handed or liked to drive or shoot," he said. "That preparation ... and why it was important to know details about the other teams' players" paid off in a big way later.

Dave and other male players would scrimmage against the women to give them tougher competition.

Guarding his future wife was not easy.

"She's way better than I am," he said. "There's no doubt about that."

Missy said she could "shoot from about anywhere."

"I could get my shot off pretty quick and handle the ball really well."

Both of them are highly competitive.

Sunday afternoons playing against her brothers in the back yard helped to foster that in her. There was no quarter asked and no quarter given.

"We'd play two-on-two for hours," she said. The games "usually ended up with somebody quitting because they were mad or bloody. The mentality was to play hard."

Both are also competitive as coaches. Some people might say too competitive, she said.

"It's a good way to live life, to be competitive."

The Tingleys coached junior high school and high school girls basketball at Shiloh for 12 years.

From Shiloh they took coaching jobs in Paris schools — he as head high school girls coach and she as his assistant, and she as head junior high girls coach and he her assistant.

The junior high team won five state championships at Crestwood under the Tingleys.

Missy ended her junior high coaching duties while Dave remained as a volunteer assistant.

The Tingleys have two children.

Daughter Trinity is a freshman at Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, where she plays on the team. She played basketball for her parents at the junior high and high school level.

"It's difficult to coach your kid," Dave said. "I think we made it work really well. As a parent you want your kid to do well.

"There were times we had a lot of pressure on her to lead the team and do well. She got it on the court and at home. Basketball was always being talked about. She never got a break from it."

Son Jaxen focused on baseball and golf. He graduated at the end of the semester from Paris High School and is working. Missy said he likely will explore getting into a trade.

With their coaching duties, the Tingleys don't have much free time, and basketball fills up much of that.

"If we're lucky we get to watch 'Survivor,'" Dave said. "We find time for each other. "Our hobbies are basketball, running and lifting weights."

They also like to spend time in their swimming pool during the summer.

"We watch a lot of basketball scouting, watching other high school teams," Dave said. "When the Illini are playing, we're watching their game."

In addition to the Illini, Dave is a fan of UConn women's basketball and coach Geno Auriemma.

Missy is a registered nurse and works as the school nurse at Paris High School. She also works one shift a week in the Paris Community Hospital emergency room.

She said they also try to attend many of the activities of their nieces and nephews.

Paris High is 13-6 this season despite losing four starters from last season, including Trinity. With the 13th win, Dave reached a milestone — recording his 500th varsity win as a head coach.

Dave is the physical education teacher at Crestwood Junior High.

Three presented Live Like Luke Award

Three Champaign County 4-Hers were honored with the Live Like Luke Award for their passion and how they treat their fellow 4-Hers.

The awards went to Josh Dilger, Grace Iluyomade and Vyom Mehta.

The award is a special recognition created in memory of Luke Miller, an eight-year 4-H club member who passed away in 2017.

Miller was an officer and passionate about his photography, geology, art and sportfishing projects. He was instrumental in mentoring younger 4-Hers in their projects and encouraging them to participate in other 4-H activities. Each Champaign County 4-H club is encouraged to nominate one club member to receive this special award based on the qualities shown in his everyday life. These qualities include love, understanding, kindness and encouragement.

When nominated for the award, Dilger's leader and nominator, Paula Zwilling, said, "Kindness is one of Josh's finest qualities. He is always gracious to all and always wears a smile to make you feel comfortable and at ease.

"He subtly shows his kindness, whether wearing his vast knowledge with others or that simple smile that lights up a room." He is a member of the Fantastic 4-Hers of Fisher.

Roberta Pruski, leader of the Centennial Charger 4-H Club, said of Grace Iluyomade, "She is a quiet leader but is one of the kindest people I know.

"She always makes everyone feel welcome and speaks from the heart. She gives her time, even when stressed out with work for other classes."

Linda Thiele, the Champaign Mixed Clovers leader, spoke about her seven-year 4-Her, Vyom Mehta's help at the club's annual sew-a-thon.

"While tying the fleece blankets for the hospital neonatal isolates, he taught a boy new to Champaign and the U.S. to tie the blankets and create comfort animals while explaining 4-H.

"The boy decided to join our club at the next meeting. Vyom is a loving person who is always willing to assist if someone needs help."

Danville police add probationary officers

Four probationary officers were sworn in this week to the Danville Police Department — from left, Logan Appelman, Ryan Mullins, Gaige Wright and Elijah Nardoni. They will begin a 16-week law enforcement training course at the University of Illinois Police Training Institute next week.

Miss Ford County to compete at state

Maci Kingren, Miss Ford County 2023, will compete Jan. 11-14 in the 2024 Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs State Queen Pageant at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield.

She will compete with 72 other county fair queens for the Miss Illinois County Fair Queen 2024 crown.

The contestants will be judged on personal interview, stage presence, beauty of face and physical condition, and speech and communication skills.

Personal interviews are conducted off-stage on Jan. 12.

Finals will be at 4 p.m. Sunday in conjunction with the Illinois Association of Agricultural Fairs annual banquet. Fifteen finalists will be chosen then to compete for the Miss Illinois County Fair queen title.

Kingren is the 19-year-old daughter of Bobby and Olivia Kingren and Laura and Tom Proctor. She is a 2022 graduate of PBL High School. She attends the University of Illinois through the Parkland Pathways program.

Danville Rotary honors Chamberlain

Danville Noon Rotary has named Tom Chamberlain as the Rotary Vocational Service Person of the Year.

A Rotary release said Chamberlain has "demonstrated unwavering passion, expertise and dedication in his chosen vocational field, as he is senior executive vice president and chief lending officer for Iroquois Federal Savings & Loan Association."

He also serves as chair of the Illinois Bankers Association board of directors and vice chair of the American Bankers Association Commercial Real Estate Committee.

Chamberlain has served as a Rotarian for more than 35 years.

DAR supports The Dwelling Place

Members of the Governor Bradford chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution recently collected items for The Dwelling Place of Vermilion County, a faith-based ministry dedicated to those experiencing homelessness, as their National Day of Service project. Pictured are Nancy O'Kane of The Dwelling Place, seated, with chapter members Cindy Acton, Evelyn White, Phyllis Busey, Jackie Gumm, Peggy Kotcher, Karen Richter and Paula Hurst.