Super Support

We mentioned something last week about Ovid-Elsie football coach Jerry Goosen being inducted into the Michigan High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame this winter. We also had a note on his wife Louise being recognized with the Fran Herrington Woman of the Year Award, and I'd like to tell a little more about that here.

Herrington was the wife of Farmington Hills Harrison coach John Herrington. She passed away earlier this decade and was a well-known supporter in the statewide football community.

I believe this is the first time an area coach's wife has earned this award, and I heard more about why this past fall while the Marauders were making their run to the Division 5 state final.

Below are a few excerpts from her bio:

Lou Goosen graduated in 1973 from Coopersville High School. ... She is married to husband Jerry for nearly 34 years. She is mother of 5 (Ryan, Jennifer, Jacqueline, Jessica, and Jason), and also has 5 grand children.  

Lou is remembered by two communities; Coopersville where Jerry coached 25 years and now Ovid-Elsie the past 7 seasons. Regardless of where they have coached Lou has always been there supporting players, parents and coaches. She is fondly referred to as 'Mother Goose'. Her team meals, beach parties, coaches gatherings after the games are well known, she is famous for her cooking.

She is also remembered during the worst of times, when the Boosters had to fund all the sports at Coopersville ( 79-80-81). She made quilts for raffle, helped organize numerous booster fund raisers, dinner dance, Las Vegas nights and numerous other activities. A tireless worker and organizer. Her attitude was always we can do this, the kids deserve this and then she would roll up her sleeves and go to work. Later when her own kids were in sports she felt that all sports and all athletes deserved the best, and they got it from 'Mother Goose'.