More often than not, we wait until our sports heroes retire before celebrating their career. But I think it would be a shame not to recognize a local coaching gem for everything she has meant to our community and the countless kids whose lives she has touched.

Catherine Neely has molded young people at East Ridge High School for 45 years. Do you know anyone who loves their job enough to continue showing up every day for nearly five decades? Neely has coached more than 650 wins as girls’ basketball coach and has 1,270 career volleyball victories, which ranks third all-time nationally.

She also helped start the school’s track and tennis programs and even worked with the band’s drill team for a while. She remains the school’s athletic director and volleyball coach and was recently recognized by USA Volleyball’s nine-state Southern region for her contributions to the sport.

It was the second time in the last three years that Neely has earned national recognition for her work, having been chosen the national volleyball coach of the year in 2006.

No area coach means more to his or her sport than Neely, and few have been more influential at one school.

“Catherine is the ultimate professional,” TSSAA executive director Ronnie Carter said. “And I mean that as a coach and an educator. She is a source for us, one of those people we know we can count on to always do what’s in the best interest of kids.

“Catherine Neely is an ambassador for all high school sports and an example of all the things that are right with athletics.”

East Ridge had had a volleyball team for two years before Neely arrived. She and former Kirkman coach Juanita Merrill were instrumental in making Chattanooga the state’s volleyball hub and eventually convincing TSSAA officials to sanction a state tournament, beginning in 1976.

Neely’s teams claimed volleyball state championships in 1997 and 2005 and twice were state runners-up. She has been inducted into five halls of fame: National High School Athletic Coaches, TSSAA, Tennessee State, Greater Chattanooga and Hixson High School, her alma mater.

She is one of a handful of female coaches in the state to have high school gyms named in their honor.

“The recent award and the national coach of the year award are two that I’m very proud of,” Neely said. To think that people who are involved in the sport at the national level recognized me left me awestruck.”

At our annual Best of Preps banquet, the volleyball award is named for Neely and Merrill, one of Neely’s best friends.

This year’s banquet will be held Tuesday, June 17, at the Chattanooga Convention Center. All prep athletes and coaches named to any of the 33 Best of Preps first teams during the school year get complimentary tickets but must call the Times Free Press at 757-6498 no later than today to RSVP.

Neely and Merrill have never missed an opportunity to attend the banquet and congratulate their award winner.

“I’m always excited to be able to congratulate the winner and pass our love for the sport on to another girl,” Neely said. “I’ve gotten several awards for coaching, and getting to present an award with Juanita’s name and mine on it is always very special.

“This is my home and I love the fact that I’m coaching a sport I love at a place I love. I have no plans to stop coaching any time soon.”