Catherine Neely, 69, sits in the East Ridge High gym that is named after her. Neely has had a motherly influence on generations of young women through teaching and coaching for 48 years at the school.ABOUT THE WINNERCatherine NeelyAge:Years at school: 48; since that time she has won 1,371 volleyball matches, which ranks third nationally, and won 625 basketball games during 43 years of coaching that sport.Family:Quotes about the finalist: “Catherine Neely is East Ridge High School. There have been some great people through the history of that place, but she epitomizes that school and that community. She is a role model not just for the girls that play for her but for every coach in every sport on how to lead a program.”- Former TSSAA executive director Ronnie CarterFUN FACTShe began collecting porcelain doll more than 30 years ago and now has more than 300 dolls. She has a room dedicated to storing and displaying them.
Few Hamilton County educators have touched more lives than Catherine Neely. For 48 years Neely has worked with East Ridge High School students, always striving to be more than a teacher and coach.
“I’ve had families where I taught or coached the mother and later the daughters and that’s always special,” Neely said. “I’ve just always enjoyed what I do. I’ve tapered off through the years as far as how involved I am, but I still enjoy being at the school and helping kids learn and grow. That’s part of your job as a teacher and coach, to mold the lives of the kids you’re around and I always took that responsibility to heart.
“And hopefully I’ve been a positive influence on their lives.”
A graduate of Hixson High and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, Neely is nominated for the Excellence in Education Distinguished Alumni Award. She taught health and wellness for 33 years at East Ridge and was honored as the Hamilton County Teacher of the Year twice before retiring from the classroom.