A trifecta of a day
SB-L soccer coach celebrates arrival of twins and regional victory in same day
By Tim Gallagher Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, May 30, 2008
Sergeant Bluff-Luton soccer coach Hilary Hoskins holds her son, Elijah, while husband, Adam, holds their daughter Ava, at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center on Thursday. (Staff photo by Jerry Mennenga)
SERGEANT BLUFF -- Coach Hilary Hoskins laughs when talking about the shape she was in during the final stages of this soccer season. She gained about 85 pounds.
"I sat on the sidelines and coached from there," said Hoskins, 28. "I broke two chairs, so I resorted to sitting on a picnic table by the end of the season."
With good reason. Hoskins was carrying twins. Daughter Ava and son Elijah were delivered via Cesarean section Wednesday morning at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center. Mother and babies did well throughout the day.
So did the soccer team Mom left behind.
The Warriors, a cooperative venture comprised of athletes from Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Lawton-Bronson, Woodbury Central, Westwood and Siouxland Christian, made the day complete with a 1-0 victory over East in the girls' Class 2A regional opener.
They did it without Coach Hoskins, who remained with her twins and glued to her cell phone in Room 223 at St. Luke's.
Warrior Taylor Miene pulled out her cell phone and typed a text message to Hoskins during the game. "We got 1. They have zero. It's OK. Are the babies healthy?"
Hoskins typed back: "Oh, good!"
SB-L, now 10-2 this season, plays West High (1-12) at 7 p.m. today at Elwood Olsen Stadium. Neal Utesch, the SB-L assistant coach, will guide the club today, as he did Wednesday.
Should the Warriors prevail, they will play for a state berth Monday. Hoskins, who will leave the hospital Saturday with husband Adam and their twins, is confident she'll return to the sidelines if her team plays Monday.
"If she can be there, I'm sure she will," said Bill McKelvey, activities director and assistant high school principal at SB-L. "She's been a real trooper for this team."
Hoskins hated to miss Wednesday's game, but the decision was out of her hands. Doctors scheduled the C-section after observing a week ago that Elijah was breach. At that point, Wednesday morning contained the only surgical openings on the schedule. With the babies approaching 37 weeks, it was imperative this be done sooner, not later.
All went well, said Hoskins, who also has a twin brother. Ava weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces. Elijah weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce.
Hoskins e-mailed a picture of the twins to her team Wednesday night, just after the game ended.
Her phone rang and a team member with a somber tone broke the news: "Coach, we lost," she said.
After a pause, Hoskins heard the giggling in the background. Her girls fessed up and delivered a cheer. They eventually sent flowers and visited the newest members of the Warrior soccer family Thursday following practice.
"When I delivered the news last week that I wouldn't be with them when they played East, I was crying by the end," Hoskins said. "We're just so closely bonded, this team. These are wonderful girls. I hate missing watching them play, but family comes first."
At home
Adam and Hilary Hoskins will bring home twins Saturday. Daughter Ava and son Elijah join sister Riley, 5, at home in Sergeant Bluff.
"I sat on the sidelines and coached from there," said Hoskins, 28. "I broke two chairs, so I resorted to sitting on a picnic table by the end of the season."
With good reason. Hoskins was carrying twins. Daughter Ava and son Elijah were delivered via Cesarean section Wednesday morning at St. Luke's Regional Medical Center. Mother and babies did well throughout the day.
So did the soccer team Mom left behind.
The Warriors, a cooperative venture comprised of athletes from Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Lawton-Bronson, Woodbury Central, Westwood and Siouxland Christian, made the day complete with a 1-0 victory over East in the girls' Class 2A regional opener.
They did it without Coach Hoskins, who remained with her twins and glued to her cell phone in Room 223 at St. Luke's.
Warrior Taylor Miene pulled out her cell phone and typed a text message to Hoskins during the game. "We got 1. They have zero. It's OK. Are the babies healthy?"
Hoskins typed back: "Oh, good!"
SB-L, now 10-2 this season, plays West High (1-12) at 7 p.m. today at Elwood Olsen Stadium. Neal Utesch, the SB-L assistant coach, will guide the club today, as he did Wednesday.
Should the Warriors prevail, they will play for a state berth Monday. Hoskins, who will leave the hospital Saturday with husband Adam and their twins, is confident she'll return to the sidelines if her team plays Monday.
"If she can be there, I'm sure she will," said Bill McKelvey, activities director and assistant high school principal at SB-L. "She's been a real trooper for this team."
Hoskins hated to miss Wednesday's game, but the decision was out of her hands. Doctors scheduled the C-section after observing a week ago that Elijah was breach. At that point, Wednesday morning contained the only surgical openings on the schedule. With the babies approaching 37 weeks, it was imperative this be done sooner, not later.
All went well, said Hoskins, who also has a twin brother. Ava weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces. Elijah weighed 7 pounds, 1 ounce.
Hoskins e-mailed a picture of the twins to her team Wednesday night, just after the game ended.
Her phone rang and a team member with a somber tone broke the news: "Coach, we lost," she said.
After a pause, Hoskins heard the giggling in the background. Her girls fessed up and delivered a cheer. They eventually sent flowers and visited the newest members of the Warrior soccer family Thursday following practice.
"When I delivered the news last week that I wouldn't be with them when they played East, I was crying by the end," Hoskins said. "We're just so closely bonded, this team. These are wonderful girls. I hate missing watching them play, but family comes first."
At home
Adam and Hilary Hoskins will bring home twins Saturday. Daughter Ava and son Elijah join sister Riley, 5, at home in Sergeant Bluff.
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