Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. board members have unanimously approved a permanent memorial for the late Garry Barker, a coach who worked on behalf of students for 18 years.
After workers replace the hardwood inside Rockcreek Elementary School’s gymnasium, it will be dedicated as the Garry Barker Memorial Floor.
“Rockcreek was more than a basketball team for Garry,” school principal Jennifer Dettmer said. “It was truly a home and a passion for helping students succeed.
Garry Lynn Barker (May 4, 1953 –Sept. 26, 2021) was a successful farmer who owned or leased farm land in Bartholomew, Jennings and Decatur counties.
It was Barker’s passion for basketball that prompted him to start coaching at Rockcreek, Dettmer said. He was assistant coach for the boys’ team for three years before becoming the girls’ head coach for 15 years.
Barker was described by BCSC Director of Operations Dr. Brett Boezeman as “a staple within the Rockcreek community who has positively impacted the lives of hundreds of students during his lifetime.”
As the son of Donald and Lillian Barker of rural Grammer, he attended Rockcreek as a student. He would later become a star basketball player at Columbus High School in both 1970 and 1971. At 6-feet, 2-inches, Barker was instrumental in helping the North team win a sectional tournament and advance to the semistate competition. While at North, Barker also competed on the high school’s track team.
After graduation in 1971, Barker attended Indiana State University. As an adult, he played league basketball and softball in Columbus.
He became what Dettmer described as “a significant stakeholder in his community.” His responsibilities included serving as an elder at Grammer Presbyterian Church, as well as a member of the Rockcreek Township Advisory Board for many years.
But after he began coaching at the same grade school he attended as a child, he became a cherished member of the Rockcreek family, Dettmer said.
“He not only contributed countless hours to the basketball program, both boys and girls, but he also played a significant role in the athletics program, our students’ social and emotional development, and academics for all players,” the Rockcreek principal told the school board.
Barker made it his mission to build strong relationship with students and families, as well as promote the basketball program within the community, Dettmer said.
“If you have ever attended a Rockcreek basketball game, you will notice it is a standing-room-only event,” she told the school board. “I believe the continuity of coaching and development of the Rockcreek program by Garry Barker is a factor in our community’s engagement with the Rockcreek athletics program.”
He was also lauded for holding basketball camps for children as young as first grade, as well as organizing student vs. staff games that promoted family togetherness, Dettmer said.
Dettmer said she was impressed when Barker regularly checked in with staff and administrators to make sure his players were keeping up with their academics.
She recalled walking into an athletic practice, only to seek the young female basketball program working on their homework prior to practice.
“That was one moment I realized Garry truly was the person I had heard so much about,” Dettmer said.
Family members who attended the school board meeting included his wife of 31 years, Jeanette, and their daughter, Katie Hanson.