FORT SILL, Okla., March 2, 2017 -- The hall of fame is what every athlete dreams of while growing up and playing sports as a kid. While many dream of the day their name is called at the induction ceremony, only a select few actually get to live that dream.
Lt. Col. Toni Rieke, 100th Brigade Support Battalion commander, attended Missouri State University's hall of fame induction ceremony in Springfield, Mo., Jan. 21. She returned not as an average alumni going back for a college reunion, but as an inductee in the Class of 2017 Athletic Hall of Fame.
As a catcher for the Bears from 1992 to 1996, Rieke set MSU career records in doubles (34) and games played (201). But the records were not important; they were never her main focus as an athlete.
"It goes back to servant leadership, taking care of each other, working together as a team, that's what it's about. You can't do anything alone, it takes teamwork to accomplish the mission. Same thing in the Army," said Rieke.
Although she wasn't originally interested in softball, her main focus as a child was basketball.
She picked up softball to stay busy during basketball's off-season. It wasn't until junior high school where she discovered her love for the game.
"I really just got lucky to play in college. I knew that if I was going to go to college I had to have a sport to motivate me to do my work. I was not a kid who was all about studies. The only reason I did my schoolwork is because my parents said I had to maintain a B or above to play sports."
Before college, Rieke enlisted in the Army Reserve and then applied for an Army ROTC scholarship to MSU. She wanted to play softball but also knew that she would need a way to pay for school, which a commitment to the Army provided her.
After college she hoped to join the Army Reserve and stay on at MSU as a softball coach, but the Army had different plans for her. Rieke was never recruited to play softball. ROTC afforded her the opportunity to walk-on and make the team.
Despite not wanting to serve on active duty at first, Rieke quickly learned that many of the lessons and experiences gained on the softball field directly translated into leading Soldiers in the Army.
"My plan was to do four years and get out because the Army has nothing to do with coaching, but that's not true. Every job I've had I've been able to teach, coach, mentor, and develop teams," she said.
The teams she leads now are considerably larger than a nine-person softball team, but the same principles still apply. Just like in softball, the Army uses strategy and critical thinking to determine how to solve problems, achieve missions, and accomplish goals as a team. Those who have ever served with Rieke, have heard her relate her softball play to the Army.
"Toni was a hard worker, a strong leader, and always displayed a positive attitude," said Holly Hesse, Rieke's head coach and still at the helm of the MSU softball program. "I asked Toni to remain with the team as a volunteer assistant coach because of her softball knowledge, work ethic, positive attitude, and her ability to teach the younger players."
Rieke stays in touch with her teammates to this day, many of them still vacation with each other and this past year, teammates celebrated their 20-year reunion. She even returns to MSU during her vacation time from the Army to help volunteer for the softball team.
Having learned so many valuable lessons on leadership and training, Rieke believes that it is only right for her to return and give back to the program. She does this by volunteering to help coach youth softball clinics during the summer months.
"It is always a joy to see Toni and she continues to stay in touch with the staff even after almost two decades have passed. She continues to pay it forward by volunteering at clinics and keeps up-to-date on the game and her coaching skills," said Hesse.
During her two combat tours, one in Iraq, the other in Afghanistan, Rieke flew American flags in honor of her MSU coaching staff.
"Those flags mean the world to us. One hangs in our locker room and the other in my office," said Hesse.
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