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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Robert Capello of Edcouch-Elsa High School has |
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achieved a distinguished place in the annals of Texas high school |
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athletics by winning more than 900 games in the course of his |
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extremely successful career as a basketball coach; this proud son |
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of South Texas has also earned acclaim for mentoring students in |
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other sports and for his notable accomplishments as a high school |
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quarterback, all of which have contributed to a sports legacy that |
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has made him a renowned figure in the Rio Grande Valley for many |
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decades; and |
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WHEREAS, The son of migrant workers, Robert Capello spent his |
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childhood summers helping his family in the fields and attended |
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school in La Sera and later in the Edcouch-Elsa Independent School |
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District; by the time he reached high school, he had developed into |
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a talented athlete, and he helped lead the Edcouch-Elsa Yellow |
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Jackets football team to a perfect 10-0 season; he received |
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all-state honors for his inspired play, and he was later selected as |
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a Rio Grande Valley All-Millennium quarterback representing the |
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class of 1959-1960; and |
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WHEREAS, Mr. Capello's football skills won him a scholarship |
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to the Texas College of Arts and Industries, where he graduated with |
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a bachelor's degree in biology in 1965; he later undertook graduate |
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studies and earned degrees from Sam Houston State University and |
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Sul Ross State University; and |
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WHEREAS, Robert Capello's coaching career began in 1965 at |
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Mission High School, where he assisted student-athletes on all of |
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the school's sports teams; he subsequently held coaching jobs at |
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five other Texas high schools before returning to his alma mater, |
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Edcouch-Elsa High School; he has worked there for more than a |
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quarter-century, and during that time he has coached football and a |
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variety of other sports in addition to his well-known tenure as the |
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Yellow Jackets' basketball coach; and |
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WHEREAS, Building a monumental career one game at a time, |
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Coach Capello has accumulated a long list of impressive |
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achievements; with 920 basketball victories, he ranks third among |
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the active high school coaches in the country and is counted as the |
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14th most successful high school coach of all time; in 2005, he |
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became the first Hispanic coach in the United States to log 800 |
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victories; his Yellow Jackets teams have made more than 20 |
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appearances in the state playoffs and have been crowned district |
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champions numerous times; and |
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WHEREAS, This gifted mentor is greatly respected by his |
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peers; he has been selected as district coach of the year 14 times |
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and Rio Grande Valley Coach of the Year twice and has served in |
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leadership roles with the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches, |
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the Texas High School Coaches Association, and the Rio Grande |
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Valley Basketball Coaches Association; in 2003, he was inducted |
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into the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame; and |
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WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Coach Capello has enjoyed the |
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support of his wife, Gloria Yarritu Capello, and their four sons, |
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Robert, Rick, Ronny, and Randy, all of whom played basketball on |
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their father's teams during high school; Mr. and Mrs. Capello also |
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take great pride in their 10 grandchildren; and |
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WHEREAS, This admired leader has spent more than four decades |
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coaching high school sports, and his accomplishments can be |
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measured not only in record-book victories but in his ability to |
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teach young athletes the value of teamwork and dedication and the |
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importance of delivering their best effort; through his enlightened |
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leadership, Robert Capello has positively influenced several |
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generations of students at Edcouch-Elsa High School and made a |
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valuable contribution to his community; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas |
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Legislature hereby honor Robert Capello for his exemplary record of |
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athletic achievement and extend to him best wishes for continued |
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success; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mr. Capello as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |