The Wisconsin my family knows never gives up on its young people. My great-grandfather Willis Jones instilled this ethos in us, dedicating his career as a high school coach of young people from all sorts of backgrounds, who needed all sorts of support, and who had all sorts of unlocked potential.
He proved that when we truly don’t give up on our youth, we can achieve amazing victories in this state, leading his teams at Madison West and Beloit to eight conference championships and securing his legacy in the Madison Sports Hall of Fame in 1974.
With some kids, sometimes it felt too late to turn things around but he knew it was never too late for a kid to experience positive change. Sometimes, it was messy getting to the change a kid needed but hope for and belief in these kids were always critical components to his coaching and their triumphs.
There are over 100 kids who were deprived of hope and belief in this state. Sentencing them – some as young as 13 – to die in prison, the State of Wisconsin declared that these kids would never change for the better.