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a community engagement initiative of Momence CUSD #1
For Adam Siwicki, luck is beautifully crafted of hard work and perseverance. As a boy, Adam Siwicki and his father worked together in the family’s shrub nursery and fields in Momence. From a very young age, he drove tractors and worked hard, and his story is one of hard work and triumph. Eventually, that hard work (and his own drive and discipline) led him to become a coach and recruiter for Butler University in Indianapolis. But Siwicki’s immediate family encouraged him to wait to play football. It wasn’t until after grade school that he’d see the bright lights and experience the sights and sounds of game time.
BY RAPHAEL MAURICE
Adam got to first pursue his dream of football on the fields at Momence High. A linebacker and offensive lineman, until graduating in 2008, Siwicki testifies to the fact that his high school coaches formed him at a crucial time in his life: “All of those guys have shaped me and really gave me guidance in terms of coaching, and I loved playing football at Momence.” Although he now lives and coaches in the capital city of Indiana, his love of Momence has never washed off, nor his admiration of men such as Coaches Fox, Nelson, Kubel and Cherry. These men molded Siwicki, and their work didn’t vanish when Adam went to Aurora University to play college football. Siwicki graciously notes, “I can’t thank them for all of their efforts.”
If I work hard, good things will happen.
The traditions of Momence High football have never left him, even during his time at Aurora. Siwicki still recalls game nights in Momence: “I still remember those days, sitting there with your brothers on the sideline and on the goal line, sitting there for the national anthem and getting ready to play. We’d walk out of the locker room, cross the rocks, and then enter the field.” He still had more work he wanted to put in.
At Aurora University, he majored in Physical Education, and he played linebacker. He met his wife, Meghan, with whom he has two boys, while working in the classroom and on the field. The countless days spent running the track and lifting weights back in Momence formed him, led him on his journey of hard work and success. Through all of this, Adam’s good-natured humility shines through: “I wasn’t super talented, but I was talented enough to play Division 3 football.” At D1 Butler, today, his present is still profoundly informed by his past in Momence.
Siwicki considers himself “lucky.” Lucky to be coaching and recruiting for Butler, lucky to be with his family when they cheer on the Butler Bulldogs on Saturdays. It’s stories like Adam’s though, that make us think that luck is made and not given. While this self-admitted “country boy,” who loves hunting and fishing, might live in a bustling city, he got there by listening to the teachers and coaches around him, by pushing himself, by being open to the experiences around him back in Momence. Adam’s tale is one of good fortune, but good fortune made over time by hard work and humility. He invites the Butler football team to his house for dinners, so they can see Adam as a husband and father, a mentor, and not just a coach. It’s a holistic approach to being seen, and it’s a generous one. When asked if he’s surprised by his journey, Siwicki adds, “If I work hard, good things will happen.” That’s the thing about luck, or about Adam’s luck at any rate. It’s forged over a long time of discipline, work, and openness. From working the fields to playing and coaching on them, Siwicki’s story is rare and bright, like lights shining down during the big game, life.
