Page 26 | THE ESSENTIALS
Clarke has amassed 900 wins in four decades of
coaching, notching her 600th win recently in 20 years
at Bellaire’s helm.
more athletic over the years. And as teams have gotten stronger
and players have gotten stronger, we’ve done all we can here at
Bellaire to make sure we’re part of that growth.”
She said there are a few traits she and her fellow coaches seek in
every new player who wants to join the program.
“Will they compete? Are they coachable? If so, then we feel like
they’ve got a chance to be a very big part of what we’re trying to
do.”
Clarke says there isn’t one defining moment in her career, good
or bad, that stands out in her mind but rather a collection of
achievements. And she still gets excited about one simple thing
— execution.
“One of the best feelings as a coach is watching a team work
on something and practice and then seeing them incorporate
it into a game,” Clarke said. When you see the girls work on
something and work on it and work on it and then the game
comes and you see them fully execute a play that they worked
on over and over, that’s very gratifying.
“Those are the types of things I remember and the type of
things and I still get very excited about as a coach. You always
want to see that the players are buying into what you’re trying
to do.”
Clark wouldn’t put a number on how much longer she wants to
coach — pointing out she never thought she’d be in it this long.
“Forty years is a lot of bus rides,” she says laughing.
Elevating your home won’t necessarily
lift your peace of mind
I understand the interest in “lifting” homes, especially for
people who are suffering PTSD from Hurricane Harvey
and the other storms in recent years that have not just
destroyed and damaged our communities but our peace of
mind, too.
You drive past homes in Meyerland and other Brays Bayou-adjacent
communities being cut off their foundations and
completely elevated and wonder if that’s something you
should consider.
My advice is to go very slowly or wait — and here’s why.
First, the costs are staggering — both monetarily and
emotionally. You’d want to use a Unified Lifting System.
The process is complicated — involving a team of tunnelers
digging and maneuvering under your home — and it’s filled
with its own stress and trauma that can be just as intense as
what individuals and couples experienced from flooding.
Second, homes in Bellaire and West University are built
to much more exacting standards than those in other
communities, making them more complicated and costly to
lift. In Bellaire, there’s been an extra requirement for bell-bottom
piers, which adds even more difficulty and expense
to the lifting process.
Third, if you’re using FEMA funds for the lift, you’re
extremely limited in all your rebuilding choices, and they
might not meet Bellaire’s and West U’s strict guidelines or
your exacting tastes. And, from what I know, “upgrades”
aren’t part of the federal vocabulary.
My suggestion is to look at your elevation certificate and
factor in how much water was in your home and if it ever
happened before or if it has happened since. If there’s
repeated and damaging flooding, then lifting with a
reputable, experienced company could be worth exploring.
But remember that Harvey was a freak of nature, and local
governments are working hard to find a regional solution
to flooding problems. While in the end
lifting your home might provide you
some peace of mind, the costs are
high — and lifting still doesn’t impact
the massive infrastructure problems
that need to be addressed and solved
before flooding is relieved.
Aaron Lewis, Owner
Luria Construction, LLC | www.luriaconstruction.com | 713.828.2155