Jim Breedlove named a Grand Marshal for MGHS Alumni Parade

(Editor’s note: Some of the following article is written with a first person perspective.)
Jim Breedlove has been chosen by the Class of ‘75, to be one of the Grand Marshals in the 2025 Mountain Grove Alumni Parade scheduled for 11 a.m. on Saturday, July 5.
Jim Breedlove started his career at Mountain Grove School system in 1967. His primary task of organizing a high school baseball program had long been desired by the school and community.
He was native to the area graduating from MGHS, and had completed a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education at Drury University. While at Drury, he lettered in baseball, basketball, track and he was the Student Intramural Director.
His accomplishments at Drury gave him the experience needed to organize and start the MGHS baseball program. Jim had caught the attention of the MGHS school district while he was helping out with the summer baseball programs in Mountain Grove and he was encouraged to apply for the position. 
Jim’s employment started a successful 33 year run with the MGHS baseball team. His influence on the program did not end with his retirement. The next generation of MGHS baseball coaches who followed him were former players he had coached through this past year. That calculates to almost 60 years of influence on MGHS baseball program.
To list all of Coach Breedlove’s accomplishments would take a lot of space and I would surely miss some. He influenced a lot of young lives, motivating them to reach higher for what they wanted or enhance their talent. I am just going to relate some of my personal thoughts about him.
Coach Breedlove was my elementary school PE teacher in fifth grade. The first picture that comes to my mind is playing dodge ball in the multi-purpose room. The class would divide into two random teams and coach would be the “referee.” Some of the better guys would attempt to stack the deck by organizing themselves in a one-two count-off to all get on the same team. In an attempt to even things up, sometimes coach would join a side that would not necessarily have the best players. I remember him having the technique of throwing the ball low and with a spin that had the potential of bouncing back into you when you jumped out of the way. Since he threw low, it made the ball almost impossible to catch and get him out. He was also hard to hit because he seemed to have eyes on the side of his head. I only remember him getting put out 1 time. It happened when one of our best athletes actually manage to catch one of coach’s low throws.
Doug Stigall, who was always a little on the short side, got down low enough to catch the throw. He may have even had to sit down to make the catch.
Doug was really proud to make the catch, and I think totally surprised coach.
Many years later when my own daughters were in elementary school, Coach Breedlove became their PE teacher.
I have to admit, I was not sure how Jim would be with the younger kids after spending several years at the upper levels. During that school year, I heard many stories of how much the kids loved him. As a parent, that meant a lot to me. Jim has a long list of accomplishments, but at the top of my personal list is the way he treated my daughters and their classmates. Thanks Jim.
Jim and his wife Beverly now live in Athens, Texas. He has a beef cattle farm with some of his transplanted cattle from Missouri.
They moved there about eight years ago to be closer to their children and grandchildren.