Small Town of the Day-Emery, South Dakota

The other day, I asked listeners to nominate their home town to be The Small Town of the Day.  I never thought it would turn out like this.  I knew people have a tremendous amount of pride in their towns, but I LOVE how people are reading these posts and sharing them by clicking the share button on their Facebook and Twitter feeds.  Thank you!

Today's Small Town of the Day is Emery, South Dakota!

Patti Osterloo  actually nominated Emery ! See said

 Rumor has it our foot Ball  Coach Jeff VanLeur is going to be inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2014!  Sandys  has good food and Total stop food store has good coffee and really good pizza.

Let's take a look.  First off, this football guy, Coach VanLeur is a one in a million.  Last June, in a post that appeared on Keloland.com read:

At age 54, Van Leur is no where close to retiring. He hopes to continue working with kids in his current role as the head coach of defending 9AA champ Bridgewater-

Emery/Ethan.

In fact, last year they dedicated the football field to the coach.  But that's just the start. As any good coach would say, it's just as important that you have good players.  Players that know how to work hard.  Players that have grown up around effort and pride.  He's had them.  He's been a huge part of that success.  The other part of success comes the towns. One of them is Emery!

Wikepedia.com says:

As with many small towns, high school athletics is a focus for the community. The boys basketball and football teams both have won state championships in their divisions. The football team (which plays in a Co-Op relationship with Ethan High School and Bridgewater since 2010) won the 9AA State Championship in 2001,2003,2007,2010 and 2011. The football team also received the State Runner-up award in 1994 and 2009. The boys basketball team won in 1950 and 1973.

As of fall of 2010, the Emery school consolidated with Bridgewater, SD. The Emery and Bridgewater basketball, volleyball, track and golf teams continued their co-op which started in 2005. The football co-op with Ethan, has continued, adding Bridgewater.

Emery has a park facility which includes a swimming pool, baseball field, softball field, tennis court, basketball court & sand volleyball court. Emery is home to several businesses, including Cargill Ag Horizons, Total Stop Food Store, Sandy's Bar, Small Town Treasures and many more.

The city is also home to the Dimock-Emery Raptors amateur baseball team which plays in the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Association. The Raptors won the city's first ever amateur baseball championship in 2010.

That's just a start.  Again, we'll leave it up to you!  The folks that 'live in Emery,' or 'grew up there' and moved away.

Again, 'click the share button' above so you can share this story with your Facebook and Twitter friends...we'll add to the story today.  In the meantime...here's a big salute to today's Small Town of the Day, Emery, South Dakota.

Ross called the Big Breakfast Wednesday morning and told us about The Raptors.  The Dimock-Emery Baseball team.  We followed them on twitter so we can keep up with the team.