Aaron Pembroke – Class of 1994Peruse Aaron Pembroke’s accomplished athletic resume and an essential truth emerges: his story is archetypally Naperville Central. He is an athlete fiercely committed to all of his “homes,” intensely loyal to his coaches, and deeply respectful of the story beyond his own. A student and an athlete who loved each game, grabbed each opportunity, and worked until he had nothing left to give. Who held his own as an individual and strove for personal bests, yet immediately points to the interconnectedness of team achievements, the importance of team chemistry and the gift of lasting relationships. A young man who loved all of the layers of “school” so much that he eventually returned to it as his life’s work. Pembroke made a name for himself in three-sports when a three-sport career was uncommon. A two-time Daily Herald All Area Football Team member, a two-time DuPage Valley All-Conference Team member and a 1994 member of the South Suburban All-Star Team, Pembroke finished his football career with 100 total receptions. For all of the accomplishments of those seasons, Pembroke remembers most vividly his connection with teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, Tyler Turnquist: “He and I worked very well together on all three playing fields and did a lot of winning together. Both receivers in our junior year, we made an exciting quarterback/receiver combination in our senior year. I could talk about our chemistry in sports forever because we knew each other’s moves and thoughts so well. It made the combination very special. And then when we added other good teammates to the mix, it made us hard to beat.”That winning combination continued its power on the basketball court. In Pembroke’s junior year, the Redhawks carved out a 25-6 season, pounding their way to the Super Sectionals. Riding the adrenaline of that achievement, Pembroke’s team went undefeated in conference play during his senior year, while his fierce guard play led him to be their leading scorer. He was a two-time member of the DuPage Valley All-Conference Team and was named Daily Herald Basketball Player of the Week, earning recognition as a member of the 1994 Daily Herald All-Area Basketball Team. Pembroke’s success continued on the baseball diamond, under the exemplary guidance of baseball coaches and fellow Hall of Fame inductees Bill Seiple and Phil Lawler. A three-time DuPage Valley All-Conference and two-time Daily Herald All Area Baseball Team honoree, Pembroke was also named to the IHSBCA Prospect List CREAM OF THE CROP and IHSBCA Chicago All Area Baseball Team in 1993. Some of his favorite baseball memories include “getting a walk-off game-winning hit from the right-hand side of the plate against Naperville North” in his sophomore year, “playing at Kane County in the Sectionals for our 21-0 conference team sophomore year on Varsity,” and “seeing our school’s name in USA Today ranked for baseball. I absolutely loved playing with that group.” That “absolute love” is so very evident in all of Pembroke’s memories, especially where his coaches are concerned. Pembroke notes, “I personally loved being coached…The louder the bark, the more I responded. Coach Seiple, Coach Lawler, Coach Sterr, Coach Kramer, Coach Bunge, Coach Dillon, Coach Stine, Coach Urban – they all made you want to win for them in their own way.” Their influence and motivation drove him to success post-high school as he continued his baseball career on a Division 1 scholarship to the University of Evansville. As a Purple Ace, Pembroke again earned All-Conference honors, making the Missouri Valley Conference All-Tournament Team and Rollins College Tournament Team in 1996. As accomplished in the classroom as he was on the diamond, he also garnered recognition as a member of the Academic First Team All-MVC squad and the GTE Academic All-American District Team, as well as being named a GTE/CoSida All-Academic selection. He was very proud to hit .342 in the Central Illinois Collegiate League, which, notably, is a wooden bat league. Even twenty years later, Pembroke still holds University of Evansville career records for most runs scored (201) and most stolen bases (106). His 285 hits ranks him 5th on the Purple Aces’ all-time leader board. It was especially fun, Pembroke shared, to face pitchers who threw in the upper 90s and then to later follow their MLB careers or watch them play in the World Series. His collegiate baseball days behind him, Pembroke graduated with a degree in Accounting and worked at Arthur Anderson before deciding to pursue a career in education. He earned a master’s degree from Northern Illinois University and was delighted to have the opportunity to student teach at Madison Junior High under his former baseball coach, Phil Lawler, who inspired him to become the innovative Physical Education teacher he is today. Channeling Lawler’s influence, Pembroke has cultivated a PE program at Cass Junior High in Darien that features such hallmarks as a climbing wall and heart rate monitors and other technologies meant to help teach young people healthy habits for life. In addition to his teaching life, Pembroke has never lost his love for competitive sport, enjoying coaching stints at Naperville Central in the freshman basketball and sophomore football programs, as well as a time coaching varsity baseball at Neuqua Valley High School while student teaching. His commitment to coaching the finer points of healthy living to all prompted him to build a company of healthcare items sold primarily on Amazon. For all of his adventures in athletics, Pembroke is most proud of the life his has created with his wife of 14 years, Tina, and their children, Brady, Kayli, and Kelsey. He said, “My family is the key to my life now. I owe my wife so much as she has been instrumental in building strong values for all of us. Being with all of them daily is so satisfying and I look forward to the adventures ahead of us.” This archetypal high school hero’s advice for current Redhawks? Words inspired by the heart of what his own coaches taught him: “Compete! Come out fast and hard and keep that intensity the entire game. Play more than one sport. Respect your coaches and execute what they are asking. And play instinctively because if you’re too robotic, you’re not going to make those winning plays. Know your identity. Communicate with your coaches – and play for your team.” Wise words from an athlete who gave his all to all of his teams and homes, both then and now.