Triad Trap Team Head Coach Bill Lawrence announces retirement after eight seasons

Triad Trap Team Head Coach Bill Lawrence announced his retirement Tuesday evening during the team’s annual banquet, receiving a standing ovation from a packed

clubhouse filled with students, parents, coaches, alumni, and supporters.

Lawrence has spent the past eight years helping build the Triad Trap Team into one of the area’s most respected high school shooting sports programs, including the last five years as head coach. Under his leadership, Triad teams earned multiple shoot-off appearances, top-three finishes, first-place team finishes, and individual league honors in the Edwardsville Gun Club High School Trap League.

During his retirement speech, Lawrence reflected on the relationships and memories that came with coaching the team.

“Being a coach for Triad was one of the best things that has ever happened to me in my life,” Lawrence told the crowd.

Lawrence credited fellow coach Gary Marco for first bringing him into the program eight years ago and thanked the coaching staff, team families, and volunteers who helped support the team over the years.

Throughout his time with the program, Lawrence became known not just for teaching shooting fundamentals, but for the patience and encouragement he showed young athletes. In an interview conducted earlier this year for the THS yearbook, he said the most rewarding part of coaching was “seeing them improve, and watching their confidence grow.”

Lawrence said the decision came as he prepares to turn 80 and felt it was the right time to step away from the head coaching position.

“Tonight I am officially retiring as your Head Coach of the Triad Trap Team mostly because of turning 80,” he said. “But I might show up a few nights just to be around coaches, parents, and the team students.”

Even in retirement, Lawrence made it clear he believes the future of the Triad Trap Team remains bright.

“There’s a lot of talent coming up, and I think the future of this team is really strong,” he said earlier this spring.

The Triad Trap Team competes in the spring and fall high school trap leagues held at the Edwardsville Gun Club in Edwardsville, Illinois.

Students, parents, coaches, and supporters give Triad Trap Team Head Coach Bill Lawrence a standing ovation following his retirement announcement Tuesday night at the Edwardsville Gun Club.

Triad Trap Team Head Coach Bill Lawrence poses with a retirement shadow box presented during Tuesday night’s team banquet at the Edwardsville Gun Club. Lawrence retired after eight seasons with the program, including five years as head coach. (Photos courtesy of assistant head coach Donald Ballard)