My childhood was a great one! I had a wonderful family, pretty healthy body, and a great neighborhood! There were more than 10 boys in my neighborhood. We played the 3 traditional sports: basketball, football, and baseball. We also played other sports, including ones we made up. Many of those had something to do with a frisbee. My least favorite outside fun activity, was chase...at night...in the grave yard. We often wore a white shirt so that you would blend in with the tomb stones. After a while, I was hoping someone would catch me!
Our fun was heightened by the "official games" at the Vidalia Recreation Dept. It was cool to have uniforms, a schedule, coaches, a scoreboard, umpires, and fans! The VRD started in the mid-50s by Coach Ed Smith. Later, Garry Adams, Bill James, and Greg James would join the staff in the early 70s. My youth sports career at the VRD began in 1970 with Mite Baseball that summer and Mite Football that Fall. I would play at least one sport as a youth from '70 until '77. The list would include 8 years of baseball, 4 years of basketball, and 6 years of football.
We were so fortunate to have the VRD as part of our youth for so many reasons.
First, the facilities were good. The VRD Block included a swimming pool, football field, a park, 2 baseball/softball fields, 4 tennis courts (two of these doubled as basketball courts), Boy Scout Hut, an office, and (later) an activities building. It was a Kid's Wonderland! In the future...2 more complexes would be built.
Next, the staff was sports-minded, developers of talent, and were very concerned about doing things the right way. We were taught sportsmanship immediately. 2 Quotes that are burnt in my memory: "Act like you been here before" and "This ain't Bush League".
We were taught to hustle. Get on and off the field between innings. Don't quit on the play! Push yourself.
We learned sportsmanship. Allow the coach to fuss at other players--that's not a teammates' job.
Don't rub a win in the other teams' face. Don't be a sore loser.
Also, we learned the rules for the sports. In the backyard, it was easy to argue about rules, but the VRD Staff taught us the rules. Such things as: "The Infield Fly", "The difference between a Force out and a Tag", "How to call off other players", "Football positions", "The reason football plays were called by certain numbers", "what a foul consisted of in basketball", and much more.
Personally, I was thrilled to play at the VRD as a kid. Some of my favorite memories include my team winning the league exactly once in the Big 3 sports: football, baseball, and basketball. I loved my 2 years of Midget Varsity. Garry did a great job, I learned a lot, and I enjoyed hitting people!
Pony League was the one league that I learned to hit a baseball. I made the all-star team twice, and I hit an out-of-the-park homer. The most hilarious thing I remember was being thrown out of the Ball Park by Sydney Bedingfield. He was umpiring behind the plate in the game that followed my team's game. Well, as a 13-year-old, I was full of punkness! I was standing near home plate, giving the batters trouble---making fun of them and not remembering anything I had been taught about class at the VRD! After a while, Sydney had enough. He took off his umpire's mask, and yelled, "James Lowe, You are ought of the Ball Park!" I'm glad he did. I deserved it, and I learned from it.
Stay tuned for: Blessings of the VRD; Part 2
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