My Love of Sports

I don't remember not loving sports! I wonder if my daddy started me off really young with hitting the ball or playing catch. Whatever reason, I loved sports like women love shopping. I use the past tense because I find myself not being quite the fanatic as I was growing up. I can remember watching the Falcons every Sunday. There was only one (sometimes two) college football games on Saturdays. I think I probably played football and other sports in the fall. I hated winter! As I am now fatter and older, I realize my skinny body didn't have much insulation. Also, I had cheap coats that did not keep warm when it was really cold. When cable hit town in the 70's, I watched ACC Basketball, Hawks Basketball, Atlanta Flames Hockey, and whatever else I could find. I was a die-hard Braves fan as well. This began when they were almost exclusively on the radio, then on television when cable came to town.

Fortunately, we did not have video games! That allowed us to enjoy playing basketball, football, baseball, chase, and frisbee games. My neighborhood was full of kids, so there was rarely a time when you couldn't find a game. If not, I would head across the street to Ann Hutcheson's house to shoot B-ball on my own.

Some of my favorite sports moments certainly involved my daddy. When he got home from work around 6 Bells, I would have the gloves/baseball or football ready. I don't remember him ever turning me down for a catch. Glad I didn't have to build a field so he would come!

The best trip daddy ever pulled off was the 1972 Major League All-Star Baseball Game in Atlanta! That was a thrill! He also took me and our family to many Braves games. I can't believe how much I loved watching those sorry teams! We also took a family trip to Athens in the Fall of 1978 for my first UGA Home Game vs Baylor. Daddy and I had sideline passes! We thought we were somebody until they told us to sit on these Rec. Dept. style bleachers that were located behind the players. We couldn't see anything. Fortunately, my mother and sister had seats in the lower deck. By the second quarter, we were in those seats. I'm not sure, but that was probably the last game Daddy and I attended together.

I was thinking earlier today about working at Sea Island Cotton Gin in the summers of 1978 and '79. I realized those were the only 2 summers I didn't play or coach softball or baseball from 1969-1996. Of course, I also played football and basketball for many years. I coached 40 seasons over a 21-year span. This included coaching: baseball, football, basketball, and softball. This does not count the 19 years that I worked part-time (sometimes full-time) at the VRD. Maybe my busiest year of teaching/coaching was 1988-89. After I finished coaching the VRD Midget Girls All Stars, the year began with two-a-days with the VHS football team. The season lasted 18 weeks, since we made it to the quarterfinal round. I immediately went to work with VRD Basketball. When it was over, I began coaching baseball with VHS. This was followed by VRD Spring work, followed by VRD coaching staff work that summer. Of course I was a middle school teacher during the year, and played VRD Church League Softball. That year finally ended!

When Fall rolled around, I didn't coach football, instead I began working on my Masters Degree. By Baseball season, it was the same routine as before. God prepared me for every situation that I moved on from. By the time I quit coaching, I was beyond ready. And by the time I quit teaching, I was beyond ready.

At the present, I would call myself a sports enthusiast, but not the fanatic I previously was. Now in the Fall, instead of 11 or 12 hours of college football on Saturdays, I probably watch 8 hours. I watch very few Braves games. I became invested in the Falcons a few years back, after leaving them for a spell. If the Hawks are good, I can watch them. I rarely watch Sports Center. However, I watch Colin Cowherd about 3 or 4 times a week for about an hour per time. I love 30 for 30s, and good sports movies. I would rather relive the glory days of sports than watch the present era. I play no sports at my double-nickel age.

To sum it up: I am old; I have a short attention span; I am very critical during games; I change the channel; I can not stand politics in sports!