Every spring, the collegiate sports world experiences what has come to be known as March Madness. Whether you are celebrating your local team’s participation or cursing it because it pre-
Those of you who know me know that, these days, I am not much of a sports fanatic. I gave up on pro football when George Blanda retired from the Raiders. I was never much of a Baseball (the only organized sport I ever played) or Basketball fan. I dropped golf when I realized that most of my contemporaries had graduated to the Seniors League, reminding me of my own mortality, a concept I’ve come to terms with but do not relish. These days, if it doesn’t involve my UT Volunteers, I find it hard to get excited.
So when the word went out that we still needed some volunteers for the NAIA, I reluctantly allowed that I would participate if they were shorthanded. You guessed, short handed we were and so I agreed to attend the welcoming banquet and participate in the “Parade of Champions” on the opening night of the games. At the banquet the team took up an entire table so I didn’t really get a chance to talk with any of them. Ah, the opportunities we miss in life.
Our team this year was the Lady Vikings of Berry College just outside of Rome, GA, lead by head coach Jonathan Norton. Now, Berry is the home of about 1800 students but sprawls over 26,000 acres (yes that’s 26 followed by three zeros) of some of the prettiest geography in the universe. Not surprising, it bills itself as the “World’s Largest Campus”. And I came to learn that it includes some of the nicest young people you will ever meet.
At the banquet, each of the 32 tournament teams was introduced along with the 2009 All- is just one of four perennial tournament teams from West Tennessee including Jackson’s own Union University and Lambuth University, both former National Champs, and Bethel College from just up the road at McKenzie, TN. Who knew that West Tennessee was such a hot bed of collegiate basketball?
Our Berry Vikings were seeded no. 8 in their bracket and faced Vanguard University, no. 1 seed and 2008 NAIA champs, in their opening game. The ladies came out cold and fell behind early in the game. After going just 1 for 17 in the first 3:54, our Vikings trailed 11-
An early three in the second half brought Berry to within one point at 27-
That night, the Parade of Champions was held and I, along with my cohort, Teresa Irvine, represented JEA. While standing in line waiting for our turn to make an appearance, I discovered something quite profound. These ladies were some of the sweetest people I have ever met! As I stood there, these young ladies were actually talking to me without me initiating it.
Don’t get me wrong, I realize that I ooze my own style of macho charm and was not so much surprised that they were talking to me as I was that they were talking to anyone other than each other. I could understand Coach Amy Krach who is, after all, older than the players (though I initially mistook her for one of them), but you
know how young folks these days can get hung up with themselves and texting. So you could have knocked me over with a feather when they seemed truly interested in us and JEA.
After the completion of the Parade, each girl shook my hand, hugged me and expressed her honest gratitude to JEA for sponsoring their team. I was quite impressed by the caliber of character that these ladies displayed. I now regret that I have gone all of these years without being involved in this annual fall event.
So, here’s to the Lady Vikings of Berry College -