38 years of sports and recreation memories | The Seminole Tribune

I sadly regret that this will be my last column for The Seminole Tribune because by the time this article hits the newsstands, I will officially be unemployed from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Because of the Tribe?s restructuring plans, I decided to retire. I guess like Joe Paterno or Bobby Bowden, I?ve outlasted my time.

I want to thank Pete Gallagher for motivating me to write these columns; I believe he saw the similarity my mother and I shared in the feelings we put into our writing. I especially want to thank all those Tribal officials who encouraged and supported me in building an exceptional overall Tribal recreation program throughout the years.

In 1974, after returning from college, I worked and applied for small jobs within the Tribe. I was approached by Chairman Howard Tommie, Executive Director Mike Tiger and Tribal coordinator Bert Jones with a special request. Because of my background in sports, they thought I would be a good candidate to start a Tribal recreation program. All these men were former athletes and understood the importance of sports and recreation in the lives of our youth and adults.

That was the start of a career that has taken me on a journey that lasted for the next 38 years. I have so many memories of the friends I?ve made, the places I?ve been, the games I?ve played and, probably the most important of all, the impact sports and recreation have had on the young people in our Tribe. It is with great pride that I see the effect our program has had in forming the character and personalities of many of our leaders in the Tribe today.

Our program has always been very diversified. I always believe that if the program could create interest for a few, then perhaps we could attract many. Nothing was beyond trying. Yes, we did the major sports ? I remember the all-night tournaments we would have on the outdoor courts at each reservation. The lighting was terrible, the court was slippery from all the sand and you tried not to break your ankle from the cement edge that was so much higher than the level of the ground. Not to mention all the bugs those lights attracted at night!

The bigger tournaments we sought to play at local high school gyms. There was always a lot of red tape in trying to get those gyms secured. When we finally got our own gymnasiums on the reservations, we had some kind of tournament every weekend, it seemed. Those gyms hosted volleyball tournaments, weight-lifting contests, dodge ball, pool, bombardment, archery, boxing and even pingpong tournaments.

When we managed to get our ball fields in somewhat of a resemblance to a diamond, we would play daytime tournaments because we didn?t have lights on our reservation fields. We utilized our ball fields to the fullest. We played baseball tournaments, slow-pitch, one-pitch and fast-pitch tournaments. We had some great Little League teams in Brighton, Big Cypress and Hollywood.

I remember coaching one Little League team comprised of boys from Brighton, Big Cypress and Hollywood ? we went all the way to the state tournament before we were finally beat by a Cuban team from Miami. Those ball fields also hosted the annual Turkey Bowl fiasco. Sometimes I regretted starting that football tradition that came every Thanksgiving weekend. Each rez had a team, and we beat up on each other all day and usually the Brighton teams punished everyone for playing them.

As I continue down memory lane, I think of all the Rec directors and young people we had employed with our programs throughout the years. We had quite a number of turnovers in our programs, yet we had some good people who have worked with Recreation. If a young person wanted a job, we always tried to hire him. I look at many of those young men and women today, and I am very proud.

I think of the Recreation Directors who have passed on, great men like Ernie Bert and Richard Smith. I truly believe they loved what they did. I also remember those young men and women who didn?t make it in society and have either gone on to the spirit world or who sit in prisons today. For them, I can?t help but think: Maybe there was a sport we could have got them hooked on or a coach who could have mentored them a little more. Did I talk enough with these young people in my office or on the court or the ball field?

I hope we don?t stop trying. I hope we will continue to place a high value on the impact sports and recreation have in our young peoples? lives. No, sports and recreation are not the total answer for all our problems, but I could join with other programs to help find a solution. We can?t save them all, as I can attest in my own family, but we will impact them all.

If you don?t think so, check out our youth Rec leagues and see the Indian kids playing. How about a high school basketball game where you will see Seminole young men or women playing? We even have a young man coaching at the high school level who may coach a team to a state championship. When was the last time you attended a NAYO tournament and measured how our small Tribe matches up to bigger Tribes, like the Cherokees and Choctaws?

Better yet, stop by and see one of our EIRA Rodeos this year. I didn?t mean to get into the effects of sports and recreation so much, but it has always been a passion and a way of life for me. Is there a price too high to pay for character? Is the cost too much? I hope not!

Well, I know this column has been a little long, but since it is my last, I made the most of it. I hope there are some people who have enjoyed reading my little memoirs in the last few issues. My mother always told me and showed me to always put your trust and faith in God. When God closes one door, He will open another.

I?m looking forward to what God has in store for me. Remember, ?Old dogs never die; they just find another place to lie down.??God bless.

Source: http://seminoletribune.org/38-years-of-sports-and-recreation-memories/

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