By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.
ONE FEATHER STAFF
Herschel Walker, Heisman trophy winner and one of the top college running backs in history, once stated, “I want to prove to people who sit on a couch and don’t do anything but criticize other people that, if you’re a true athlete or martial artist, you’re not old until you can’t get up and walk around anymore.”
Inspiring words from an inspiring man, and they ring true for those of us who once played sports every day of our lives, but now only get to play competitively once in a while.
Kelsey Jackson was a multi-sport athlete while at Cherokee High School and was a proud member of the Lady Braves varsity basketball team. The Class of 2011 alumnus is currently working to put together an alumni basketball game of former Lady Braves.
The exact details of the game haven’t been worked out yet as Jackson is just garnering interest and collecting information on interested players. To be eligible to play in the game, you had to have been on varsity for one year and be a graduate of Cherokee High School.
In a recent Facebook post, Jackson received numerous responses from women willing and quite eager to get back on the hardwood as a Lady Brave. If you’re interested, send your name and graduation year to her on email (jackson42512@gmail.com) or text/phone 788-4732.
Personally, I think this is an outstanding idea. It would be neat to see some recent stars such as Kendall Toineeta and Avery Mintz mix it up with Shennelle Feather (Class of 2003), Missy Crowe (Class of 1981), and others. Many of these women are still very active with a lot of them playing recreation league ball as well as tournaments.
Alumni games are quite popular around the country, usually being either football or basketball. There is even a website (www.alumnifootballusa.com) that helps schools organize alumni football games. These games usually include some type of fundraising aspect, and that might be a neat idea for this one as well as I’m sure it will garner a packed house.
I came across an article in the Chicago Daily Herald about an alumni game between two area high schools. In it, Jerry Fitzpatrick, Daily Herald sports columnist, wrote, “If an event is judged by the number of smiles it triggers, Wednesday’s Elgin vs Larkin alumni basketball event at Chesbrough Field House can only be considered a rousing success.”
The Lady Braves alumni game will involve all former Cherokee players divided into two teams. I think the format is fascinating and will be a great game. Look in the One Feather for more information as Jackson gets her idea off the ground. While a date is still undetermined, she did state that they’re looking at either late February or early March.
In the Daily Herald article, Dennis Moore was quoted as saying, “It was a great time. It’s cool getting back on the court with former teammates and guys I never actually got to get on the floor with that started before us and paved the way. And, this new court is awesome, too.”
That brings up another great point – many of the former Lady Braves will get a shot to play in the new Charles George Memorial Arena for the first time.
What a keen idea! Kudos go to Ms. Jackson for organizing this event.
