`Playing for Elvan George at Ada was a privilege'

In all likelihood, sports have changed my life. In my early years, our family moved every year— sometime more often. As a matter of fact, I never went to the same school for more than a year at a time. It was baseball and basketball t hat helped me make friends and overcome the feeling of isolation.

I was fairly good at baseball, so I was regularly accepted in a group. In the summers, I was always part of the backyard make- up baseball games we played. While growing up, we had no television, so radio was our recreation. I think I listened to Harry Caray broadcast every St. Louis Cardinal baseball game.

When we moved to Custer, Michigan, I was in the eighth grade. I played second base on the high school team. I still remember the team going to a Detroit Tigers game. It was at Custer that I became interested in basketball.

But playing organized football was not a part of life until we moved to Ada. The reason was none of the schools I attended had played football.

Playing for El van George at Ada was a privilege and quite a learning experience. He t aught his players the theory of the game. His influence was carried over to my years in college. I had offers to play football at several smaller schools but decided to go to the University of Oklahoma. At OU, I did not abandon athletics. I became my fraternity' s intramural coach for football, basketball and softball. We actually won the softball championship one year.

My first job after college was as a mathematics teacher in Shamrock, Texas. During that year, the football coach took a chance on me as an assistant coach (who also had to coach boys' basketball) because he knew that I had played f or Elvan George.

We had some good basketball teams and the last year I coached we were 22-3, but we lost the district to White Deer and the great Carl McAdams.

When I joined the faculty at East Central University, I was given the job of faculty representative to the athletic conference. This kept me actively involved in all areas of athletics. Eventually, I became the VP for academic affairs and as such was involved in the selection of several coaches. One year, because of a tragic death, I had to assume the athletic director's duties.

Needless to say, athletics have been an instrumental part of my life. I continue to be an avid fan of all sports and play golf every day possible. Sports, all kinds, have shown me that hard work pays off, that teamwork is invaluable and the comradeship you develop is lifelong.