Smoke Signals and other news

Janice’s daughter, Ellen Shackelford, is a guest writer this week. Enjoy.

It’s 8:07 p.m.; she’s lying in her hospital bed and just opened her eyes in a complete panic, “I’ve got to write my article,” she said. She’s three days post-op from a complete knee replacement. Just 38 hours ago, she nearly coded on us. The past two days, she faced her recovery with tears in her eyes and the bare minimum of pain medication because of a bad reaction after surgery.

But what is she thinking about? Her article, ball schedules, uniforms, last-minute applications, the fields, the equipment, the kids….her town. She’s working on ball schedules in her sleep. (I’ll make sure she doesn’t send those out). She’s asking me to make phone calls, copy keys, answer texts, order face masks…, and all for ball.

See, my Momma is not just any Momma. She’s Mrs. Janice.

When I was five years old, she wanted me to play T-ball. The closest place to do that was Ingrams Mill. In 1988, after two years of driving there to play ball, a small group of people secured a new field in Byhalia, and the Byhalia Sports Association (BSA) was born. While I spent the next 10 years of my life at that ball field, my Momma is still at it… 37 years later.

I’m not sure many people realize how much work went into what they created.

She didn’t just help start BSA; she sought a league to join so we would have rules, structure, and the ability to compete for state titles. She learned the rule book in and out. She traveled all over the state to attend meetings for Dizzy Dean to represent our town and gain the knowledge necessary to run this organization.

Do you think she just took applications? No. She created the application, copied the application, accepted completed applications along with fees, birth certificates and photos, organized the teams, found that one last kid to form a team, ordered and issued the uniforms and equipment, sought out and trained coaches and umpires, completed team rosters for sanctions, got insurance, made the schedules, created the brackets for tournaments, ordered the trophies, prepared paperwork for Allstars, ordered the patches, and probably a lot of other things, even I, never knew she did.

When we needed teams to play, she found them. For many years, the teams traveled all over Tate County…Independence, Senatobia, Strayhorn, Arkabutla, Greenleaf, Thyatira, Poagville, all those tiny towns. Then, she founded the Marshall County Sports Association to serve more kids in our county.

You may have noticed her spend countless hours in the concession stand, but you didn’t see it all. She figured out what to sell and how much to sell it for, found suppliers, got the kitchen equipment, purchased the food, got the food inside the concession stand and organized, found people to cook and work it, and made sure there was enough change in the cash box, cleaned it, and had it all restocked to do the next day.

She made sure someone drug the fields, cut the grass, put down the bases, and lined the field. She made sure the trash was picked up and the bathrooms were clean and stocked, and organized work days, fundraisers, bucket drops, and whatever it took for the kids to play ball.

When she wasn’t volunteering at the ball field, she worked at Carrier in Collierville, where she retired after 40 years of service. At Carrier, she was a faithful volunteer with the United Way and the Angel Tree Program. As a proud graduate of Byhalia High School, she still helps organize class reunions - 55 years later. Many years ago, she helped to reestablish the Parent Teachers Association at Byhalia Elementary School. She has served on the board at the Byhalia Chamber of Commerce for many years in many positions, including president. She oversaw the White Oaks Festival for over ten years. And, of course, she has served as the league president for both Marshall and Tate County Sports Associations over the years.

Did she do this alone? Absolutely not. She had the help of some amazing people over the years. Her husband Doug, the board members, volunteers, coaches, parents, sponsors…it took them all. I’m not going to name all the names because I would surely miss someone, but these people will forever be like our second family. To anyone who has helped her over the years, she loves and appreciates you so much, no matter how big or small.

When she said she had to write an article, I jokingly said, “I’ll write it.” She said okay. She was serious, and I didn’t realize what I had signed up for. I have a feeling that’s how many coaches got their positions. They said they would do it but had no idea what they signed up for. You see, when you sign up to do something for Mrs. Janice, you better mean it. She will train you and expect you to do it right…whether you like it or not. She will hold you accountable to the rules and the kids. Those kids are her kids. She loves them fiercely, and everything she does is for them. If a kid wanted to play ball, she would make sure they did. She would cover their fees and find them gloves, bats, helmets, rides to practice, and coaches. Even as she lays in this hospital bed, she is thinking of them.

Just the other day, I wondered what it might be like to have a regular mom as a mom. I wouldn’t know. Because my Momma is Mrs. Janice, and even though I’ve shared her with hundreds of other kids, I wouldn’t trade her for the world.

If you ever played ball in Marshall County, you have Mrs. Janice to thank. And thank her, you should. After the week she’s had, she could use some encouragement. Let’s all take the time to thank the people who give countless hours to our community and make a difference in our lives and our children’s lives. Let’s aspire to be those people. Our town needs you more than ever.