Smoke Signals and other news
Thursday night the children of Byhalia Parks and Rec soccer were honored with an Awards Ceremony. A potluck dinner, provided entirely by the parents, was enjoyed by all. Each child received a medal for the season supplied by the Town of Byhalia. There were so many sweet hugs from children. This was supposed to be only a celebration for the children as I had not announced that I was no longer Parks and Recreation Director for the Town on Byhalia. I wanted this to be a celebration for their hard work this season. Someone who knew my time with the kids was coming to an end made the announcement resulting in more hugs and many tears. I was given a card signed by parents and players along with a beautiful bouquet of flowers.
What will I miss? The children. The ones who always run to give me a hug, the ones who sit and chat with me about their latest adventures, accomplishments, or disappointments, ball related or not, the ones who leave the fields happy, tired, or disappointed, but come back to try again, the ones who quietly ask if I will buy them a snack or a drink, knowing that I will, the ones who come to me when they feel unsafe or something is broken, the ones who ask if I will be there next time they come, the ones whose parents played under me, the ones who ask, “Did you see my hit? My home run, or my goal, or great block or even my strike out? The ones who struggle at first, but then become great players with practice and determination, and the ones who cheer on their teammates.
I will miss the children but will still see the now adults who played with BSA for many years who stop and express their thanks for the time we invested in them. No one can take that away. I will miss the young men and women who played under our leadership learning the game and all the skills involved, who have chosen to return to coach, umpire, or work on the fields and bring their children to play in the environment where they played. I will miss all the coaches that gave their time and talent to a new generation of ball players.
I treasure the many friendships made over the more than 40 years I have been involved in youth sports not only across Marshall County and Tate County, but across the state.
I won’t miss telling my family I can’t go somewhere with be at a ball game or work on something ball related. I won’t miss the occasional arguments among adults over trivial things. I won’t miss reminding adults that no smoking, vaping, or alcohol is allowed on the property. I definitely won’t miss the times I have been physically or verbally attacked or my life threatened because someone disagreed with some decision I made.
As I step away as Parks and Recreation Director for the Town of Byhalia, there will be tears. I wish the best for the programs for the children. They deserve a safe and fun place to play without having to go to another town to do so. As I turn in my keys this week, I cannot tell you the plans that Byhalia has as they have not been shared with me. Those questions need to be directed to Mayor Don Hollingsworth or a member of the board of aldermen.
I would love to report your news. Call or text me at 901 246- 8843, message me on Facebook at Clair Wagg, or email me at jchwagg@gmail.com.