The Dancing Server
I learned early in my relationship with my wife that her hometown of Suring takes Labor Day very seriously. There are three days of celebration including a parade. For the most part the funds raised go to support the community, especially the school and other organizations that serve children.
It is really a homecoming
weekend in the true sense of the word, as all of the adults with Suring area roots seem to show up to help
run something or another, or at least partake of the show and the food.
And, even many of the adults who graduated or finished military service
and relocated elsewhere, seem to make a special effort to return for Labor Day.
The organizers of events always seem to come up with a
way to highlight some person or group that has contributed to the
community. This year one of the groups
getting much-deserved recognition was the first Suring High School girls’
volleyball team. This year marks the 50th
anniversary of the team. And, the
volleyball team was the very first girls sport in Suring history.
I was there because my wife Michelle was a member of that inaugural
volleyball team. As part of the weekend celebration,
they had a round robin mini tournament made of up three teams of Suring alums. Michelle and the only other member of that
first team that was able to make it home declined to play, but they both sat down
front and center and cheered the players on.
The event and the afternoon was classic small-town America – the small-town
America that many big-city people either never knew about, or they have
mistakenly thought that it is extinct.
Michelle and her teammate were introduced before the
first game. They received a nice ovation
from the fans in the bleachers, but more importantly, the women players on the floor cheered
loudly. They, more than anyone else gathered
in that gym, knew the significance of what they had done. Both of the first teamers introduced
themselves and said a few words.
Michelle shared that there was open resistance from some of the male
members of the staff at the time. It is
disappointing to think that adults, especially those adults, who chose a career
that should have been about helping every student achieve the fullness of their
potential would have wanted to restrict opportunities for female students.
After we watched the first two games of the tournament
Michelle and I took a walk around the school building. She talked about how much bigger and nicer the
facility is. “We had some students and
some classes in temporary units. In my Valedictorian
speech I spoke about the need for the community to invest in their youth – that
next election they passed a referendum to expand the school.” I could tell that she is proud of that with
the hope that she may have influenced some of the vote.
We stopped by the trophy case and Michelle noted
several Conference Champion trophies for the Girls Volleyball team. She smiled. “We were only 1 and 6. But we won the first game in the playoffs.”
In her brief comments earlier in the gym, Michelle told the other
players present, “I am proud of the way that you carried on the legacy of girls’
volleyball. And I’ll always be proud to
be a Suring Eagle.”
Up until yesterday I really didn’t know much about Michelle’s
volleyball days, except that I saw her picture on the court in her high school
yearbook. The caption referred to her as
the “dancing server”. When I asked her
why she said that it was a nickname she earned because of the steps she took
when she served the ball. I teased her
about it a little then. But now is not the
time for teasing, because now I have a
deeper knowledge and appreciation for what she and her teammates accomplished. And I’m very proud of her.
His Peace <><
Deacon Dan
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