Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge sports fan. I’ve loved Tennessee football ever since my dad took me to my first game in 1974 when Condredge Holloway and the Vols hosted the UCLA Bruins at Neyland Stadium. I’ve loved the New York Yankees since 1976, a meeting with Mickey Mantle in Chattanooga at the age of six cemented my love for, arguably, the country’s most hated sports team. As a much older man now, I look back with great nostalgia on many fond memories with family and friends that may never have happened were it not for sporting events. I’ve taken countless road trips with my family to the Bronx to see the hated Yankees and even more road trips to watch the Vols in action on the road! I haven’t counted the number of games I’ve attended but it numbers in the hundreds when you include football, basketball and baseball.
I can say that I’ve watched Vol greats come and go and I’m just as excited now to see the new batch of all stars as I was in 1985 when I first saw Tony Robinson and Tim McGee torch defenses on Shields-Watkins field or in 1983 when I watched Reggie White terrorize opposing quarterbacks and take over games all by himself when he wanted to. I’ve seen the likes of Peyton Manning, Carl Pickens, Al Wilson, Tony Thompson, Chuck Webb, Josh Dobbs, Jamal Lewis, Dale Jones, Andy Kelly, Roland James, Johnny Jones, and countless others up close and personal. But for me it wasn’t just about the game, yes, I longed for the Vols to be victorious, but it was always about family too. My father who, at the age of 77-years-old, still preaches weekly at Gospel Light Baptist Church in Charleston, S.C. where he is senior pastor, was the person that introduced my sister, brother, and I to the wonderful world of sports.
I’ve since passed on my love for the Vols and Yankees to my children and now we enjoy watching our favorite teams together. This is where I’d like to get personal. If you don’t know, my daughter Susan was diagnosed with stage two Hodgins lymphoma six months ago and she is currently undergoing chemotherapy at UT Medical Center in Knoxville, coincidentally, the place where she was born. It has been during this time that days with my family, which has always been precious to me, became even more precious. Each day is a gift and I’m happy to say, Susan is doing well, she even still has her hair.
My family has gone the extra mile and then some to help Susan in any way that they could and for that I am eternally grateful. My mom and dad just keep on doing what grandparents do, they love unconditionally every day and that is more than enough. My sister Becky and my two sons Thomas and Robert have done so much during this time it would be impossible to repay them for the sacrifices they have made. Thomas traded in seeing the world with Susan for the cancer ward at UT Medical and hasn’t complained once. Robert has done all the chores around the house such as doing laundry and yard work and even a little cooking.
Now, this is not a piece to elicit sympathy, on the contrary, this is a celebration of life and family and oh, one more thing, I’d like to introduce you to the Tennessee baseball team who has joined Susan in this fight for her life. Our family now considers the Tennessee baseball team our family and this year’s squad will always be family to us.
As a sports photographer, I’ve had the privilege of shooting Tennessee baseball, football, basketball and Lady Vol basketball and softball and I can say unequivocally that I’ve never had as much fun shooting a team as I did this past season shooting Tennessee baseball at Lindsey Nelson stadium. The fans, the atmosphere, the quality of baseball we saw, it was a magical season. Well, up until they fell one game short of the College World Series.
What also made this season one that will be indelibly etched in my memory forever was the way in which the Vol players embraced Susan and reached out to her in love and compassion. Will Mabrey, Jorel Ortega, Luc Lipcius, Zander Sechrist, Chase Dollander, Charlie Taylor, Redmond Walsh, Camden Sewell and Ben Joyce all checked on Susan regularly during the season and many of them said they were praying for her. Susan, who has a room full of memorabilia already at the age of 25, added to her collection this year with baseballs signed by Coach Tony Vitello, Luc Lipcius, Zander, Sechrist, Will Mabrey, and Jorel Ortega. Cherished keepsakes that I know she will display proudly for a lifetime.
It wasn’t just the players, it was the fans and ushers at Lindsey Nelson stadium, it was the players’ moms and dads, it was everyone. We were overwhelmed by the support we have received from Vol Nation. During the season, often it took Susan and I all day to reply to everyone who had reached out to check on us and see if we needed anything. I think of Monica Rolon, Cindy Gilbert, Dayna McNeil, Natalie Burke, Tammy Dickey, Dixie Sewell, Lori Sechrist, Kim Ayers Connell and Vicki Tidwell and others who all took the time to reach out.
As you can see, family is very important to me! My dad, who I like to call the ultimate family man, could not have known what fanatics his children and grandchildren would become, but I’m sure he is pleased with our appetency to see sports as another way to create some family memories. We have so many memories going to games it would take me a week to share them all, maybe longer. Each one unique, some worth remembering and some not so much. We see sporting events as another opportunity to spend the day together and the Tennessee baseball team taught us once again that going to the ballpark can mean so much more than mere wins and losses. It's about the relationships you make along the way. It’s about having fun, it’s about memories that will last a lifetime and the Vol baseball players have certainly done their part to help the Boofer family create some new ones this year. Memories that are certainly unique and memorable.
We hear a lot of negative stories involving the world of sports, some memorable, some you would just like to forget, some you hope just to go away as soon as possible, but every now and then there’s a good story to tell. Our story is one I want to share. We are aware of the national perception regarding the Vol baseball team and yes, they ruffled some feathers this year with their on the field antics, but to us they are just family. A family that gave us a lifetime of memories. A family that unselfishly gave of their time to encourage a girl that found herself in a battle for her life. Not for accolades, not an opportunity for a press release, they just did it out of the kindness of their own hearts and that says family about as good as I could ever say it. Thank you, guys, for allowing us to call you family.