The
path has run its course
Southern
Sports & Travel
Sometimes
we get too emotionally invested in certain areas of our lives and when we
arrive at a point in which the investment stops showing the fruits of our labor
we either invest more or redirect our energy in another direction.
My
passion over the past six years has been covering MAIS athletics. While the
financial investment over the first five years was at times hard to justify, the
emotional investment was just too great to waste. The goal was clear from the
beginning, to give recognition to the many that may have otherwise gone
unnoticed.
I’ve
been blessed to cover some special athletic events and witness the work of some
of the very best coaches in the region.
Covering
Bill Hurst of Centreville and Dale Watts while at Brookhaven was always an
event worth attending as those two masters of their craft did what they did
best.
I
was blessed to cover Coach Hurst’s 347th win this past September and
was at the 2011 Class AA South State Tournament in Columbia when Dale Watts led
his heavy underdogs to a stunning 29-25 upset win over top ranked Central
Private in a go home game.
Interviewing
an elated Marshall head football coach Keith Wicker following his team’s 21
point 4th quarter comeback win over Leake in the 2009 playoffs will
always be etched in my mind and the watery eyes of a young Michael McAnally who
had just guided his East Rankin girls team to the school’s first ever Overall
Championship in 2010 is another of the many memories that stand out.
While
the past six years have been filled with special memories and the pleasure of
meeting and making so many friends there have also been times of frustration in
not seeing my energy matched by the MAIS.
I
recently made it clear my disappointment in the direction the MAIS has gone in
the area of promoting the entire association and its athletes. There are so
many great success stories each year that go ignored and it’s clear that a
remedy is not being addressed.
A
great opportunity to promote the association passed the MAIS by last season
when Porter’s Chapel head coach E.J. Creel became the first woman to lead a
varsity boys team to a state championship in the history of the state of
Mississippi.
Had
Southern Sports & Travel not published an article this past June featuring
Silliman track coach Sharon Kline’s many accomplishments during her term
heading up the Wildcat track and field teams would the MAIS have made an effort
to get her amazing story out?
It
was also discouraging to see that only last week did the MAIS put any photos of
last season’s state and overall champions on their site. It went blank for
nearly a year.
There
is a huge break in the link between the Jackson area schools and the remaining
schools throughout Mississippi, Louisiana and Arkansas.
My
hope is that the new leadership at the MAIS will look for efficient methods to
promote the entire association otherwise stagnation will continue to fester.
My
time and energy has run its course. Despite this year being the highest in
sponsorship ads it’s time to direct my energy towards something else.
I’ve
reached out to several individuals inquiring if they have interest in taking
over Southern Sports & Travel or consolidating the site with their own.
There has been interest but no firm commitment as of yet. If, at the end of the
school year, there is no interest the site will cease.
For
the remainder of the school year basketball and baseball scores will be posted
so please continue to report scores as you have faithfully done all year.
Big
“Shout Out” to the many folks who sent in scholarship signings of MAIS athletes
over the past few weeks. Southern Sports & Travel is the only site where so
many 2013 signings are featured.
If
anyone has a special interest story please email me at aafandaman@yahoo.com and I will do my
best to get it published on the site.
.
God
Bless
