Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Girls' Athletics Moving Forward

Girls' athletics is moving to the next level in the Gurdon School District.

Tammy Alexander, coach of the junior high girls basketball team, along with being the coach of the new volleyball and softball teams, spoke to the Gurdon Rotary Club on these changes.

There will be no volleyball, she said, until after basketball season is concluded, while girls softball will be held this spring.

Alexander said she loves teaching the girls basketball, and is working with them on the fundamentals of the game, passing, dribbling, shooting, etc... "We've got a lot of hard workers," she said.

The team, she said, has gone through a tough, physical pre-season in getting ready to hit the hardwood.

There were some who quit, but those who stayed with the team showed they have guts, will and determination, Alexander said.

She said her crew has GRIT, which stands for greatness, responsibility, intelligence and truth.

"We want the girls to work hard and know if they do they can do anything and do it well," she said.

The responsibility they learn in working together as a team will carry over into their personal and academic lives, Alexander added.

But there is a catch. The players on her crew must maintain a "C" average or they will watch the game from the bench. "This goes for all players," she said. "It's the same if they get in trouble or are sent to detention hall.

"They need to know what it takes to achieve a goal and do it."

In talking about the intelligence part of GRIT, Alexander said it takes brains to reach goals and win, but this, too, carries over into the classroom.

"There is opposition in life to everything," she said, "and we need to be able to face obstacles."

In talking about truth, Alexander said the team will deal only in truth. "Their actions of today will affect their tomorrows. If they're not prepared they can't perform well.

"I want to get back to what basketball used to be like. I want the girls to be tough and aggressive, but be ladies. You can be an excellent athlete as a female and not lose your femininity."

Alexander said her team will have an appearance both they and the town can be proud of. The girls will be required to dress nicely for games, with no baggy clothing allowed.

"I hope the people of Gurdon will encourage the positive behavior of these girls," she said. "Many of them don't get this at home."

Getting back to the topic of softball, Alexander said Gurdon has three years in which to declare what style it will play, either fast or slow pitch.

For the girls to get scholarships in the sport, she added, they will have to play fast pitch.

However, Gurdon, she said, could play slow pitch softball for the next two years, while working with the younger players to get them ready for fast pitch.

At this time, Alexander told the Rotarians, there are only 40 high schools in Arkansas playing fast pitch softball.

Home games will be played on the little league field at the baseball complex, while Alexander will be working to try and get a regulation softball field built.

Land for a softball field has been donated to the city by the Cabe family, but nothing has been done concerning building the stadium.