Dozens of college students shuffle around tight corners of an overpacked shed, the twelve foot U Haul trailer filling the center of the space. Hockey players stand toward the trucks, heaving hot breaths into bright balloons, almost unrecognizable without jerseys, last names, and numbers. Ice Girls dance around the trailer, securing streamers to bare railings. Photos are snapped, videos flicked, and chats sent to the rest of our crew, informing them of the progress on our Homecoming parade float. The Baylor Ice Girls is a group of female supporters, cheerleaders, and organizers for Baylor Hockey, responsible for things such as filling water bottles between periods, creating care baskets for injured players, and bringing the spirit to every game. As the sun sets on float decorating, we add our final touches, preparing to party at sunrise the following morning.
We meet bright and early, but there is no light. We are simply there early, contemplating how Baylor’s Homecoming has been historically successful when college students are asked to be up before the sun. Loading our teams into two trucks and a trailer, we trek toward downtown for the celebration of the morning. With the parade flowing on Austin Avenue, local Wacoans line the streets of downtown. Children flock to the curb with buckets and baskets open, begging to be filled with candy. Parents and families sit back in lawn chairs, sipping on mugs of caffeinated fuel. Familiar faces of Baylor students are scattered among the crowd, avoiding the mass of bodies on campus.
Questions rise from the crowds as we pass, “Baylor has a hockey team? Is it ice hockey? Where do they play?” Yes, Baylor does have an Ice Hockey team! The current team was revived for the 2021-2022 season, successfully attracting players and fans for the last three years. Alongside this group, the Baylor Ice Girls became a social club for female Baylor students interested in hockey, aiming for the sport to thrive on campus. These two clubs run separately, but we deeply depend on one another for functioning.
Turning down 5th Street, the sun is rising higher, the music is louder, and the energy from our Ice Hockey float hits another wind. Bags of candy are tossed between trucks to prepare for the second wave of sugar-seeking children. We pause to rehydrate our fracturing voices and rest our sore limbs, worn out from screaming, waving, and throwing sweets through the procession. Hours of preparation flew by with the parade ending before we knew it.
Elizabeth Riley hails from Tennessee and is a senior double majoring in English and Professional Writing & Rhetoric at Baylor University. She works as a Transcription Assistant at the Baylor University Institute for Oral History and is President of the Baylor Ice Girls for the 2024-2025 season.
The Heart of Texas Fellowship of Christian Athletes announced Feb. 5 the rosters for the annual Super Centex Victory Bowl football, volleyball, baseball, softball, and basketball games and cheer squad competition.
Participants in the at Highland Baptist Church press conference answered questions and took photos with the media. There were more than 500 game participants and parents present at the conference.
– Volleyball teams will be coached by four area coaches and will compete in Waco June 3. They will arrive in Waco May 31 for four days of practice and fellowship.
– Basketball teams will be coached by eight area coaches and will compete in China Spring June 1. The will arrive in China Spring on May 31, 2023.
– Football teams will be coached by 10 area coaches and will compete in Waco June 3. They will arrive in Waco May 31 for four days of practice and fellowship
– Cheer squads will be coached by two area coaches. They will arrive in Waco May 31 for four days of practice and fellowship
– Baseball and softball teams will be coached by 12 area coaches and will complete at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor June 2. They will arrive in Belton May 31 for three days of practice and fellowship.
Upcoming Victory Bowl events are:
April 23 – Ferrell Center, Keynote Speaker: Rocket Ismail
May 31 – 2nd Annual FCA Basketball Game (5 and 7 p.m. West High School)
May 31 – 8th Annual FCA Baseball and Softball Games (6:30 p.m. UMHB)
May 31 – 10th Annual FCA Victory Bowl Volleyball Game (2:30 p.m. University High), and
May 31 – 15th Annual FCA Victory Bowl Football Game (10 a.m. Waco ISD Stadium)
By James Karney
Let’s go!
Batter up!
We’re tak-ing the af-ter-noon off!
It’s a beau-ti-ful day for a ball game, for a ball game to-day
The fans are out to get a ticket or two
From Wal-la, Wash-ing-ton to Kal-a-ma-zoo
– It’s A Beautiful Day For A Ball Game by Harry Simone
Spring is here and baseball opening day pitches are being thrown out from the Big Leagues to Little League.
In the Waco area hundreds of youth participate in Little League Baseball and Softball learning playing skills, teamwork, sportsmanship and character. I’d like to share with you about a division of Little League you probably did not know existed.
Challenger Little League provides the opportunity for children with physical, intellectual and developmental disabilities to play Little League baseball. During the April and May season, 125 area children play on a specially outfitted field with solid surface base paths at the Lake Air Fields with dedicated coaches and buddies guiding them. No matter the ability or skill level, “everyone plays!”
This year Challenger Little League in Waco celebrates its 25th season with children and teens from age 5 to 18 playing on ten teams. Challenger baseball came to Waco in 1990 as one of the first locations in Texas with 34 children participating that year.
The kids have a great time just being kids playing ball and for parents it’s a little bit of normalcy just sitting in the bleachers with other parents watching their children play Little League baseball like any other parent.
My son Jamie has played in Challenger since 2004 and I’ve been a coach since 2009. It’s been a great experience for both of us. When Jamie first played he’d hit the ball, run down to first base and then keep running straight down the right field line all the way to the outfield fence. Over the years his skill level has increased and he now hits a pretty mean line drive. I look forward to April and May, getting out my glove from high school and playing with the kids.
Challenger would not be possible without dedicated volunteers who manage league operations, coach, serve as buddies or team and league sponsors. Lupe Rosas, Don Deatherage and Michelle McCollum have worked with Waco’s Challenger League from its beginnings in 1990. Others like Coleen Ostrom and Pepper Jones make things run smoothly every year arranging for uniforms, volunteer buddies, fundraisers and more. Each of the ten Challenger teams has two or three coaches. Many of the coaches, like in other Little League divisions, are parents who want to share their love of baseball and sports with their son or daughter.
At every game you will also find buddies for the players. Buddies play a vital role in the game by being paired up with a player to provide them assistance they might need from pushing a wheel chair, putting on a batting helmet, keeping them focused on the game (and not watching airplanes flying overhead.) and most importantly encouragement.
Some buddies volunteer for the season while others come out for a game or two. These buddies are frequently from other Little League teams or high school baseball and softball teams. Last season members of the Baylor Lady Bear’s Softball team were buddies at one of our games. The buddies also allow parents a period of respite to sit in the stands, visit with other parents and cheer on their little sluggers.
Team sponsors are another part that makes Challenger Little League possible by providing funding to help underwrite costs. For the 2015 season team sponsors are:
The Don Deatherage Challenger Field is located near the City of Waco’s Cobbs Recycling Center by Lake Air Fields 4 & 5. Games are played Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 6pm and 7pm and on Saturday morning’s beginning at 9am. Opening day games are this Saturday, April 18. (Facebook: Challenger Little League in Waco.)
Come on out some evening or Saturday morning and cheer on these great athletes!
This Act Locally Waco blog post is by James Karney. James worked in a library beginning in his sophomore year of high school and after a more than thirty year library career recently retired as Director of the Waco-McLennan County Library. He’s currently taking a sabbatical working on projects around the house, catching up on reading and doing research on Texas statesman Coke Stevenson. He has been married to the super amazing and talented Anita Karney for 20 years and their son Jamie is a junior at Midway High School.
If you would like to write a post for the Act Locally Waco blog, please contact Ashley Thornton by email at [email protected] .