Sports have always been part of my life. When I was in High School, I worked for the Montgomery County Sports Department, and my siblings all followed suit. We ran all the afterschool sports activities for K-9th grade, including basketball, soccer, flag football, and baseball. I was the assistant to the Ed Fones, who oversaw Montgomery County. He has a small office that I would go to around 1 pm every day. I figured out that I only needed three more classes to graduate in my senior year, so I opted to work in the afternoons. I dealt with the applications and the checks—no computers in those days.
I also coached. I loved coaching. I continued that love of coaching and ran the soccer league for Emily in the burbs when she was young. I coached Jessica too. Emily’s team went on to be the champs. I had a few ugly confrontations with men considering I was the only woman on the fields.
I grew up watching sports. Basketball was always top. So watching Adam McKay’s show Winning Time and They Call Me Magic is so fun. Seeing the show, which probably took countless liberties, and then the doc simultaneously gives a better sense of reality.
Basketball changed when Magic and Bird walked on the court. It became an event and a game. If you haven’t tuned in, do it. There are some incredible laugh-out-loud moments. John C. Reilly and newcomer Quincy Isaiah are fantastic. And Magic, well, is magic.