Alabama is football country. So, what do we do when it’s not football season? This week we had a most unusual sporting event. At Auburn’s Jordan Hare Stadium, there wasn’t a football game, but there was a futbol game. In our country, we usually call it soccer. Argentina played Iceland in a World Cup Soccer preliminary game. This was an opportunity to see some of the top players in the world. Drew, my soccer-playing grandson, was there. I stayed home and hid under the bed to avoid being run over by all that extra traffic!
We’ve also had softball and baseball…lots of softball and baseball. I’m proud to say our state teams have represented us well and have been so much fun to watch. The University of Alabama’s women’s softball team made it all the way to the semifinals and finished one win short of making it to the championship series. Three of our college baseball teams made the Super Regionals. All three schools, Alabama, Auburn and Troy, hosted those series. How about those Troy Trojans! Troy University was the first to punch its ticket to the College World Series in Omaha. This is especially impressive since it will be the first time in the school’s history. After a two-day, rain-delayed game against St. John, Alabama defeated them and will advance to join Troy in Omaha to compete in the World Series. Unfortunately, Auburn did not advance to the series, or we would have had three teams from Alabama in the College World Series.
Last, but certainly not least, were the Mustangs. That would be the Mustang’s women’s softball team of Northeast Community College. You may have never heard of this school, but they now have a national championship team. They have had a women’s softball team for only two years. They didn’t simply make it to the championship series, they won! They are the 2026 community college national champions! The school is located on top of Sand Mountain, near my hometown of Rainsville. It was there, at Northeast Alabama Junior College, that I began my college career. We were a young, small college back then, but the school has had great growth since those days.
I’ll proudly tell you that I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to learn there. During my freshman year, I’ll confess that I majored in spades and minored in gin rummy. Those classes met in the student center. I was not ready for college, but after having a heart-to-heart meeting with my English teacher there, I decided to get serious about school. For the then bargain tuition price of $67 per quarter, I took most of my 100 and 200 courses at Northeast. For a poor boy with no financial assistance from home, or anyone else, Northeast was a lifesaver. I received a quality education there and learned how to study and work at a college level. I am thankful for the education I received there. I never graduated from Northeast, but I received a solid foundation that enabled me to go on to graduate from Samford University and then twice from New Orleans Baptist Seminary. I am thankful for that college education start for me, and that those student athletes can compete in the sports they love and get a solid educational start at the same time.
For those young ladies to win that softball national championship, was like a David defeating a Goliath. They have shown us to never think we can’t meet the challenge ahead of us, no matter how big it may be.
Congratulations to all who competed and especially to the national champion Mustangs. May those still playing do as well!
Bill King can be reached at bkpreach@yahoo.com
