Lady Blue Rays and Sammie Louise

I have yet another stranger rich environment- the volleyball gym. Six courts, with games every hour....I was bound to find someone to meet and sure enough - I was right. Our daughter plays every Friday night and practices every Monday night in two different gyms. But I met this stranger at VIP (a volley ball gym) while we were watching the Lady Blue Rays (my daughter's team) play a match and she was sitting in the row in front of me. She had never been to a volleyball game and had not been able to see her granddaughter (who also plays for the Lady Blue Rays) play before because she has really bad knees. For those who have bad knees, the bleachers are low and narrow and it makes it difficult to get in and out- let alone be comfortable for three matches. And I knew all of this before I even met her!! Not knowing the rules of game, she rooted for both teams and periodically she would turn around and ask me, "Was that our team?" I answered, "No, but you go ahead and root for both teams." As the Lady Blue Rays won the first match and the second, she got a little more animated and every now again regardless if the ball was in or out she would utter, "Oh, baby girl that was good." And all of us sitting around her seemed to assume the same attitude as the Lady Blue Rays played their third match. Just so you know, I can get a little loud when I am rooting for the Lady Blue Rays (OK, louder than most) and I even found myself giving kudos to the other team. The Lady Blue Rays ended up winning all three matches and as soon as "the good sportsmanship line" was done - my mom, myself, and a few others helped her to her feet and from the stands. It was then that I officially extended my hand, said, "Hi, my name is Donna" and told her of my New Year's resolution. She excitedly told me that her name was "Sammie with an i e." "Sammie Louise." Sammie needed help getting to the front of the gym and you could tell that her knees were probably bothering her. She sat down at the front while her family went and brought the car around to the front door. And we left, I gave a big old holler good bye, "YOU HAVE A GOOD NIGHT SAMMIE LOUISE."

We, the Lady Blue Rays parents, have adopted Miss Sammie Louise as our rallying point. When the girls game starts to slack or they get down-hearted, we yell out, "Do it for Sammie Louise."