The News Argus, April, 1982, Page 7
Gaines Receives Overdue Honor
By Ralph McKnlght
Sports Editor
Clarence “Bighouse” Gaines, who
built his reputation in North Carolina,
will be inducted into the Naismith
Vlemorial Basketball Hall of Fame
May 3. The Naismith Memorial Bask-,
stball Hall of Fame is located on
Springfield College campus, where
James Naismith invented the game in
1891.
“When I first started, I could be
totally authoritarian,” Gaines said in a
Charlotte Observer story. “But now
that doesn’t work, and I’ve had to alter
the way I work. The one thing I keep,
though, is discipline.”
Gaines has been inducted into the
NAIA, CIAA, Helms, Morgan State
and WSSU Hall of Fame. He has also
won the Paul Robeson Award for his
contributions to black athletes. He is
director of the National Youth Sports
Program, which brings over 400 young
people to WSSU’s campus each year.
Gaines, 59, is closing in on 700 career
victories. Now active in his 36th season
at WSSU, Ganes is the winningest
active collegiate coach. His 1967 team,
featuring guard Earl Monroe, won the
NCAA Division II Championship.
George Foree, one of Gaines’ prote
gees, is head basketball coach at High
Poifrt Andrews High. Foree stated,
“Gaines expects mistakes, but not
over and over again. He expects that
with age and experience come wisdom
-and understanding. Playing for
Gaines, you play by his rules or not at
all.”
The late Everett Case will also be
inducted into the Hall of Fame. Case,
former N.C. State basketball coach, is
considered the father of basketball in
North Carolina. He compiled an 18-
season record of 376 wins, 133 losses
and ten ACC and Southern Conference
titles.
Coach Gaines is the first black coach
to be elected into the Hall of Fame.
Four players will join with Gaines and
Case. They are: Hal Greer, Slater
Martin, Frank Ramsey and Willis
Reed. Big House” will join the 125
individuals and four teams already in
the Hall of Fame.
Coach Gaines’ election by a 16-mem-
ber committee was announced Feb.
20. Twelve votes were required for
induction.
W
giilf
Gaines gives instructions to players during game.
Lady Rams Work
Under New Coach
Sophomore third baseman Margie Jones awails pitch against Pfieffer College,
The Rams lost the game 4-2. by C. "Sport" Page
PLAY BALL!
Softball,CREATED
AS AN INDOOR GAME,
WAS FIRST PLAYED INSIDE
THE FARRA&U6 BOAT
CLUB, CHICAGO,ILL. IN
1887 A BROOMSTICK.
WAS USED AS A BAT
AND A BOXIN© ©LOVE
SERVEDAS ABALL!
QQ
By C. “Sport” Page
In his first year as head coach, Tim
Grant and the women’s softball team
opened the season with an impressive
doubleheader victory over the Aggies
of NC A&T, 2-0 and 6-0 on their home
field.
Grant who is no stranger to the game,
played baseball in high school and hs
coached softball in both the summer
league and junior high school
divisions.
Grant who has coached both male
and female athletes feels that females
are harder to coach.
“The girls are harder to coach
because you have to be a lot more
patient with them,” said Grant.
“Female attitudes and emotions
change from day to day and you have
to be aware of that and what kind of
mood they’re in before practice,”
added Grant.
Willie Yellock assists Grant with this-
year’s squad. Yellock was the head
coach of last year’s team that finished
13-2 in the conference and 15-6 overall.
Togetherness of the team has grown
since pre-season practices.
“At first it was a learning experience
for both the team and myself. They
were trying to find out how I coached
and I was trying to find out which way
1 was going to coach them,” said
Grant.
Grant added, “I knew I had some
good athletes returning from last year’s
team, the challenge was putting them
together with this year’s girls so that
they could play as one unit.”
This year’s team which is currently
5-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference is
starting six first year girls.
“With only four girls returning from
last year’s team that started, we had to
use some freshmen to make up the
starting squad.”
“The play of these giris has really
helped the team,” said Grant.
All teams have strong points and
weak points and the Ramettes are no
exception.
“This year’s team’s strongest asset is
our defense. We have a real good in
field and outfield, but our weakness
might be in our hitting.”
“We have the trouble of hitting con
sistently from day to day,” said Grant.
“One day we will hit real good and the
next game we have trouble getting on
base.”
Grant, as a coach, has set some goals
for himself and his team.
“I’d like to finish the season above
.500. I’d like to develop more
knowledge of the game to each of my
players, to get them to understand that
you have to think in all aspects of the
game,” said Grant.