Shades of the Seventies

I found myself reflecting on the mid-late 1970s quite often throughout the weekend of Fall Fair and Homecoming Day, especially in the late afternoon during the Alumni Awards Ceremony and during the evening at the 50th reunion dinner for the Class of 1975. Watching Gil Childers ’73 offer his well-crafted introduction of legendary coach John Chandler, inducted posthumously into the W+H Athletic Hall of Fame at the event, brought back recollections that Mr. C was the coach who taught me how to play tennis that summer at the Wardlaw Country Day School sports camp. I attended that camp as a 10-year-old who loved to play sports – baseball, soccer, basketball, football, tennis, really anything – and the camp offered all of them in addition to an indoor pool for swimming. It was the best camp ever!

Growing up a few hundred yards from campus just up the road on Old Hickory Lane off Inman Avenue, I often walked to the school to watch athletic events, even before enrolling at W+H as a seventh grader in 1977. I didn’t necessarily know all of the names and faces, but I definitely saw some of those mid-late 70s athletic legends compete for the Rams. Some of those standouts were players on the 1975 State Prep champion boys’ soccer team, including a few who laced up the cleats and played in this year’s alumni soccer game 50 years after they were high school standouts. Those Rams were the first team in school history inducted into our Athletic Hall of Fame back in 2009. Other alumni athletes on campus for the festivities were members of the 1975 football and cross country teams that won State Prep titles and were inducted into our Athletic Hall of Fame this year. 

The late John Skolka ’78 was certainly with us in spirit, having been inducted for a record fourth time. I remember John as the standout quarterback on the football team when I first enrolled at W+H. He was inducted as an individual in 2003 and then as a member of the 1977 football team, 1978 baseball team and 1975 football team in future years. John passed away a year ago and his family has established a memorial scholarship in his name. His wife, Kim, and children, Christopher and Courtney, attended the ceremony and presented the inaugural scholarship awards. Kim also joined the members of the 1975 football team and the larger group of all AHOF athletes and coaches to receive a commemorative medal in John’s honor.

The athletes who graced the stage wearing their medals represent many decades of more than just athletic excellence. Having edited and published many of their program bios for the past 16 years, I can tell you with full certainty that these are outstanding all-around people who were leaders in their school days and have gone on to make a difference in the world. Little did I know as a 10-year-old sports nut that I would enjoy the pleasure of meeting so many amazing people for the next half-century.