When the Mississippi High School Activities Association cancelled the remainder of spring sports, many parents and coaches searched for ways to honor the senior players that had their seasons ended.
That was no different for a pair of Union parents, who found a way to honor their senior players.
That’s when Pam Winstead and Tracy Jackson collaborated to honor their senior players. Winstead is the mother of Kayleigh Vance while Jackson is the mother of J.T. Vance.
“Last week, Tracy and I were talking and trying to figure out something to do with those senior banners,” Winstead said. “She suggested that we try to get them hung from the street lights in Union. We didn’t think that would work. Then she suggested that we hang them from the wall at the Piggly Wiggly. So we went in and asked and they were more than happy. We finally got them up this Tuesday.”
Winstead said she just wanted to do something for her senior player.
“It’s not a whole lot but it’s something,” Winstead said. “Nobody could see them at the field and the girls never even got the chance to play a home game. We just wanted honor them in some way.”
Winstead, who was formerly the girls basketball coach at Union, said Vance and the other Union softball players were holding out hope until the last minute.
“They were staying in shape and hitting and doing what they could to stay in shape,” Winstead said. “Part of me knew they weren’t going to do anything but them not making a final decision, you held out some hope. I think they have all been doing something.”
Winstead said everybody was hopeful of returning from spring break and beginning division play.
“We had won those last two games we played in spring break,” Winstead said. “Everybody was excited then there was nothing. Kayleigh has said a hundred times that if she had known those were going to be the last games. It’s a tough thing, that’s for sure.”
There are three seniors on the Union softball team in Vance, DaShayla Jackson and Dallas Brown. There are four senior softball players at Union in Vance, Koby Casey, Brandon Felton and Trevor Patchin.
