Photos: Hayley ballgirl at UNC women vs NC Central
Posted by Michelle on Nov 14, 2008 in Hayley, Michelle, More Family
Hayley was a ball girl for the UNC women’s basketball team for their first game of the season against NC Central last week. They are over in the Smith Center for the year since Carmichael is being re-done, so it was a new big venue for her third year of being in the regular rotation at ballgirl. My mom came with us so it was extra fun.
As always Hayley was great. The staff on the floor asked her for more help than any of the other kids, all of which who were older. She cleaned up messed, asked refs if they needed water or towels, ran errands for the staff on the floor.
Right after halftime she ran over to hug one of the assistant coaches, Coach Tracy Williams Johnston who is a friend of ours, as they were leaving and I happened to catch it with the camera. There is something so nice about seeing someone genuinely happy to see your child and hug them.
That leads into the hysterical post-game story. Hayley has new basketball shoes my mom got her and she gets them signed each year by various combinations players from the men’s and women’s teams at UNC. So after the game, she sees Coach Hatchell still on the court talking to people and wants to get her to sign the shoes. She takes off with my approval and I see her over there, now with Coach Tracy our friend. And then they are gone into the tunnel area that connects the Smith Center court to the rest of the building.
I’m not too worried. She’s around people who know her and knows her way around the court. So my mom and I pack up our stuff and wander over to get her so we can leave. However, she’s not in the tunnel and I have a feeling now she’s gone back to the locker room with Tracy, which normally I just talk my way into but these are Smith Center security guards – not the easier going Carmichael guards. They acknowledge that Hayley is back with Tracy in the locker room but won’t let me back and won’t go get her.
I ask them if I could have Cat Greene go back and get her. Security says who – I tell them she was the head manager for the women’s team forever and is now helping on the floor. But the guy looks at me like he’s clueless. Again, you drop Cat’s name at Carmichael and the sea parts.
So we are just stuck waiting until a guard finally takes pity and hollers back to another coach out in the hallway. Tracy comes out with Hayley, laughingly telling us she kidnapped Hayley and might not give her back.
Of course all this time, Hayley has been wandering shoes in hand around the UNC women’s locker room having them sign her shoes. I’m not mad and I wasn’t really worried, it was just hysterical to me that my kid can get places that I no longer can and that she goes back into their locker room as if it was just the local gym, not a basketball powerhouse program.
We are leaving as Rashanda McCants gives her five and thanks her for helping. Hayley smiles probably not grasping she is an All-American, a future WNBA player with a NBA player for a brother. And in a way, I’m glad that she likes these girls and this program for who and what they really are. I love the influence these girls have on her.
See more photos from this set:
Regular view (easiest to find one in particular or print)
Slideshow view (easiest to see them all)
Hey, I just found your blog through one of your Facebook posts and have now subscribed!
My mom attends all the UNC women games and I will tell her to look for your daughter and say hello. She is really enjoying being in the Smith Center this year, although it is rather big for the women’s crowds.
Your daughter is living the dream! I would have loved to have been a ballgirl when I was younger.
Oh cool! Hayley does about 4-5 home games a year. She has for about three years and it is such a fun experience. I don’t think we are scheduled again until late Jan but we are always on their list to call and help out when they are in a jam.
It’s so funny, I would have loved too be one too but all it took was a call over there! They were happy to have her and have even taken to asking us back. They even let them go to the season ending banquet for free. A few years ago, we were at the table with Ivory Latta and her parents – Hayley was writing Ivory notes and passing them too her. It was hysterical. Ivory had just flown back in from getting the National Player of the Year award, been picked up at the airport and rushed to the banquet – and my kid is passing her notes like she’s just her pal. I love that program, not just for winning but for being really wonderful people.
Tell your mom that I agree on the Smith Center but I did find out they’ve expanded their deal for youth teams from one game to six to help fill it up – that is where teams can get in for $1 tickets for the players and adults. Duke, State, UConn… those are on the team game listing so they intend to fill that place up as much as they can!