By Rhiannon Potkey, special to UTsports.com
Walking alongside her softball teammates in the annual MLK Memorial Parade resonates on a deeply personal level for CJ McClain.
The Tennessee senior outfielder realizes how much the sacrifices made by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. impact her existence.
“If he wouldn’t have put his life on the line as many times as he did, there is no telling if other movements would have started and there is no guarantee that I would be at the University of Tennessee and playing softball and granted all these blessings I have been granted,” McClain said. “It really means a lot to me to be in this position and I am extremely grateful for what he did.”
As they have done for years, the Lady Vols took part in the memorial parade on Monday morning. Organized by the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Commissions, the parade honors the life and legacy of the slain civil rights activist.
The Lady Vols assembled alongside other groups, organizations and individuals at Chilhowee Park and marched to Harriet Tubman Street, where a memorial tribute service took place at the Overcoming Believers Church.
“It’s just a great way to show the community that we support Martin Luther King Jr. He did great things, not just for black people but for anybody fighting for equal rights,” Tennessee sophomore Chelsea Seggern said. “Our team loves taking part in this and getting involved with other members of the community for such a great event.”
Tennessee co-head coaches Ralph Weekly and Karen Weekly have encouraged their players to take part in celebrating the life of Dr. King since they arrived at UT. At the annual parade, the team marches alongside patrons of the church the Weekly’s attend, St. John’s Lutheran Church.
“Everything that Dr. King fought for and stood for is really important and I think we need to continue to drive that message home to our student-athletes, and I think it’s important that we as a Lady Vols softball program represent that in our community,” Karen Weekly said. “Think about what he did and the time he did it and the courage that it took to do the things he did. We are still fighting for equal justice and equal rights for everybody and it’s the right thing to do.”
The parade participation capped a weekend of bonding for the Lady Vols as they prepare to begin the season on Feb. 8.
The Program, a company that helps teams with leadership development and team building, put the Lady Vols through various activities throughout the holiday weekend.
They did drills and exercises on Sunday night in the frigid temperatures to learn how to lead and command. At 5 a.m. on Monday morning, they met at UT’s indoor pool to complete the training.
“It was awesome. We are a little bit tired right now, but we are going to come out so much stronger from this and prepared for the season,” Seggern said. “We found some weaknesses we had to work on and tried to fix them before the games start. It was a great experience.”
McClain had to overcome vulnerability and self-doubt to survive the water exercises, and emerged with even greater faith in her teammates.
“I am not a pool person and I don’t like swimming. It’s just not my thing. But I knew if I panicked, I would freak out and it would mess up what we were doing as a team,” McClain said. “It took me awhile, but I calmed myself down and I was able to look at other teammates when I was struggling and tell them, ‘Yeah. I do need your help.’ I think that helps us bond as a team to go through moments like that.”
The Lady Vols headed straight from the pool to the MLK parade. Although some could have slipped away to a warm, comfortable bed, all 21 showed up and reaped the benefits of participating.
“It feels good to help in someone else’s life, even something as simple as walking in a parade and handing out candy and seeing a kid’s face light up and a parent’s face light up,” McClain said. “Just interacting with all the people at the parade is special and we are proud to do that.”
-UT Athletics
