An online campaign created to show support in the naming of the North Lamar ISD softball field after Coach Alden George has racked up hundreds of likes and comments within 24-hours.
“Our family believes that it shouldn’t even be a question because the man built not only the softball field (and baseball field) on campus but took over the young program by laying the foundations for a great program beginning in 1992 when softball became a UIL sanctioned sport,” said George’s daughter Heather Moore.
Now retired after over four-decades with North Lamar ISD, many remember Alden George for his instrumental involvement in not only the creation of the softball program at North Lamar but also the construction of the field played on to this day.
“He started the softball program at NL so it’s only fitting,” posted Bart Jetton on the Facebook page.
“Coach George started softball at NL in a field with his own 2 hands! He has always gone above & beyond to help all students at NL. He is an awesome coach & teacher,” posted Kim Brazeal.
Moore said before the field was built in 1993, the team practiced and played at Culbertson Park.
“He was very much the reason the softball field was even built,” she said. “He cleared the land, laid the field out, got donations for fencing, scoreboard and other things.”
While the family has tried several times to reach out to the school board to discuss the topic, they recently received this response.
“They recently contacted us to tell us the street between the football stadium and baseball field would be named after him but we feel it’s only fitting to name the field in his honor after all that he has done.”
Moore said the softball field is not currently named but believes every other field and building on the campus is named in honor of someone of great significance to NLISD.
“Our family was told that the school board didn’t currently have a naming policy in place but they were trying to adopt one.”
The family plans on meeting with the school board again but in the meantime will continue their campaign on Facebook and encourages those who remember Coach George to post their support on the Facebook page titled, “Name the North Lamar HS Softball Field in Honor of Coach Alden George”
“Dad coached at NLISD for 29 years and after retiring from teaching/coaching in 2001, he continued to work for NLISD in various capacities (field maintenance, transportation, bookkeeper, announcer for games, bus rider, etc) until 2015 for a total of 44-years,” said Moore. “He deserves this.”
Photo credit: Joe Watson
