Homecoming is the highlight of fall semesters at colleges throughout the country so we were excited when Saturday, October 22nd rolled around in Due West. At a morning brunch ceremony four remarkable people were inducted into the Erskine Flying Fleet Hall of Fame as part of the Homecoming festivities. Their accomplishments to Erskine Athletics deemed them worthy of being inducted into the hall of fame but it was their acceptance speeches in front of their friends and families which made the event so special.Dr. Richard Taylor '69 has been a lifelong devotee to the Flying Fleet. Dr. Taylor's entire family are Erskine graduates. His loyalty as a fan, team physician, adjunct faculty for athletic training, and faithful financial supporter made his induction into the hall a no-brainer. Dr. Taylor's acceptance speech was filled with emotions of gratitude which is ironic since it has been his service to the college that stands out the most. Dr. Taylor is living proof that by being a servant you in turn can receive incredible internal personal reward.
Mickie Phillips Ellis '89 played softball and volleyball while at Erskine as an E.B. Kennedy scholar and Jake Todd award winner. Mickie has gone onto a life of service at nearby Dixie High School as a teacher and coach. Much like Dr. Taylor, her influence and impact has been tremendous after her college days at Erskine. Mickie has proven to be an oustanding developer of young women's character. Her speech displayed her passion for what she does and how she has used sport as her ministry to influence the lives of young people.
Eric Moody finished Erskine in 1993 as the one of the school's all-time finest pitchers. His career blossomed after leaving Erskine as he ended up in Arlington, Texas pitching in the major leagues for the Rangers. Eric is an incredibly humble man who expressed his gratutude to God for his accomplishments and the sacrifices made by his family, especially his wife. Eric thanked his dad for what he didn't teach him, which was the mindset of failure. His most touching moment came as Eric thanked his young boys for playing the game of baseball the right way,"If I played like you two, being a great teammate and sportsman, then I played it the right way."
Billy Lesesne graduated from Erskine in 1987 after a stellar soccer career that saw him named to the NAIA All-American team. Billy had grown up in Due West as his legendary dad had served the college as dean of students and director of athletics for many years. Billy returned to coach both Erskine soccer teams in the mid-90s, leading the Erskine women to the conference title in 1997. Billy is currently the associate head women's coach at Duke where the Blue Devils are ranked #3 nationally. Billy received an extra surprise from his former coach and current head coach at the College Charleston, Ralph Lundy, who showed up to present Billy his citation despite having a game that night in Charleston. Billy's speech included what an incredible impact Erskine had on his life and how soccer had begun to flourish in Due West while he was a boy thanks primarily to Coach Lundy.
It was an awesome ceremony because four incredible people shared their Erskine experiences and all four had one major theme. Erskine athletics had truly impacted their lives. Yes, they all had enjoyed incredible accomplishments but for each none of that was the real story. The story was what had been done for them. It is truly remarkable to be inducted into a Hall of Fame but what is more remarkable is to see people so deserving be so humble and gracious. The emotions of all four were touching. I walked away from the brunch wishing every student-athlete at Erskine today would be impacted in their experiences the way Dr. Richard Taylor, Mickie Ellis, Eric Moody, and Billy Lesesne had been in theirs. For it no longer is so much about what they accomplished but about what they took away from their experiences and relationships as a member of the Flying Fleet. It is memorable experiences that will bring about emotions for an entire lifetime and make them members of the remarkable Flying Fleet Forever.
