A Blazing beginning
City School System saw a need and addressed it
Two years ago, it became evident that Clinton City Schools needed to add an elementary schools athletic program and that’s when Director of Schools, Kelly Johnson enlisted the help of longtime athletic administrator E.T, Stamey.
The school district, with the help of the area businesses and community residents, the Clinton Blaze was born. It all started with boys and girls basketball.
“We started with basketball because it was inexpensive,” said Stamey, a Clinton Elementary school alumnus who now serves on the Clinton City Council. “Kelly Johnson came to me and asked me what I could do.”
Stamey admits that he didn’t quite know what to expect. He knew that there was a demand for elementary school sports. But he couldn’t have expected what happened when the Blaze and Lady Blaze announced tryouts in 2017.
“At our first tryouts, we had 42 boys,” Stamey said. “And I thought, ‘what have I gotten myself into?”
The girls basketball team was also popular as over 30 potential Lady Blaze players showed up seeking a spot on the team, which is comprised of fifth and sixth-grade student-athletes from Clinton Elementary, North Clinton Elementary and South Clinton Elementary.
Once the Clinton Blaze basketball teams came into existence, the community bought in whole-heartedly. The community renovated the Clinton City Community Gymnasium and came aboard as sponsors for the Blaze program.
We have great community support,” Stamey said. “We play in front of standing room only crowds.
The Blaze program now includes cross country, boys and girls basketball, swimming, bowling and a dance team. Stamey said he is looking to add boys and girls soccer in the spring of 2019 and he’ll begin gauging interest in bowling when students return from the winter holiday break.
The Blaze is currently hosting a soccer clinic and interest in that sport has skyrocketed and Stamey said that the Blaze will eventually look to add a track and field program with the help of Clinton High School.
The Blaze has become a staple of pride for the city and community.
“The kids have backpacks and everybody knows about the Clinton Blaze,” Stamey said.
The basketball programs, both in their second seasons, are off to fast starts in 2018-19. Both teams have winning records and both won two games in the Coalfield Tournament, which was contested over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend.
The Blaze (co-ed) swim team had its first-ever meet recently and beat the Clinton Sharks 101-90 on Nov. 13. The Blaze swimmers will return to action on Dec. 6 when they take on Clinton Middle School at the Clinton Community Center Pool at 6:30 p.m.
The cross country program has also made great strides in its first season. Fourth grader Laci Percival will compete in the Elementary and Middle Schools National Championship Meet at Knoxville’s Victor Ashe Park on Saturday, Dec. 1.
Races begin at noon.
Stamey knew that the Clinton City Schools had some capable student-athletes but the success of the athletics program out of the gate has been nothing less than stunning.
“Our swimmers won their first meet out of the gate. We won 101-90 against the Clinton Sharks, a long-established swim club,” Stamey said. “In cross country, we have a fourth grader who is going to run in the National Championship Race.”
The Clinton Blaze has become a labor of love for Stamey, who played sports at Clinton Elementary School.
“It’s great to see kids get the chance to play in the first time in a school setting,” he said. “You win games and you lose games and you have referees. It’s great to see these kids compete.
“This is special to me because I’m at Clinton Elementary alum and I played sports at Clinton Elementary.”
Directing an elementary school program is not without its challenges, especially when it comes to adding new sports.
“I have people say that we need a baseball team or we need a this-team or a that-team,” Stamey said. “But the first thing that I have to consider is who I can play,” he said. “In baseball, we’d probably have to play travel teams.”
And Stamey is not going to put his athletes at a competitive disadvantage.
Stamey knows that athletics is a key factor of the school experience but Clinton Blaze athletes must be in high academic standing and exhibit good citizenship.
The Blaze also has a reading club that open to all students in the school district. It also has a science club, which is open to first graders.