By Malcolm Butler
This past weekend on a Louisiana Tech softball road trip to Las Cruces, New Mexico, I ran into the father of one of our former players.
Rick Barnes.
Super nice man.
His daughter Emma was a four-year starter in centerfield for the Tech program from 2006 through 2009 and a key cog on the 2008 Western Athletic Conference Tournament champions — a team that won four games in four days against four Top 25 teams in Honolulu.
That run is still one of the most magical moments of my 25-year Louisiana Tech Athletics career.
Rick lives in Las Cruces. I actually saw him about 10 days ago when he and his wife Michele returned with Emma to Ruston for Alumni Weekend. It was the first time I had seen Emma in a decade and the first time I had seen her parents since she graduated in 2009.
I used to see Rick and Michele a few times a year, especially when we made road trips west to face the likes of Fresno State, Nevada, and San Jose State during our time in the WAC. They were always very cordial.
Prior to this past Saturday’s game in Las Cruces, Rick got my attention from the bleachers and I walked over to talk to him. After saying hello and shaking hands, the next words out of his mouth were, “I want to thank you for everything you did for Emma during her four years at Louisiana Tech.”
It honestly caught me off-guard a little bit. I almost didn’t know what to say as funny as that sounds.
After awkwardly thanking him and telling him how much I respected and admired his daughter, we finished the conversation and I turned and slowly walked back to the dugout, with a smile on my face.
His words stuck with me the rest of the day and the rest of the trip.
I’ve been associated with Tech Softball for almost the entirety of my two-plus decades at my alma mater. And I’ve seen hundreds of student-athletes roll through the program.
And whether my role was as the sports info director or the radio-TV voice or the sports oversight or a combination of all of the aforementioned, my goal has always been to be supportive of the players and the coaches.
It’s been my passion, one of many during my time associated with Tech Athletics.
So, Rick’s words meant a lot to me.
They struck a cord.
I’ve been fortunate to develop a lot of long-lasting relationships with student-athletes that have worn the red and blue over the decades, in a lot of different sports. It’s been a great experience for me and has had a tremendous impact on my life.
It’s not the first time I’ve been told thank you by a parent or even a student athlete — present or past.
Yet it was still nice to hear 15 years later that I had a small impact on Emma’s life, at least through a father’s eyes.
So, Rick … thank you.
