Always an Eagle: Coach Travis Day
- Coach David Heeb
- Jan 6, 2017
- 4 min read
Good morning to my JWT team. I hope you enjoyed the story yesterday about Larry Mosley. If you didn't get to read that one, check it out.
Today's story is about a guy I've known for several years, Coach Travis Day of New Madrid County Central (MO) High School. I gave this article the title "Always an Eagle" because Travis not only is the current head coach at NMCC (The Eagles), but he also is a graduate of NMCC, where he was also an outstanding player.
When I was in elementary school, I rarely missed a Scott County Central home basketball game. In 1988, when I was only 8 years old, I went to watch our team, which was undefeated at the time, play against NMCC, who also had an excellent team. They were led by Aric Thatch and Travis Day, and let me tell you, they were REALLY GOOD!
It was a great game, but I couldn't tell you the score or give you a play-by-play. I remember we won, and I remember the gym was so packed that they had a bunch of us kids sit up on the stage, which also happened to be behind NMCC's bench. We gave their players a hard time. Somebody also might have thrown an empty paper drinking cup at one of their players, but it wasn't me LOL.
Our team finished that season 34-0 and won the 1A state championship. NMCC went on to win the 3A state championship (4A being the largest classification) that year, beating Kansas City Paseo in the state finals. KC Paseo was led by Anthony Peeler, a high school All American who would later go on to be a star at the University of Missouri and with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Years later, I would run into Travis when he was out recruiting as an assistant coach at Central Methodist University. Later he came home to be the head coach at NMCC, and we coached against each other several times. Travis's teams always play hard and physical. They're always disciplined and well prepared.
(**Quick note: most of these interviews are done via text/email/messenger. This one was done by phone, and I was driving, so these are not exact quotes. I hope I do Travis some justice here LOL).
I asked him who were the big influences in his life, and he said that he always looked up to the successful coaches in our area like Ronnie Cookson (SCC - 13 state championships) and Lennies McFerren (9 state championships, plus he was the National Coach of the Year one year). He said he always admired how they kept the game so simple for their players and focused more on getting their players to just play hard all the time.
He called special attention to McFerren, or "Coach Mac" as we all call him. Coach Mac is the first African American boys basketball coach ever hired in Southeast Missouri, and he is believed to be the first African American head boys basketball coach hired between St. Louis, MO and Memphis, TN. He had incredible success at Charleston High School (7 state championships) before going back "home" to coach at NMCC (2 state championships). I say "home" because NMCC is a consolidated district, and Coach Mac was a star at Howardville High School in the 60's, with Howardville eventually becoming a part of NMCC.
Later Coach Mac would again make history by being the first African American head principal in Southeast Missouri. Coach Mac, ironically, was hired to be the principal at Scott County Central where he was my boss! Travis said seeing somebody from his school and community have so much success as a fellow African American gave him a lot of hope.
However, basketball isn't where he draws his greatest hope from.
He said as much as he respects the coaches that he looks up to, his real inspiration comes from his wife, Renee Williams-Day. He told me that she was diagnosed with cancer in 2000 and only given a couple of years to live. Today, 17 years later, she's still fighting.
The night we talked on the phone, Travis's NMCC Eagles had just lost a heartbreaking game the night before to Kennett High School. The coach at Kennett? None other than Coach Lennies McFerren. Losing such a close game to his hero was obviously disappointing. Travis said he was upset after the game, but then said, "How can I walk in the house with a said look on my face, when here she (Renee) is fighting everyday?"
There are more important things in life than the score of a basketball game. Travis understands that better than most of us. I have always looked up to Travis and admired him because he is so positive. He is always putting something positive, usually a Bible verse, on Facebook. I just thought sharing his story might inspire somebody else.
I hope you enjoyed the story. If you get a chance, be sure and tell Travis that he's a great guy! If you don't get that chance, be sure to tell somebody else important to you how great they are.
Try to help somebody today! #JWT
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