18 Nov 2013 A league of their own
by Levi Gilbert
The family that plays together, stays together, and that’s certainly been true for the Darren and Lori Dather and their seven kids.
The Conway family — which could field its own softball team — can frequently be found at a football field. And a basketball court. And baseball/softball field. And a volleyball court. All across the 501 and the state.
“Budgeting time, fuel, food costs and other team and uniform-related costs is a ‘full-time job’ for us,” said Darren, the Dather patriarch. “Many times Lori and I have to split up and head in different directions because we frequently have two or three games per night on Tuesdays and Thursdays, not to mention Mondays, Fridays and some weekend tournaments and Saturdays now that Andrew is playing college football.
“However, all the road trips have been priceless to us in that they provide much-needed one-on-one time with each of the kids. We talk about all aspects of life on the road.”
There’s a lot of trips and talking to be had. Here’s the breakdown of the continuing Dather athletic legacy:
- Darren (dad) – football, wrestling, track and fast-pitch softball (summers) in high school; football, intramural volleyball, flag football and softball in college.
- Lori (mom) – basketball, volleyball, track, fast-pitch softball, tennis in high school; basketball and intramural sports in college; long distance running. “I started running in 2007 after I severed my Achilles in a softball game and had surgery to ‘weave it back together.’ Because I could no longer participate in ‘explosive sports,’ I started running. I will be running my tenth marathon in November. This is something I share with Alexi, my oldest daughter.”
- Alexi (junior at the University of Central Arkansas) – all-conference and state champion in basketball, all-conference in softball, all-conference in volleyball and homecoming queen at Conway Christian (CCS). “My favorite memory is definitely when we won the 2010 2A basketball state championship and did the Cupid Shuffle in the locker room before and after the game. I will never forget that day and the coaches and teammates I shared it with.”
- Andrew (freshman wide receiver on scholarship at Harding University) – all-state, MVP in baseball; all-state in basketball; all-state in track, including state champ in long jump and triple jump; recorded 2,700 career yards and 51 touchdowns as a wide receiver at CCS. “My favorite memory from football was my senior year during the first round of the playoffs and I scored the touchdown on fourth down to seal the game against McCrory.”
- Caleb (senior at CCS) – all-conference in basketball and all-state in football. “My favorite sport is football because it is the sport that has had the biggest impact on my life. When I started playing, it was just a sport to me. Now, I’m passionate about it. It has taught me many things and has helped me become the person I am today.”
- Lyndi (sophomore at CCS) – all-state tournament team and all-state in volleyball; basketball and softball. “I love the relationship I have with my team, and volleyball has definitely drawn me closer to those girls. Being with my team has also drawn me closer to the Lord. My favorite thing about our team is that we pray before every single game and build each other up.”
- Katie (freshman at CCS) – all-district tournament team in volleyball; basketball and softball. “I love volleyball and my team. It’s a team effort, and it teaches us how to work together.”
- Jesse (seventh grade at CCS) – football; and will play basketball and baseball. “[I love] football because you can hit people really hard and not get in trouble.”
- Emily (fifth grade at Carl Stuart Middle School) – volleyball. “I am excited about getting to try out for Conway Juniors volleyball this year!”
Needless to say, the Dathers stay pretty busy.
“While we have told all of our kids from day one that they will never play on any expensive and time-consuming travel teams, our sheer numbers have meant a steady orchestration of travel all over Central, and even the far corners of Arkansas,” Darren said. “When Lori stayed at home for 10 years homeschooling the kids, we had a lot of personal time with the kids. But since she has been working full time for the last six years, personal time is a lot scarcer.
“So we actually look forward to each road trip; we treasure the road-trip chats, the festive atmosphere of meeting up with other team families to watch games and sometimes the post-game food and fellowship.”
For many of the Dathers, the talent and accolades have come naturally, but the focus has never been on the awards.
“While we know that sports, in and of itself, holds little or no eternal value, we know that the sports arena can provide an extremely valuable learning venue for kids and young adults,” Darren said. “Our kids are taught that during a competition, you are on display. You cannot hide anything or fool anyone when you’re on the field or court. Everyone gets a taste of your character by watching you compete.
“We also believe that God gives athletic gifts to some people for a reason — maybe that is their mission field or maybe the pathway to their career. Any good gift should be put to use to the greatest extent possible. But if you are not giving it your best, you can expect an earful when we get back to the car. Sometimes that convicts us, as adults, to look at ourselves and ask if we are giving our best effort in our daily l
ives.”
