WEST POINT — The yellow towel was in its customary spot in his left pocket.
A wristband with this season’s signs fit nicely in a familiar place on the left wrist.
The only thing that looked out of place in Sammy Lindsey’s wardrobe Saturday morning was the color.
Instead of the royal blue and gold Lindsey has worn for years as a player and then as a longtime coach for Central Academy, Lindsey sported a green KA visor and a green jersey for his new team, Kemper Academy.
After Central Academy announced in the spring it was closing, Lindsey wasn’t sure if he would be return to coaching. He admitted the decision to close the Mississippi Association of Independent Schools (MAIS) Class A school in Macon was difficult for him because it has played such a big part in his life and the lives of his children.
But Lindsey said the pull to get back on the field was too great when the Kemper Academy coaches asked him if he was interested in helping them.
“It is strange,” Lindsey said after Newton County Academy defeated Kemper Academy 10-0 in the Oak Hill Academy tournament. “All of the players and coaches took me right on it, and I feel at home. It feels different. Any time there is change it is different, but I have gotten to know some of the girls pretty well already. I have enjoyed it.”
Former Central Academy players Sara Gaylord, Gracie Coleman, Anna Morgan King, and Peyton Dawkins have joined Lindsey in moving to Kemper Academy, which was Central Academy’s archrival for many years. Now, though, Lindsey and his former players have joined forces to see if they can help the school be a factor in the Class A State title hunt. Dawkins is out with a torn patellar tendon.
Lindsey said he has been able to attend nearly all of Kemper Academy’s practices. He said renovations at his store in Shuqualak, which he hopes will be completed by the start of the college football season, and family matters have forced him to juggle his schedule, but he said the time on the softball field allows him to take a mental break during the day and do something he loves.
Lindsey said his former players agreed it was “strange” to play for an archrival. He credits the people at Kemper Academy for making the transition as smooth as possible for everyone involved.
“We were enemies and now we are partners,” Lindsey said.
Still, Lindsey admits he can’t help but think what it would be like to be coaching again at Central Academy. As a reminder, Lindsey’s white CA visor never is too far away. On this day, the visor was on the dashboard in his truck in the parking lot. Earlier in the week, when he was seen at Lowe’s in Columbus looking for a dehumidifier, Lindsey was wearing the same visor that you could come to expect him to wearing all of the time at this time of the year.
You still might catch Lindsey wearing the CA visor, but look for him in green on game days this season.
“I can see myself staying there a while, if they want me,” Lindsey said. “It’s OK. It is a longer drive (20-25 minutes). It is not as convenient as it used to be because I had to go to Macon every day, basically, for something anyway, but life is all about adjustments, making changes, and adapting to whatever situation you are in. It is going to turn out good.”
Follow Dispatch sports editor Adam Minichino on Twitter @ctsportseditor
Adam Minichino is the former Sports Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 32 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.