Page 63 - Coffee County

n 1992, I began playing softball. I started playing in the local leagues in Douglas, and soon moved to playing weekend tournaments. I was 19 years old at the time, and playing against men older than I was. Many of them I recognized, others I did not. My weekend teammates took it upon themselves to tell me who the players of note were, just so I would know a little about our competition.

At that time, one of the stronger teams in our area was Ambrose Video. We had a little circuit we played in those days – Douglas, Willacoochee, and Ambrose, with occasional stops in Waycross, Baxley, and Fitzgerald. If you played on that circuit, you were going to have to face Ambrose Video. And more often than not, you were going to lose. Some of my teammates told me a little about the different players on Ambrose Video – who were the best defensive players, who could hit, who could do both. One man in particular made an immediate impression on me. As the people were telling me who was who, one pointed to a man who always seemed to be smiling and cutting up. “That’s Dudley Vickers,” he said. “He’s a good ball player and he’s nice as can be. One thing, though – he’s deaf. However,

do not let that fool you. He might not be able to hear, but that doesn’t affect the way he plays.”

I got to know Dudley in the weeks and months that ensued. My teammates were right – he was a very nice and affable man. But he was also a ferce competitor, one who demanded the best out of himself and his fellow players. I always wondered how he played as well as he did. In any kind of sport, hearing is important. Football players depend on hearing the quarterback’s count. Basketball coaches are always shouting instructions to their players. In baseball or softball, the sound of the ball off the bat gives the defense instant feedback on how to play the ball. They have to hear their base coaches tell them what to do. They even depend on hearing the umpire’s calls on borderline pitches. Not being able to hear had to put Dudley at a disadvantage, but you would never know it. He played right through what would be a disability to many. I found out later that perseverance and hard work were hallmarks of Dudley Vickers’s life. The same qualities that made him a good ball player also made him an excellent human being.

Twins were a common occurrence on

Born without the ability to hear, Dudley Vickers never let it slow him down. He continues to live a full life as an example

to others not to let obstacles get in your way.