Blacksburg High, Tech benefit from local sports club

Tech coach Frank Beamer (left) poses for a picture with club President Coleman Brittle. Photo by Sandy Birch.

In 1963, the Blacksburg Sports Club’s handful of members began meeting in the Bowman Room at Cassell Coliseum to support Virginia Tech and Blacksburg High School athletics.

Special Events chairwoman Nancy Brittle said attendance at many athletic events in Blacksburg was minimal and school spirit seemed to be waning. The club wanted to change that.

Today, some of those charter members, now in their 90s, still meet each Wednesday with the club to continue that mission, Brittle said.

From a handful of members in the 1960s to now more than 400 members, Brittle said the nonprofit club still supports local athletics through financial gifts. For the past three years, the club has provided $13,000 annually to each athletic program, Brittle said, which exceeds the club’s five-year pledge of $10,000 each.

Although it’s a big part of what they do, the club isn’t all about financial support, Brittle added.

“The sports enthusiasts in the Blacksburg community are numerous and are very well-versed on all the sports,” Brittle said. “They enjoy meeting all of the coaches and often some of the players.”

During the school year, the club hosts weekly lunch meetings where members can hear guest speakers from coaches at Tech and BHS. Oftentimes, Brittle added, coaches will bring along some of their student-athletes so members can talk to them about their sport or future plans.

“The purpose of the organization is to provide a social and educational setting around a sports theme and to support the athletic programs” at BHS and Tech, Brittle said.

Brittle said the club had guest speaker, and the voice of the Hokies, Bill Roth open up the fall season, followed by Tech’s head football coach Frank Beamer during the second meeting. Coaches will speak for about 20 minutes and answer questions from the members in attendance.

In addition to their weekly meetings, members of the club also enjoy tours of the athletic facilities, bus trips to games and weekly “Pick the Winner” awards for the members who guessed the most winning teams from the previous week of play, Brittle said.

Brittle said some members of the club live out-of-town and are unable to attend the club’s events. But those members joined because they can be included in listserve mailings where they can easily find tickets to sporting events at face value, she added.

“It is an unwritten rule that our members help each other out finding tickets to football and basketball games and charge only face value of the tickets,” Brittle said.

Brittle said club membership is open to anyone interested and that dues are $20 a year for a single person and $30 a year per couple.

An application form along with information on the club, such as the club’s weekly guest speaker, upcoming events, officers, sponsors and special events can be found on the club’s website.

The club will be hosting its annual golf tournament Monday at the Blacksburg Country Club to help raise funds for their annual gifts to Tech and BHS.

Brittle said the captain’s choice tournament is open to the public, and registrations will be accepted through Sunday night. In addition to the round of golf, the tournament will also include  prizes, raffles and lunch, Brittle added.

Registration is $90 per player, or $350 per team. Hole sponsorships are also available at $100 per hole and cart sponsorships at $200 per cart.

For more information, contact Brittle at 552-1666. To obtain a signup sheet for the tournament, visit www.blacksburgsportsclub.net.

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