CityView Magazine

Publisher’s Note Elementary memories O 12|Special Issue • 2009 ver the course of a lifetime, a sports buff like myself will only have a few opportunities to see exceptional athletes. I have seen one of those athletes up close and personal. The first time I met Chris Cammack was in the third grade. His family had just moved to Fayetteville from Rock Hill, S.C., because his dad had become the new pastor at Snyder Memorial Baptist Church. I remember it well because when it came time to play softball the next spring, he made quite an impact on us all. We played in the field at Belvedere Elementary School (now Margaret Willis). Only a few kids could hit it over the school fence, but the first time Chris played with us, he hit it out of the park. We were in awe. I knew right then that this kid was special, and I was not disappointed. He could play any sport that had a ball in it, but his forte was baseball (as you can read in Thad Mumau’s story on Page 56). But he was a great basketball player, too, and would have played any position on the football team but decided to play only two sports. We both transferred to Westlawn Elementary (now Alma Easom) where we got in all kinds of mischief. One day we were locked in a closet by our teacher – which later got her in more trouble than us – but we didn’t care because it meant we didn’t have to do schoolwork that day. We went on to Horace Sisk Junior High, where Chris was the starting point guard on the basketball team, and I sat on the bench. By the time we arrived at Fayetteville Senior High (now Terry Sanford), he really began to excel in baseball but also starred on the basketball team. Chris led us to our second straight North Carolina state basketball championship that year, scoring 21 points in the final game. One day during our junior year, Chris came out to the golf course, where I was playing with the school team. Even though he had never played before, he hit the ball with ease. I went on to play golf for Elon College (now University). Chris played baseball at North Carolina State University, where he was a much better baseball player than I was a golfer. After college he moved to Charlotte but finally came home about 25 years ago. His son Todd and my deceased son Bob became good buddies growing up. Our lives have gone full circle. But I am still in awe of that first softball he hit over the fence at Belvedere Elementary 50 years ago this spring. Marshall Waren, Publisher

• Cover