During Tuesday's practice, I took time to ask players and coaches from the Erie BayHawks their thoughts about the inauguration of our nation's 44th president, Barack Obama, who is also the nation's first black president.
“It means that there is hope. Just knowing you can do anything you put your mind to.”
BayHawks guard Oliver Lafayette
"It means a lot to the African-American community. I woke up real early this morning to check it out. I called my mom and she was up early doing the same thing. I’m assuming my whole family is probably watching it. This is a special day for us.”
BayHawks center Darian Townes
“I’m thinking like everyone else. The country is about to have a change. With Barack kind of representing both sides of the main nationalities being white and black, he kind of has an understanding of what the country might need and being open to suggestions from all the other nationalities. I think it’s good. For my personal take on it, I just think it’s a great thing. I’m at a loss for words still at what is actually going on. Just to wait for him to actually have a chance to make stuff happen. It’s not going to happen overnight. I hope a lot of people realize that, but I do think a lot of positive stuff is going come out of it in the world.”
BayHawks forward Tejay Anderson
“It means so much not only for me, but for my parents and their parents. People who grew up in the times where you would have never thought there would be a black president. It means a lot not only to me and my family, but the whole country. It’s time for us to come together as one country and try to work our way out of the problems that we’re having. I think President Obama is a good start.”
BayHawks forward Jackie Manuel
“For me, it’s big because it’s good for my grandma and grandpa. Growing up in their time, how people were so separated in race. For them to see us have a black president, I’m happy that my grandfather and my grandmother are still alive to see that. Just for the young generation like my nephews, little cousins and myself and all the kids that are coming up in the next generation, they know they can be anything they want to be if they just put their mind to it. It’s not only big for blacks. It’s big for Hispanics, whites, Asians. It’s big for everybody. It’s going to bring the United States together. You see the support from everybody that’s showing him love from every race and I think it’s just big for the United States.”
BayHawks guard Cliff Clinkscales
"For me, it means change. I never thought I would live to see this day. I’m excited because I have children now and I think a lot of positives are going to come out of it.”
BayHawks forward Erik Daniels
“It’s history. We in our lifetime got a chance to see this. See our country grow and get better. The goodness of people and they’ve elected the right man. I think that first, he’s going to help guide us through this economic turmoil we have and I also think he’s going to bring a presence in the world that fosters peace. I think after his eight years, it will a more peaceful world than it is today.”
BayHawks coach John Treloar
“You know what, I’ve been thinking about it since he ran in the election against John McCain. You think about change, really. You want change and I think a lot of people look at it in regards to color and we’ve got to get away from looking at color. Everybody looks at it as him being the first black president and it’s hard not to look at it that way, but we want change because this country is in an ugly situation. I just like the things that he’s talking about in terms of the lower class and the middle class and trying to help in situations I don’t think we got a lot out of our last president. It’s all about change with me. Hopefully we try not to look at the color thing too much because he could be a black president, but if things don’t get better, what was the change? It’s going to be big. The country is excited about it. I know that.”
BayHawks assistant Ben McDonald
“It’s a big day. It’s been big since Barack got elected to be president. It’s a good thing for everybody. A change is going to come. That’s how I look at it. Things should go back to the way they used to be in a good way.”
BayHawks guard Maureece Rice
“It means a lot to me. This is history. In all these years, we always thought that this couldn’t happen and it has. I hope he makes the best of it. I’m sure he will, but it’s a blessing for us to have a black president.”
BayHawks forward Ivan Harris
“It’s unbelievable. With it happening the day after Martin Luther King Day. I still can’t believe it’s really happened. It feels like a dream come true for most people. Now it’s a reality.”
BayHawks forward Jarvis Gunter
BayHawks forward Mike Cook didn't attend Tuesday's practice.