Contributor – Baseball
Mrs. Juanita Drake, 93, is a native of Lexington, Kentucky. She was born (in the home) and raised in the East End Neighborhood. She is the youngest and last living of a family of twelve children. Blessed to be the matriarch of presently four generations, Mrs. Drake is a former school crossing guard and retired employee of the Lexington Housing Authority.
From coaching baseball with Parks and Recreation Division of Organized Sports in the late 70s to early 80s to raising funds to support clubs, Mrs. Drake has always been a champion of the local sports arena and her neighborhood.
Having a strong belief that sports teaches essential life lessons and acts as an extension of the classroom, Mrs. Drake positioned herself to serve in any way she could. With the understanding that many of the parents of the children were working or unable to get them to the park, Mrs. Drake would walk to their homes to safely escort them to practice and games. She has often stated that in spending time with other people’s children, through sports, she was able to teach important communication/social skills, commitment, discipline, mental fortitude, teamwork, and the ability to face fear or failure and goal setting. These are the values she wanted her children and those whom she had the opportunity to impact, to possess. She felt these qualities were necessary to assist them in becoming successful athletes and adults. Mrs. Drake volunteered her gift just for the love of the children and of the game, never receiving nor expecting any pay.
Mrs. Drake remains an avid sports fanatic, known in many parks, gyms, and ball fields around town as “Granny.” She has become an honorary umpire, referee, and cheerleader. As a career #1 fan, she is still in the parks today rooting on the youth!
Nowadays, Mrs. Drake can often be found resting in a recliner while requesting a loved one to “Turn a game on!”, cheering on her great-grandchildren in their sporting ambitions, and yelling for her favorite teams on the television. However, her family could attest that if she had her way and was physically able, she would be out of that recliner taking kids to the park for a sporting event!
