DATE: Sunday, May 11, 1997                  TAG: 9705090874

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SERIES: Mother's Day Stories 

                                            LENGTH:   33 lines

SHE LOVES YOU: ON MOTHER'S DAY, HERE'S SOME SPECIAL RECOGNITION FOR THE WOMEN BEHIND HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS

Mothers. They're at every high school game - screaming from the stands, flipping burgers in the concession stand, rushing from work to catch at least a piece of the action, or just sitting quietly enjoying the moment.

Even after hustling to get their kids to practices and games, a mother's work is still not done. She must dry the tears after a disappointing performance, or re-tape a sprained ankle, or listen to the heroic tale of a last-minute victory repeated over and over.

But for one day a year, mom takes a break. On Mother's Day, she will be honored for all the hard work - work she loves because it brings her closer to her children.

Today, The Virginian-Pilot's high school sports staff presents eight women who represent the many and varied roles a mother plays in an athlete's career. From a mother who coaches her own daughters to a coach who treats her players as if they are her daughters to a mom who spends nearly four hours in a car every day getting the kids to school and sports. Their stories can be found on pages C10 and C11. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by HUY NGUYEN, The Virginian-Pilot

Shrecee Purham, center coaches her daughters Tiffany, left, and Kyra

for the Salem High track team.

Photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA, The Virginian-Pilot

Patti Williams misses many of her sons' games because she baby-sits

other people's children.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu