[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 49 (Wednesday, April 23, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E718]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  HARD WORK AND DETERMINATION PAY OFF

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. JOHN J. DUNCAN, JR.

                              of tennessee

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 23, 1997

  Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, everybody in Tennessee is proud of our 
national champions, the Lady Vols basketball team. But, I am also proud 
of another basketball team in my district, the McMinn Central 
Chargerettes. The Chargerettes were the runner-up in the State girls 
basketball tournament. These young ladies are to be commended for their 
performance, hard work, and enthusiasm. The following is an article 
that appeared in the Daily Post-Athenian which I would like to share 
with my fellow colleagues and other readers of the Record.

             [From the Daily Post-Athenian, Mar. 12, 1997]

                   Chargerettes Won Through Hard Work

       High fives and hearty congratulations are in order for the 
     McMinn Central Chargerettes for their valiant effort in the 
     state girls basketball tournament.
       It had been 25 years since the Central girls team had made 
     it into the playoffs and the 1997 Chargerettes made the most 
     of their history-making performance, coming in as the runner-
     up in one of the toughest divisions in girls basketball play 
     in Tennessee.
       Coach Johnny Morgan's team started out the year with the 
     goal of simply playing one game at a time and striving to 
     improve with every contest. That simple philosophy worked as 
     the Chargerettes seemed to just get better each week as they 
     worked on the fundamentals of the game and never let ambition 
     cloud their vision.
       One by one their opponents learned the Chargerettes were a 
     team to be wary of because they were able to make the most of 
     each player's abilities. It was a team approach to the game 
     that got them where they wanted to be. It was the players' 
     unselfish attitude that made the Chargerettes a formidable 
     team other schools couldn't contend with when the chips were 
     on the line.
       They worked hard, winning didn't just happen for the 
     Chargerettes. The glory came at the end of the games when 
     they were ahead on the scoreboard but it all began with the 
     long hours of practice filled with hours of learning the game 
     and their own strengths and weaknesses. They worked to make 
     the most of their strengths and to overcome their weaknesses 
     and that's what made them winners.
       The Chargerettes deserve the praise and accolades heaped 
     upon them when they returned home from the hard-fought 
     battles in state tournament. They earned the right to be 
     proud of their accomplishments.
       But the praise that meant the most came from Coach Morgan, 
     who knows more than anyone else how much these young women 
     worked over the course of the season.
       ``I do know this is probably the best overall team I've had 
     in my 19 years as a head coach,'' he said. ``Especially in 
     taking each game one at a time and I know how hard they work 
     to make themselves better--how much they want to be 
     successful.''
       The goods news for the Chargerettes is bad news for the 
     teams they'll face next year as the team will return 
     basically intact when the season opens. We know they'll 
     continue to work hard to maintain the winning tradition 
     they've established.
       Our congratulations echo those of the community. We're 
     proud of your devotion to excellence and sportsmanship.

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