Traditions

I remember when I was young and my dad would load us all in the car to go watch the races.  We had us a routine we would go through.  Back then, the races we went to see were usually down in Valdosta at I-75 Speedway or Thunderbowl Speedway.  The closest of those two was 35 miles away.  It was usually late on a Saturday afternoon before we had eaten supper and that usually meant that, before we left Tifton, we would go by what was to me one of the best eating places in the world, Kendrick's Recreation Center.  Laverne Kendrick was the owner and he had a little something to do with racing himself.  I will chase that rabbit on another day.  For now, let me focus on the food and how it was obtained.

 Sam McQuagg & Laverne Kendrick

Mr. Kendrick didn't like for folks to call his place a pool hall and for those aficionados of such establishments, I guess it was so much more than just a "pool hall".  The fact of the matter was that it wasn't the type of place you took young kids and your wife.  After all, cue sports were taking place inside and that usually meant that a fair amount of drinking and wagering may have been taking place too.  Therefore, the rest of my family would wait in the car as my dad would go inside and order our food.  We knew what was coming so that wait wasn't really too bad, at least for us kids.  There is no telling how rough that was on my mom though.  Over the years as us kids grew older, dad began to allow us boys to go in with him and sit at the bar as the food was cooked.  It was sort of like a rite of passage.

 Kendrick's Recreation Center

(Photo Credit: Jerry Ivey)

The hamburgers there were unbelievable so that is what I usually requested.  They had great hamburger steaks, fries, and onion gravy too.  Another item on the menu was something called "Irish Stew".  That was a heavenly concoction that Mr. Kendricks wife, June, would cook up at home each day and then have it delivered to the "recreation center".  When it ran out, there wasn't any more until a fresh batch was brought in the next day.  Often times, it was gone when we got there.  That stuff was some kind of good! Anything that came out of Kendricks was definitely fit to eat and we would commence to wolfing it down as soon as it was presented to us as we traveled on our way to Valdosta.  

This trip to Kendricks Recreation Center was a tradition that my whole family loved and participated in.  It was a part of something that our family did together.  The fact that it still remains in my thoughts these many years later lets me know  how much it meant to me.  We all enjoyed it and it brought us closer together.  It became a ritual or tradition for my family. 

I guess my point in bringing all this up is to let you know that the things you do with your kids today is something that they will remember for the rest of their life.  Just doing things with them shows that you care and, for the most part, they will appreciate it.  I know I did. 

To me, racing is a sport that can bring and keep families together and I want to encourage each and every one of you to bring your family and  friends out to watch it at your local tracks.  Begin some rituals and traditions that can and will impact each of you in a positive way.  In my opinion, enjoying racing together is one of the best ways to do so.

In addition to me encouraging you take others racing with you, let me ask that if you already have any rituals or traditions that you may want to share, please email me at dhall31794@gmail.com because I would be glad to hear about them.  Also, if you have any favorite eating establishments that you like to go to when you are visiting local tracks, I would like to know about those as well.  I might even make a public list available to others if enough of you will participate.

In closing, I want to point out that Kendricks Recreation Center has been closed for quite some time now but my memories about it and my parents taking us children to the races live on. I want to thank my mom and dad for taking the time to share their lives in making those memories.  They sure mean a lot to me now.  I also hope that you folks take the time to do the same with your kids.  That is what I still try to do with mine.  In the end,  I think we will all be better off for it.  May God bless you in your efforts.