Regina Kirk used the sport of basketball to attend the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and she remains one of the best players in the history of the school’s women’s program.
She’s still making contributions.
Kirk, who has created the Regina Kirk Foundation, also has created an alumni basketball game that will be held Saturday at 7 p.m. at Maclellan Gymnasium.
A number of former Mocs will be in attendance to play in the game.
“I thought it would be really neat for some of the former and legend basketball players to come back for homecoming,” Kirk said. “It’s a chance to get together, socialize, let each other know what we are doing and find out each other’s life history since we’ve been out of school.”
She said the first such game will not be the last. In fact, she wants players to sign up for 2016 “because we will be having the game next year.”
Kirk is still the all-time leading scorer and rebounder in program history, earning All-Southern Conference recognition four times and voted most valuable player of the 1986 SoCon tournament. She finished with 2,376 points – before the 3-point shot was established – and 1,086 rebounds.
She still plays, earning gold at the recent Senior Games, and she coaches the fourth- and fifth-grade girls’ basketball teams at Arts & Sciences.
“Basketball helped me out because it taught me life skills,” Kirk said. “It kept me in check; it kept me abreast on life; it taught me responsibility, networking, discipline, teamwork. Those are a lot of things some kids aren’t getting in homes now.
“I’m sure I could bring a lot to the youth.”
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at twitter.com/genehenleytfp.