The Rivermont Wildcats are beginning the 2016 season a player down, but the team and league will not forget Timothy Hicks and the cheerful influence he had over everyone he met.
“He was always so nice. He loved everyone and always seemed to be smiling,” said assistant coach Sam Reece. “He really reached out to new players and made them feel welcome, like they were a part of something. He always looked forward to the next game. I think he really loved being a part of our team.”
Hicks passed away suddenly in November 2015 following complications from a surgery. Those who knew him said nothing got in his way of performing at his best in the nine years he played in the Dream League.
The Dream League is an all-inclusive baseball league for people of any ability or age to learn basic skills in a fun, teamwork-based environment. The league’s 29th season will begin in the spring.
“He always seemed to really enjoy being out on the ballfield; he elevated everyone else out there,” said Dream League commissioner Dave Dake. “He brought everyone together and cheered for everyone.”
Reece said the team and the league are planning to hold a memorial game in remembrance of Hicks’ life and the impact he had on those around him, but the date has yet to be decided.
“It’s going to be really strange moving on with the season without him,” said Reece. “We’re going to display his number on the front of the jerseys in his memory. It’s going to be a nice service where everybody knows him, and I know that Timothy will be there in spirit with us when we’re doing that for him.
“We really hope that can influence everyone to say, ‘Our friend and our loved one is here with us.’ It’ll be an opportunity for Timothy to influence everyone again just like he used to.”
Hicks is also remembered for his care and efforts volunteering in the community and with those around him. He volunteered at the Aim Center, a psychiatric rehabilitation center in Chattanooga, twice a week.
Dake said he knows it will be difficult, for some more than others, moving on through the season in Hicks’ absence.
“We’ve lost some really amazing folks over the years, and it’s always a little disheartening,” he said. “We all support one another, and so I think we’ll all miss him in a way. I know I will.”