Perfect Pitch

After 13 years, Georgia Gwinnett College’s Office of Athletics thought it was time to establish an Athletic Hall of Fame to honor those former and current student-athletes, coaches, and staff whose hard work, dedication and quality have helped establish the college’s championship-quality program.

But who would be the first Hall of Fame inductee? 

Really, there was only one choice.

Doug Court.

A familiar face, friendly mainstay, and person with a can-do attitude around GGC Athletics, the Grizzly Athletics Complex and GGC athletic facilities, Court recently retired after spending the past 10 years as the Assistant Athletics Director for Operations.

In 2022, Court was the first Office of Athletics’ employee to be recognized as Georgia Gwinnett College’s Top Claw Award, honoring the employee who embodies the true spirit of a GGC Grizzly. His legacy also includes being composer and director of the Georgia Gwinnett College Fight Song in 2018.

Wilson announced Court’s Athletic Hall of Fame selection February 24 on the pitcher’s mound of the Grizzly Baseball Complex in front of a crowd of appreciative current and former student-athletes and coaches, family members, and friends. Court then threw a ceremonial first pitch before GGC’s baseball game against Saint Xavier University (Illinois). Moments later the scene was duplicated during a softball game against Cumberland University (Tennessee).

Court’s relationship with GGC Athletics started as Wilson and other college officials started making plans for the college’s athletic fields and teams were being formed on the new campus in Lawrenceville. He was first a faithful volunteer, then became one of the budding department’s first full-time employees.  

“When I spoke with Darin early on about volunteering, I told him I had possibly 10 to 15 years of service to give,” remarked Court as he reflected on his career before his late February retirement. “I’m so humbled to be inducted into the GGC Athletics Hall of Fame because there are so many deserving people that have given so much to this place. It has been an absolute blessing to be here the whole time. GGC has been my home away from home.”

Executive Athletics Director Dr. Ian Potter, another early athletic department administrative employee, joined Wilson in making the special Athletic Hall of Fame announcement.

Potter states, “Doug’s impact has been instrumental in everything we’ve done as an athletic department, not only in the way we operate game management and facilities, but also the way he treats fans, student-athletes, and game officials. He has been a valuable asset to GGC.”

Wilson adds, “Doug was that person that you could always talk to, always lending great advice, and bringing a calm influence over every situation. He does so much more than operations and game management for GGC Athletics.”

Along with the Athletic Hall of Fame recognition, GGC Athletics announced the dedication of “The Doug Out” at the end of the Grizzlies’ baseball dugout along the third base line. It’s a place where Court watched many games throughout the years, whenever he wasn’t busy completing tasks on the long list of game-day responsibilities. 

“The (Doug Court Appreciation Day) pregame ceremony was one of the coolest things I’ve been privileged to participate in. Some of our players are brand new, while others have been around Doug a long time. It really resonated with everyone on the team that this was a big moment in department history,” said Head Baseball Coach Jeremy Sheetinger. 

Later, GGC softball players honored Court while members of the women’s soccer team serenaded him with the GGC fight song, which debuted at the college’s 2018 GrizzlyFest.

Court was often referred to as “Do it All Doug” within the department. He was the person who greeted opposing teams and game officials for home athletic events and served as the host site coordinator for conference and NAIA postseason tournaments hosted by GGC.

“Doug has been the glue that has kept this thing together,” states Head Men’s Soccer Coach Steve DeCou, who has admired Court’s skills since GGC’s first sporting event, a men’s soccer match, in the fall of 2012. “Things would not have run as smoothly as they have done without him here. He came here in 2012 not knowing much about soccer. Now, years later, we have conversations about tactics, and he watches the Premier League. He’s now a soccer fan.” 

Ihlenburg adds, “There’s no training manual for what Doug did for us. He was there to answer visiting teams’ questions so that I could focus on coaching my team during the postseason. It’s those small things that mattered in creating our successful athletic program.”

Court’s family members were on hand to celebrate the special day for the husband, father and grandfather. He and his wife, Cyndi, and children Kristen, Lauren and Aaron lived near the GGC campus.

In true Doug Court fashion, his ceremonial first pitch as an Athletic Hall of Fame member was a perfect strike – right down the middle of baseball’s home plate. The day and Doug Court Appreciation Day couldn’t have been scripted any better.