A New Home for the Green and Gray

A soft October breeze carries the fallen leaves towards the growing line of spectators waiting to enter Georgia Gwinnett College’s new Convocation Center for the women’s basketball program’s inaugural game. As I get closer, the music grows louder and the excitement more apparent. While in line, I can’t help noticing the smiles on people’s faces and the way they hurriedly walk through the double doors. 

In the lobby, the smell of popcorn fills the air, along with the chatter of the excited crowd. 

“There are so many people here,” says one. 

“Come on, let’s go find our seats,” says another.

I follow the crowd through a new set of doors, one that leads me towards a sea of green and gray.

The music is twice as loud, accompanied by the in-sync movements from the cheer team. I make my way towards my seat, keeping an eye on the clock that’s counting down the seconds until the game starts. 

A few minutes later, a loud buzzer signals the start time for the game. The lights dim and green and gray strobe lights dance around the court, circling the signature Office of Athletics’ G-Claw logo at center court. 

The music softens and an announcement vibrates throughout the four walls of the Convocation Center: “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Grizzly basketball!” 

The crowd stands and erupts into cheers as the Grizzlies charge out of the locker room, and onto the court for the first time in program history. 

The starting lineup and coaching staff are introduced for Grizzlies. Stepping onto the court, one player from each team comes together at the center circle ready to swipe the ball out of the air from the historic tipoff. Each player stars intently at the orange ball in the referee’s hand, a determined look passing through their eyes. 

As soon as the ball is released, the two players jump into the air, extending their arms to swipe the ball into their possession. The opposing team takes possession of the ball and races down the court. The friction of their shoes on the court causes a squeaking sound that resonates throughout the center. 

The opposing team is the first to score points on the scoreboard.

The coaches for the Grizzlies pace anxiously along the side lines, directing their players with a simple command: “Alright now, focus, focus!”

Suddenly, one of the Grizzlies steals the ball from the opposing team and starts dribbling down the court. As they approach the center line, they fake left and instead pivot to the right, pushing the ball from the center of their chest towards an unguarded teammate. He catches the ball and swerves around an opposing player, dribbling towards the hoop. 

One of the Grizzlies breaks through the opponent’s defensive line and positions themselves on the right wing of the court for a jump shot. 

The ball seems to be in the air like an eternity. In those few moments, the once cheering crowd became quiet, intently watching the trajectory of the ball. I watch as the ball creates a high arch and goes seamlessly through the hoop and into the net. The crowd cheers for the first recorded points of GGC basketball.

The Grizzlies’ players congratulate their teammate and quickly dash to get back to work on the other end of the court. The clock continues to run as the teams push the ball back and forth on their ends of the court. Silence overtakes the crowd of more than 1,000 each time the Grizzlies are up for a free throw and burst with enthusiasm each time the ball goes throw the hoop. 

A loud buzzer signals the start of halftime, and the teams retreat to their respective locker rooms for a brief rest and words of encouragement from their coaches. 

“Alright, how is everyone doing tonight? Who is ready for some halftime fun?” says one of the Office of Athletics’ staff members.

Three audience members are brought down to the court for their chance to win prizes if they can make a layup, free throw, a 3-point field goal. and then a challenging shot from beyond the half court line – within a time limit. The crowd counts down every second and encourages each contestant. In the background, members of a drumline create the perfect soundtrack for the audience’s countdown. T-shirts are launched into the crowd, and General, GGC’s Grizzly mascot walks around engaging the audience and taking photos with all that ask. 

A while later, the two opponents resume their positions and wait for the start of the second half. The Grizzlies are fast on their feet, flying down the court to block the opponent’s scoring opportunities. I watch the Grizzlies work efficiently, setting themselves up perfectly for scoring opportunities, and starting huge point runs that go unanswered for several minutes.

I glanced up to the clock and watched the minutes and seconds count down. The roar of the crowd is louder than the sound of the final buzzer and the Grizzlies celebrate their historic first victory. The players make their way around the court, thanking all those in attendance for their support. 

As the flood of attendees make their exit from the Convocation Center, I find myself standing in the middle of the court, reminded of the fact that this space was once an empty parking lot on the GGC campus. Now, this building represents something new for our community. I think about each brick that was used to construct this building, and the many more memories that will be created by the contributions of the athletes, staff and student body.

This is the start of a new legacy for Georgia Gwinnett College. This is a new place for the green and gray to flourish through scholarship, leadership, creativity, and service.