BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN
Time flies. It’s approaching two months since I began writing for the Mountain Citizen. I want to express my gratitude to Lisa Stayton and Roger Smith for allowing me to be a part of Martin County sports in a new and exciting way. It’s been a bit more pleasant than officiating games.
I also want to show my appreciation to a Martin County sports icon.
If you were associated with Martin County athletics in any way, you knew the Mountain Citizen’s late sports editor Ronnie Hickman. I’d even say that most people outside of sports knew who he was.
His backwards hat and socks with sandals in the winter were some identifiers. As I age, I understand Ronnie more. Once you find something you like, you stick with it. His 90s button-up warmup pants never failed him, as fragile as they may have seemed.
After experiencing sports writing myself, it just makes me respect Ronnie even more. The man lived and breathed Martin County sports.
Week in and week out, he made sure that stats were reported and kids were recognized. He’d carry a camera and snap pictures at events—especially basketball games.
The process before digital cameras was a tedious affair. It wasn’t just point-and-shoot. The film had to be rolled and developed in the darkroom. Photos had to be printed, then sized for the halftones that would be waxed, pasted onto layout sheets and lined with border tape.
Digital photography makes it so much easier. Lisa tells me that he still preferred the old way. Such a classic fellow, that Ronnie.
Ronnie would keep the scorebook during basketball tournament games. I’d walk over to the table during halftime, and he would be hurrying out the door so he could make it back for the second half. The man loved his smoke breaks.
We all miss seeing Ronnie hanging out in the middle of town. I’m sure he was taking in the day before sports fired up in the evening.
His friends are missing him, too.
I know I have big shoes to fill and can only hope to be what Ronnie was for Martin County athletics.
This county doesn’t realize the role he provided for so many years. I’m thankful for the memories he allowed me and other athletes to have.
Memories may fade, but the Mountain Citizen archives are forever.
Thank you, Ronnie.