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| Erik Walker |
Some, like a first home run or a game-winning basket, have involved joy. Others, such as a last-second loss, have been tinged with sadness and disappointment.
But none have been more special than those shared by Larry and Erik Walker. Whether it was the sight of them at a Little League field working on Erik’s fastball or their sideline presence at a football or basketball game, they’ve been a staple at virtually every area sporting event for years.
Larry, Erik’s father, is a former star athlete who is familiar to everyone in the local sports community.
Working as a a referee, a board member or as a member of the sideline chain gang, his volunteer involvement has been constant and widespread.
The Southwest Forsyth Little League, the Clemmons Cougars/YMCA Basketball Association and, of course, West Forsyth High School are just a few of the organizations that have benefitted from his years of giving and dedication.
Larry Walker has also been an exemplary youth league coach. Constantly extolling the virtues of team play and sportsmanship over a “win-at-all-cost” attitude, he has taught countless players to embrace the aspects of sports that are truly important.
While his dad’s sports presence has been felt outside the lines, Erik, Larry’s 23-year old son, has made an impact inside the lines. Especially between the lines on a baseball field.
Growing up on the diamonds at the Poindexter Field complex in Clemmons, Erik emulated his father’s athletic prowess from the get-go. A perennial all-star pitcher, he led the Southwest Forsyth Senior division stars to a state title in 2000. The team was managed by his dad.
Erik led West Forsyth to its first-ever berth in the 4-A baseball state finals in 2002 and, in 2005, became an NCAA All-American candidate as a closer for UNC-Charlotte.
He also became a professional baseball star this summer after being drafted and signed by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays organization.
Pitching for the Hudson Valley Renegades of the New York-Penn League, his mound dominance resulted in a spot on the league all-star team.
But as impressive as his athletic exploits have been, Erik’s most valuable attribute is the one he learned from his dad’s example — true character.
Mild-mannered, unassuming and compassionate, he battled hard but was never disrespectful. He eschewed personal glory and was self-deprecating, always preferring to stay out of the spotlight and share praise with his teammates and friends. He was a model player, one who embodied the ideals that are often stressed in sports (hard work, leadership, modesty, etc.) but aren’t always embraced.
Sadly, Erik, who turned 23 on October 15th, disappeared in the water during a canoe trip on the New River last Saturday. Traveling with his girlfriend, Christy Murray (a pitcher on the UNCC softball team),the excursion was supposed to be a brief retreat from a busy fall schedule on the Charlotte campus. He returned to school earlier this fall to complete the hours needed to receive his bachelor’s degree.
The shock and dismay over Erik’s disappearance has spread quickly throughout area. For such a stellar young man to go missing defies human explanation. It renders daily worries meaningless and gives pause to a sports world that has become increasingly obsessed with perfection.
Ironically, for someone who achieved so much at such a young age, Erik has never been concerned with being perfect. He is far too worried about how the team is doing on the field and how others are doing off of it.
But it is exactly because of those values that he is perfect in a way that matters most to his dad.
He is truly his father’s son.