Today we’d like to introduce you to Sammie Howard. Them and their team share their story with us below:
After seeing her son, who got a scholarship to play basketball at a university, endure the heartbreak and disappointment of not getting significant playing time on the court, Sammie knew she wanted to create an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young athletes. Her vision for the Rockwall 7ers was born out of this desire to help others.
When she was laid off from her previous employer due to COVID, she decided to take the leap of faith and move forward with purchasing the Rockwall team. For Sammie, it was a way to give back to the young men who were overlooked, and who didn’t get the opportunity to showcase their true talent and ability. Her goal is to market them on and off the court, to help them understand that there is life after basketball, but at the same time, provide them the professional athlete experience through the TBL.
The team is built around the number 7 as it represents completeness and perfection in the Bible. As such, the team embraces 7 core values that guide operations for the entire organization. Those core values are:
1. Hard work
2. Commitment/loyalty
3. Humility
4. Coachable
5. Respect
6. Serve
7. Pursuit of perfection
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The struggles of starting a professional sports team are daunting. As a new team, with a limited marketing budget, getting the word out about us has been one of our biggest challenges. It is imperative that we increase awareness about our organization as our athletes get paid based on ticket sales and corporate partnerships.
Another challenge has been that the majority of our staff are volunteers. We could not survive without these individuals that have embraced our vision and core values and are giving of their time and talents to ensure our success. As volunteers, they all have lives and full-time job commitments in addition to trying to advance our organization so time commitments are a hurdle as well. But we all see the efforts our athletes are giving on and off the court and attempt to match that intensity and give our all!
Another significant obstacle is a performance and practice venue- a home for the Rockwall 7ers. We currently utilize high school courts but our hope is to have a place of our own eventually!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Sammie is proud of her children. They are talented adults that give 100% of their efforts for the greater good. She is proud of the 7ers team, coaches, volunteers, and our fans that have held on through the challenges of this first inaugural season. She is known for being kind and outgoing. She is determined and driven for success.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
We believe there will be continued growth and expansion in the professional sports sector. For basketball especially, for many years, the only option for athletes that wanted to play at the next level was to travel overseas. We believe more organizations will continue to compete for these athletes here in the US, allowing them to stay stateside and showcase in front of home crowds across the country.
Contact Info:
- Email: sammiehoward@rockwall7ers.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/rockwall7ers?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sammie.howard.397
