Sports and More Sports Program at the OIRM August 6 – Rodney Griffin and Lori Carter Laman (Posted by Ginger Smith)
What does it take for an athlete to become an outstanding one? Old Independence Regional Museum is helping to answer that question during a program on Sunday, August 6 at 2 p.m. Rodney Griffin and Lori Carter Laman will share what their lives were like as they practiced and then excelled in sports.
This is the seventh program in the museum’s year-long spotlight on “Our Teams – Our Pride.” Those who attend will find the casual panel discussion format inviting for them to also participate. Friends, clients, and school children will enjoy this interaction.
Many residents know Rodney Griffin as a successful local dentist, but those who attend the program will learn much more about his earlier life as a basketball player. He is a graduate of Newark High School where he learned All-District, All-Region and All-State recognition for his basketball prowess.
Griffin played AAU basketball with a group of local athletes, and was invited to play in an AAU National Tournament as the lone statewide selection for this team. He also played at Lyon College where he is recognized as the most outstanding three-point shooter of his era at the college. He has also been inducted into the Lyon College Athletic Hall of Fame. After graduating with honors in Biology in 1996, he attended dental school. He and his wife LaCrisha have two sons, Caden and Easton.
In recognition of the many coaches who helped him develop as a player and person, Rodney gives back to his community by helping coach local teams in basketball, baseball, and football.
Lori Carter Laman was an outstanding student athlete at Cave City High School from 1992 to 1995. She graduated as the salutatorian of her class, and was recognized as an exceptional basketball player when she earned All Region and All State honors. Laman also made the All-NEA tournament team three times and held the tournament record for most points scored in the Double A division. At Lyon College Laman also starred on the court and in the classroom. During her senior year, in 1999, she was presented the coveted Winnie Marable Award that is given annually to the most outstanding female athlete on campus in recognition of her dedication, sportsmanship, and attitude. She and her husband O.J. reside in Cave City with their son Carter. She serves as the Assistant Principal of the Cave City Middle School.
The museum encourages all readers to invite friends and family to attend, visit, and enjoy refreshments on Sunday. This program is part of an emphasis on the world of sports leading up to the grand opening of the Smithsonian Institution’s traveling exhibit “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America.” It will be installed on December 12 in Old Independence Regional Museum.
The program will be free and open to the public. Normal museum hours are: Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for seniors and $1.00 for children. The museum is located at 380 South 9th street, between Boswell and Vine Streets in Batesville.
Old Independence is a regional museum serving a 12-county area: Baxter, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Marion, Poinsett, Sharp, Stone, White, and Woodruff. Parts of these present-day counties comprised the original Independence County in 1820’s Arkansas territory.
