Intramural staff member named to Chicago sports HOF

Contact: Maridith Geuder

In her class of more than 400, Veda Sargent could easily have been anonymous two decades ago at Chicago's Fenger High School.

But because she loved and excelled at basketball, Sargent achieved considerable notoriety in 1977 for leading her Public League team to the first girl's state tournament. In a recent column, Chicago Sun-Times sports columnist Taylor Bell noted Sargent's contributions to the Public League.

Bell also observed that the two-time high school All-American probably was born 20 years too soon-before high school women's basketball came into its own.

Now associate director of recreational sports at Mississippi State University, Sargent is in the Windy City spotlight once again. On Thursday [June 3], she is being inducted into the 1999 Chicago Public League Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Also being inducted is current Miami Heat star Tim Hardaway.

One of four children, Sargent describes herself as a "shy" child who "learned to play basketball because I liked to do what my brother was doing." Sports-particularly basketball-helped her "become more outgoing," she said.

"Participating in sports helps teach leadership and communication skills," she added. "You learn the team concept, which is something I try to pass on to students at Mississippi State."

Her success as a high school athlete helped create opportunities that might not otherwise have been available. After attending Illinois State University in Normal on an athletic scholarship, she graduated in 1982 with a degree in recreation and park administration. She also became the first member of her immediate family to earn a college degree.

After working eight years as a day camp director, she returned to ISU to earn a master's in sports administration. Upon graduation, she served for two years as assistant coordinator of intramural sports at the mid-state university of some 20,000 students.

Sargent came to Mississippi State in 1994 as assistant director of facilities for recreational sports. Last year, she was named associate director of recreational sports and given responsibility for day-to-day operations of the newly opened Joe Frank Sanderson Center, the 150,000-square-foot recreational complex that daily serves more than 2,000 students, faculty, staff, and guests.

For her contributions at the university, the Division of Student Affairs recently recognized Sargent with its Outstanding Young Professional Award.

Sargent, who is a high school and college basketball official in her free time, takes all of her recent recognition in stride.

"It's fun when you love what you do," she said with a matter-of-fact smile.