Courtesy Photo | A relaxing view from the hotel as the Fort Bragg Lady Dragons prepped for the...... read more read more
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FORT BRAGG, NC – The Fort Bragg Lady Dragons basketball team traveled to Runaway Bay, Jamaica, to compete in the Women’s Caribbean Law Enforcement basketball tournament Dec. 12-19. The Lady Dragons defeated Los Angeles County Sheriff Department 78-65 to capture the title.
Due to COVID 19, the 2020 tournament was postponed. In 2021 instead of cancelling the tournament, organizers decided to move forward hosting a reduced list of the military’s top women’s basketball teams. For the resurgent tournament, held in December 2021, participants endured strict COVID protocols before, during and after the tournament.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Ariel Thomas, Lady Dragon guard and tournament most valuable player, appreciated the opportunity to get back to organized competitive sports.
“Overall, being able to just play ball in that environment was mind blowing,” said Thomas. “To be able to get away and win a tournament was amazing because being in the military is taxing mentally and physically.”
The Caribbean basketball tournament was a segment of the Battle of the Badges women’s basketball series. Retired U.S. Army 1st Sgt. Charlie Davis, head coach for the Lady Dragons and community volunteer, said the Battle of Badges series assembles military, law enforcement and first responder teams worldwide for tournaments throughout the world monthly and it finishes with national and international events to crown champions.
“We’ve been involved with these types of events for about 10 years now, showcasing the talents of Fort Bragg Soldier athletes and other female service members stationed on Fort Bragg,” said Davis.
Davis is a familiar face around the Fort Bragg community. He’s served as the team’s head coach for more than 20 years. He believes that community support for sports programs is the key for military communities.
“Sports, especially basketball, keeps their mind balanced by giving them quality of life improvement opportunities to help offset a stressful military life,” explained Davis. “So it’s important our Soldier athletes have great support systems like this to keep them going.”
The Fort Bragg Lady Dragons are preparing for more tournaments and has its focus on winning the Women’s Military Nationals Basketball Tournament this May. The tournament, hosted by Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland’s Directorate of Family, Morale, Welfare and Recreation, has been postponed since 2019 due to COVID 19. Organizers have yet to determine this year’s location but Davis is prepared.
“It gets hard sometimes especially for younger Soldiers on our team. So we are doing fundraisers and other things to make it happen because these Soldiers deserve it,” said Davis.
For more information about joining the Fort Bragg Lady Dragons team contact Coach Charlie Davis at 910-578-9899 or daviscmsg@yahoo.com.
Story courtesy Charlie Davis, Fort Bragg Women Varsity Basketball Coach
| Date Taken: | 12.19.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 02.02.2022 09:15 |
| Story ID: | 413849 |
| Location: | FORT BRAGG, NORTH CAROLINA, US |
| Web Views: | 369 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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