Sims, Sr., Luke Hamptop - 2006
Luke Sims was born in Savannah in 1923. Following his father’s death, Luke went to live at the Bethesda Home for Boys at age nine. While there, he and the other boys hosted teams from Savannah and surrounding areas to play football and baseball games. It was during these years that he learned the skill of competing and his sense of fair play was instilled. Luke was an outstanding athlete, playing both football and baseball for Savannah High in his teens. He was also one of Savannah’s finest softball players; and was inducted into The Savannah Softball Hall of Fame in 1993. From 1950-70, Luke and the late Tom Moore, also a Bethesda alumni, coached the Panther Athletic organization. The boys were offered football, baseball, and basketball; the girls were offered softball and basketball. During those twenty years, the boys and girls who played for Luke gained more than just athletic skills and knowledge. They also learned life skills, such as the way to compete, play hard but fair, and always exhibit good sportsmanship, win or lose.