Albany youth hear words of wisdom from Barbara Dooley (Video)

ALBANY — Barbara Dooley, wife of former legendary University of Georgia head football coach and Athletic Director Vince Dooley, shared some words of wisdom with youngsters from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany Thursday night at the organization’s annual Steak and Burger Dinner held at Darton State College.

Serving as keynote speaker for the event, Dooley shared humorous stories from her life as a mother, grandmother, wife and cancer survivor, while impressing on the young members of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany to set goals, to work hard to reach them, to remember God’s love and to always be humble.

“Tonight I know all of you adults don’t need to hear me so I am talking to the Boys and Girls Clubs members because y’all are why we’re here,” said Dooley. “You make this event. So, I want to talk to you a little bit about what you can do for your future.”

Dooley’s first point was the need to set goals and strive toward them. To illustrate her point she told a story about wanting to get to a football game in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where the Bulldogs were facing Bear Bryant’s Crimson Tide. Dooley shared that she really wanted to attend the game but couldn’t travel with the team because she wanted to attend her son’s high school football game in Athens the night before.

Upon asking her husband to help her figure out a plan, he suggested she take matters into her own hands because he had enough to worry about trying to get his coaches and players ready to travel to the game.

Taking matters into her own hands at Vince’s suggestion, she initially chartered a plane that ended up not being able to pick her up due to weather. She then managed to get a ride with her daughter’s cheerleading coach on Saturday morning, but the car broke down in Pell City, Ala. Undaunted, she ended up hitchhiking to the game, something she felt she had to do to make it to the game.

“The first thing I want to say to each and every one of you is you have to have a goal in life,” Dooley said. “You’ve got to know what you want to do and you’ve got to figure out how you’re going to make it happen. And then no, matter what it takes, you get it done. If you want to be a success in life, you’ve got to stay on a course to finish the drill, as we say in football.”

Dooley then shared her second lesson by telling a story about taking her kids to see Georgia face Georgia Tech one year and how the experience impacted her son and her husband and how God is always at work in people’s lives.

“The second thing you’ve got to remember that no matter what happens to you in your life, that God loves you more than you will ever imagine,” Dooley said. “There is nothing you can do that will make Him not love you. There are lots of things you can do that will upset your parents and your teachers, but not God. He is just one big arm of love and he forgives all of our sins.”

Finally Dooley shared the importance of being humble. In doing so, Dooley recounted a story about the time Vince Dooley considered running for governor of Georgia. While travelling to Atlanta during that time, the two of them were listening to a talk radio program that allowed listeners to call in. Dooley said she grew increasingly frustrated when caller after caller came on talking about how much they loved Vince. Finally, Dooley said, she got excited when a caller said they couldn’t stand Vince Dooley or the University of Georgia.

Dooley said that she was sitting in the back seat listening, amused that someone didn’t like him. She was shocked, however, when the radio host challenged the caller about the real reason she didn’t like Vince Dooley and the caller finally shared the truth that she couldn’t stand having to deal with four years of Barbara Dooley as the governor’s wife.

“The other thing I want to make sure you understand is to always be humble,” Dooley said “Never think that you are better or bigger or smarter or stronger than anybody else. Be a nice person. And try to love everybody you come in contact with. It’s hard to do, but it can be done. Never get too big for your britches and always show people kindness.”

Throughout her comments Dooley continued to stress her key points of goal setting, humility and, most emphatically, love; love for and from God and love for each other. To drive this point home, Dooley closed her address by taking the microphone and circling the room while leading the crowd through Stevie Wonder’s “I Just Called to Say I Love You.”

“Set goals, say your prayers, be humble and love,” Dooley said. “You can make everyday special by how you act and how you treat people. I love you and I thank you.”

In addition to Dooley’s address the dinner also featured remarks from Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany alumnus Fabian Bowman, whose stirring comments about the impact the club has had in his life drew a standing ovation.

The organization also presented the Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany 2014 Youth of the Year award to Kalis Armstrong, who urged younger club members to strive to be named Youth of the Year in the future.

The organization’s leadership also recognized the event’s VIP sponsors and offer thanks for their support of Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany.

“Look at your programs,” Boys and Girls Clubs of Albany’s board member Patsy Martin said to the audience. “Look at this list of awesome sponsors. They are truly our angels.”

VIP sponsors for the event were, Albany City Commissioners; Clenney, Powel and Rentz, CPAs; Darton State College; Doherty, Duggan, Hart and Tiernan Insurors; F &W Forestry; FlintCo; HeritageBank of the South; Kohl’s; Moore, Clarke DuVall and Rodgers, PC; Mt. Zion Baptist Church; Peach State Health Plan; Pfizer; Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital; Publix Super Markets Charities; Regions Bank; SASCO Chemical Group; Stewbo’s; The Albany Herald; WALB-TV; Judy Varnell and Jane Wilson.