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20
July – September 2013
www.deltalivingmagazine.com
By Tracy L. Nelson
ncpublishing@icloud.com
T
ravel down the quiet car-
peted steps into the base-
ment of the century-old brick
building that once housed River-
view High School and prepare to
be awed.
What awaits are the lovingly
saved artifacts once owned by An-
tioch’s “Sports Legends,” the athleti-
cally talented men and women who
grew up in the city on the San Joa-
quin River.
An NFL Hall of Famer, a recent
Super Bowl player, a World Series
Champion second baseman, and a
recently retired All-Pro San Fran-
cisco 49er,were all nurtured in their
youth by the recreation leagues,
high school teams and enthusiastic
sports boosters of Antioch. Eigh-
teen kids who graduated from this
Delta city’s two high schools went
on to become professional athletes,
coaches or referees and their stories
are featured prominently in the mu-
seum’s “Antioch to the Pros”wall.
Opened in 2007, the 2,000
square foot museum operates under
the umbrella of the Antioch Histor-
ical Society, but has become a self-
contained program run by dozens
of dedicated volunteers.The Sports
Legends program has offered base-
ball clinics, meet and greets with
pro athletes and community fund-
raising activities connected to its
motto: “Preserving History, Hon-
oring Excellence and Connecting
Generations.”
Throughout the year, volun-
teers lovingly gather, catalog and
display the mementos saved for
decades in the scrapbooks and
closets of Antioch families, mark-
ing the milestones of their chil-
dren. Few could have imagined
that those kids would go on to be-
come college and professional ath-
letes whose achievements would
be honored by their community.
With this year’s induction, 99 men
and women and seven high school
championship teams have their
From Kids to Legends –
Antioch Sports Legends at the Antioch Historical Society Museum
They Started Here First
Inside the Hall of Fame bottom floor at the Antioch Historical Society Museum, 2007, located at 1500 W. 4th Street, Antioch, CA.
Michelle Gromacki, Antioch High School (AHS) Class of 1982, was the first
woman inducted in 2007. She played for the NCAA National Championship
team at Cal State Fullerton and for the USA Softball team. Her AHS jersey
number has been retired.
Photos courtesy of Sports Legends