The McSpaddens

Fall Friday nights wouldn't be the same for the McSpaddens without Alma football. Dr. Mike McSpadden began coaching there in 1979 as a football assistant, was served as head basketball coach from 1982-91 and is now athletic director. His wife, Malinda McSpadden, won a state championship in basketball in 1976 while her father, Wayne Thompson, was head football coach from 1971-75. Malinda's brother, Skip Thompson, starred at receiver in the early 1980s before heading on to play at the University of Arkansas. Appropriately, it was at one of Skip's junior high football games in 1979 at Alma where Malinda met Mike. "We went out a month later," Malinda said. "I knew when we went out that I was going to marry him." After marrying in December of 1980, the McSpadden's had two sons, Mikell and Matthew, who both went on to play football for the Airedales. The youngest, Mason McSpadden, is a junior safety/receiver this season and starts at point guard on Alma's basketball team. "It's just been a real blessing for our family to be in one town for so long," Mike McSpadden said. "We've got to watch kids from little league to junior high to senior high, so we've got been able to watch a lot of kids grow up. Plus, we feel very blessed that our kids have all went gone to one school. "In this day and age, especially with parents involved in athletics and education, that's a rare thing." Mason McSpadden said both his dad's and mom's sides of the family are athletic. Needless to say, family gatherings often ended up in the backyard. "We played tag football and whiffle ball," Mason McSpadden said. "We used to be an even more competitive family with all the grandparents and cousins and uncles and everybody. Whenever we got together, we'd be outside for the most part having fun with some sort of ball in our hand." As athletic director, game days are wildly hectic for Mike McSpadden. He makes sure all the officials, media and coaches from both teams have everything needed in the press box, which features in-game replays. There also are also countless cell phone calls back and forth to secure last minute details or keep something running smoothly during the game. "The day is about an 18-hour day for him," said Malinda McSpadden, who does her part by making sure everyone else involved is well fed during games. "He always is making sure everything is done early in the mornings and he usually doesn't get home on home- games until about midnight, because he's the last one to leave the stadium." That's all in a day's work for high school athletic directors. Still, McSpadden has built a reputation for running a tighter ship than most, resulting in regular job offers to leave Alma. Raised in Russellville, the inquiries were tempting at times. "Two years ago, I received a phone call from another school district to interview for its superintendent's job," McSpadden said. "I made the mistake of discussing it with Mason. He said that if I wanted to go take that job, I could, but he was going to continue to live in Alma and play for the Airedales." Mason has only one more year to play and next year will be Mike McSpadden's 29th at Alma High, meaning he'd need only another year to be eligible for full retirement benefits. But the 51-year-old doesn't sound ready to give up Friday nights in the Airedales' press box anytime soon. "Our family has been involved in Alma athletics for a long time," Mike McSpadden said. "Our ties to the program and the school district run pretty deep."