A Love for Sports

By Phillip B. Hubbard

Growing up in a sports family set the course for Ricky Vaughn to work with the Newton County Recreation Department for more than 55 years. Part of his work includes beginning the recreation department’s relationship with Dixie Boys Baseball.

Vaughn was instrumental in bringing Dixie Boys Baseball to Newton County in 1979 when he was just 26 years old. Since then, his involvement with Dixie Boys Baseball includes his work as an umpire, coach, assistant state director. Currently, Newton County hosts five World Series.

On Aug. 17, 2022 Vaughn was celebrated for his efforts by being selected as a Class of 2022 Hall of Fame member for the organization. The recognition meant the world to Vaughn.

“It’s nice to be honored,” Vaughn said. “Working in recreation your whole life like I have, you don’t get a whole lot of recognition. It’s a big honor for someone to say, ‘Hey, we appreciate what you’ve done.’”

But Vaughn’s contributions to Dixie Boys Baseball is just the tip of the iceberg. Vaughn’s passion for sports began long before.

Where It All Started

Being from the Stewart Community off of Highway 36, Vaughn was raised in a sports family as his dad, Lindsey Vaughn, was a minor league pitcher. Vaughn’s earliest sports memories revolve around his dad as he would travel a lot with Lindsey.

In fact, Vaughn’s love of sports, particularly the Braves, was huge during his childhood. Hank Aaron was Vaughn’s favorite baseball player, too.

“I’ve been a sports nut,” Vaughn said. “I learned how to read by reading the sports pages. Back then, it was hard to follow because there was no TV.”

Vaughn falling in love with sports at an early age set up his future aspirations and career path.

He played Little League baseball in the 1960’s and later played one year of baseball and basketball in high school. Vaughn graduated from Newton County Comprehensive High School in 1971.

Upon graduation, Vaughn coached his first recreation team at 18 years old in 1971. He umpired for a few years and coached a team from 1971-1990. Vaughn captured his first state championship as a coach in 1976 when the department was affiliated with Georgia Recreation & Parks Association (GRPA).

Such success sparked the conversation for the department to look for a new connection with the baseball programs.

“State was as far as you could go in GRPA,” Vaughn said. “Dixie was basically what we were looking for. It was typically our size where we could compete. They offered district and state tournaments and a World Series. So, that attracted us and we decided to go with them.”

Even so, Vaughn didn’t foresee the connection lasting as long as it has.

“I think it was a trial basis, at first,” Vaughn said.

“Let’s try this and see how it works, but we loved it.”

Making A Difference

In 1990, Tommy Hailey, who was friends with Vaughn from childhood, was hired as the Newton County Recreation Department Director. Vaughn had a twohour discussion with Hailey about a job, and Hailey hired Vaughn to be the department’s athletic director.

The decision to hire Vaughn was a no-brainer for Hailey.

“We needed a good athletic director, and there wasn’t a better athletic director than Ricky in the state of Georgia,” Hailey said. “And he’s done remarkable things.”

Vaughn remembers a lot of community members being “discontented” with how athletic events were run at the time. He came in and made immediate changes to improve the department’s chances at success.

“I got out there and said, ‘Hey, this is how we’re going to do it. We’re not going to fuss and fight out here,’ which was what they were doing,” Vaughn said. “I said, ‘We’re going to be organized. We’re doing X,Y and Z. And we had some success at it.”

Vaughn served as athletic director for 24 years and retired in 2014 from his full-time post. But that hasn’t stopped him from providing help to the department as a volunteer.

To this day, Vaughn still coaches football, basketball, baseball and softball. And, like his time as athletic director, Vaughn goes above and beyond to assist any way he can.

In fact, Vaughn coached three basketball teams at once to help the department fulfill its seasons.

Newton County Recreation Department’s athletic manager Horace Stroud, who Vaughn hired in 1997, has a close relationship with Vaughn. So much so that Vaughn is Stroud’s daughter Kyla’s Godfather.

“He’s a pillar in this community,” Stroud said. “He’s coached generations of kids and everybody just has a soft spot for Ricky. Everybody loves him.”

Though Vaughn’s love for sports sparked his interest in volunteering and working at the department, it’s been the bond he has built over the years that keeps him coming back.

“[The best part about coaching] is the relationship with the kids and it’s not even close,” Vaughn said. “While you’re in it, you’re trying to teach, let them have fun and win.”

Loving On His ‘Grandkids’

Nowadays, as a result of the rapport he has built among the youth of

Newton County, Vaughn can be seen at local high school sporting events cheering on his former players.

Vaughn calls his former players his “grandkids.” And he feels like his attendance at their high school games is just continuing their bond.

“I just love watching them play, especially knowing them and seeing them come from here,” Vaughn said. “Then, you throw in my love of sports, it’s just natural. And it means a lot for someone to walk up to me and say, ‘How are you doing, coach Ricky?’ That shows you they remember you and you did something good for them.”

Vaughn has been grateful for all the support and acknowledgement of his dedication to assisting multiple facets of the Newton County Recreation Department. Vaughn even stated that he has been “shocked” by the outpouring of appreciation by the