CITY OF ROSWELL HONORS HOMETOWN HERO
It was a special weekend in Roswell, as the city honored one of the most accomplished athletes to ever come out of New Mexico.
Golfing legend Nancy Lopez was back in her hometown of Roswell to help celebrate the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the new Nancy Lopez Elementary School. The new school replaces the original campus, which was dedicated in her honor back in 1991.
“The Roswell Board of Education recognized that Nancy’s story was bigger than golf,” said Superintendent Brian Luck. “It was about possibility, representation, perseverance, and breaking barriers.”
“Now they built this beautiful new school, this is awesome,” said the LPGA Hall of Famer. “I have such great memories of the other school. I was a crossing guard. I remember always wanting to be on the side where I could lift the flag up and down. It’s so important for these kids to have a nice school to learn.”
Lopez was a trailblazer. As a girl playing on the boys golf team, she helped the Goddard Rockets win a state title. “Playing on the golf team, some of the guys on the other teams didn’t like that so much, but it was ok,” she said. “Playing with the guys on the golf team made me a better player. My dad always said, ‘Play with people that beat you because that way you’ll get better.’ We had some great guys on the team that played well and I always wanted to beat them and that helped me develop my golf game ever more so.”
“For young women in particular, Nancy demonstrated that they could compete, succeed and become champions in a world where the opportunity for female athletes were far limited at that time,” said Luck.
“Even at the time when it was considered a man’s world, you broke those barriers,” said Lt. Governor Howie Morales.
“The doors weren’t always open for us,” explained Lopez. “My dad was never a ‘poor me’ guy. He said to be a good person and work hard and your word is all you got. You follow that road and you’ll be successful.”
That advice led her to one of the most successful golf careers of all-time. Nancy Lopez went on to win 48 LPGA Tour events, including three major championships, and in 1978 she produced one of the most extraordinary rookie seasons in professional sports history, winning nine tournaments and earning both Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors. She was later inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and LPGA Hall of Fame.
Standing in front of the school that bears her name, she never imagined all that could happen to this little girl from Roswell. “No,” she replied and laughed. “I know that once I won my first peewee tournament when I was almost nine how excited I was to win that trophy and from that day on I wanted to keep winning trophies. My dad always taught me that if I loved what I did that I would be great at it if I really wanted it.”
Nancy Lopez, a celebrated figure in the community, remains a focal point of pride and inspiration for many. “The cap says it all, just a kid from Roswell New Mexico,” RISD Board President James Edwards pointed out.
A kid from Roswell, New Mexico who went on to become one of the greatest players in the history of golf, and whose name will continue to inspire generations of students at Nancy Lopez Elementary.
The weekend celebration also included a golf event, dinner, and dedication of a highway in Roswell.
*photos courtesy Goddard High School
