KCHS tennis player follows in mom’s footsteps
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he circle is now complete. May the circle be unbroken. Knoxville Catholic High School senior Gigi Sompayrac put the finishing touches on that 360-degree journey on Feb. 1 when she signed scholarship papers to play tennis for Anderson University. The scholarship-signing ceremony witnessed by family and friends was the culmination of years of nurturing instruction and encouragement from her mother, Cathy, who walked a nearly identical path decades ago with one heartbreaking exception: her mother, Mary Catherine Rainwater. Gigi competes in singles and doubles for KCHS, the No. 1-ranked girls high school tennis team in the nation, and is one of the top returning players. The Fighting Irish are the two-time defending state champs heading into the 2023 season. As the tennis season gets underway, Gigi won’t have the distraction of deciding where she’s going to college. She is focusing on a competitive schedule of matches in one of the toughest prep divisions in Tennessee that she hopes will lead to a three-peat. Her cheering section begins with parents Howie and Cathy Sompayrac, but it doesn’t end there. Younger brother Luke, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and a long line of friends, teachers, and other supporters are excited to see Gigi take her tennis game to the next level. However, the achievement has a much deeper meaning for Gigi’s mother. God’s plan: a mother-daughter connection Anderson University is in Anderson, S.C., near Greenville. The Trojans compete in the Division II South Atlantic Conference against 12 other teams. Anderson’s student population is about 4,000.
After considering several schools, even Division I programs, Gigi and her parents settled on Anderson because of the coach and his team. Another incentive is that a close friend from KCHS, Ceci Pumariega, already attends Anderson. In fact, Ceci’s father, Ore Pumariega, who is dean of students at KCHS, introduced Gigi to Anderson. “He is the first one who brought it up to me. He said, ‘You have to check out Anderson University.’ I visited a few schools and talked to a few coaches. Anderson was the first school I visited, but I wanted to be sure that it was the one I wanted to go to. So, I visited a few others, but in the end, it was Anderson,” said Gigi, who plans to major in kinesiology. Despite the lure of larger tennis programs, Gigi and her parents agreed Anderson is the best fit. “I think where she is headed to is a great fit for her. Division II where she is, and the division she’s in, the South Atlantic Conference, is good for her. That conference includes Carson-Newman and LMU. She was looking at a mix of schools,” Mrs. Sompayrac said, noting they considered some Division I schools, but there was concern she wouldn’t get the competitive playing time she needed to develop her game. “The coach at Anderson, Joey Eskridge, is outstanding. He’s a real developmental coach and sees a lot of potential in Gigi. He will develop her,” Mrs. Sompayrac added. “It’s a good environment.” Mrs. Sompayrac should know. She developed an interest in tennis as a young girl in the 1980s while attending St. Joseph School, just like Gigi. And she fed that interest while playing for Knoxville Catholic High School in the late 1980s and early 1990s, just like Gigi. But her life and path to collegiate tennis sustained a devastating blow when she was a 14-year-old KCHS freshman. Her mother was killed
By Bill Brewer
BILL BREWER
Gigi Sompayrac is bound for college in the sport her mother, Cathy, also played for the Lady Irish
Mom and daughter Gigi Sompayrac stands with her mother, Cathy, at Cedar Bluff Racquet Club. in a traffic accident at the age of 39 in November 1988. Mary Catherine Rainwater’s best friend also was killed in the accident. Mrs. Sompayrac’s older sister, Lisa, was a senior at KCHS at the time and her younger sister, Laurie, was in the fourth grade at St. Joseph School.
However, Mrs. Sompayrac, then Cathy Rainwater, and her sisters persevered thanks to her father, George Rainwater, who worked to fill the absence of his wife and his children’s mother. Cathy Rainwater’s success on the court attracted the attention of colTennis continued on page B2
Buy Nothing group offers a way to give, receive
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he Bird family, inspired by a call from fellow Catholic friends around the country, have started a “Buy Nothing” group at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul in Chattanooga. The idea is simple: meet the needs of those in your parish community through generosity and sharing. Nathan Bird knew a voice was missing in his faith life, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Then he started listening to a podcast called “Tradistae.” The podcast combined the beauty of Catholic tradition and the richness of Catholic social teaching to inspire a greater participation in true Catholic social justice. “It was the wild combination of radical Catholic social teaching, radical social justice, and radically traditional Catholicism,” Mr. Bird said. Through a connection with the podcast’s founder, Sean Domencic, they then joined a group of likeminded Catholics called Catholic Social Action. Their intention was to dialogue and collaborate to bring about a greater participation in the practical aspects of Catholic social teaching. It was the group’s co-founder,
Tim Wainwright, who is now the executive director for the American Solidarity party, who proposed starting a Buy Nothing group in parishes. “That was the lead-in to the Buy Nothing group. He had this idea and sent it out to everybody in the Slack channel,” Mr. Bird recounted. “Catholic Social Action was trying to build this resource in each parish to have a Buy Nothing group for the purpose not just of helping one another out materially but undermining the idea that everything needs to be a transaction, that every time I need to get rid of a piece of old clothing or old furniture that I need to be ‘maximizing’ my profit from that and not leave any money on the table,” he added. “Instead of focusing on the amount of money you’re getting out of this transaction,” Mr. Bird continued, “how about you build your parish community, build relationships with one another, and engage with this economy of gift?” So, what exactly is a Buy Nothing group? According to the group’s website, “Buy Nothing offers people a way to give and receive, share, lend, and express gratitude through a worldwide gift economy network
ALLISON LUZE
Basilica members combine the beauty of Catholic tradition and the richness of Catholic social teaching By Claire Collins
‘Undermining the idea that everything needs to be a transaction’ Katie and Nathan Bird started a Buy Nothing group at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul. in which the true wealth is the web of connections formed between people. We believe that communities are more resilient, sustainable, equitable, and joyful when they have functional gift economies.” Practically speaking, members can post items and services they desire to give, share, and lend on the group’s Facebook page for other members to claim and receive.
Members also can make requests and post needs they may have, to which other members may offer their free goods or services in response. Mr. Bird’s wife, Katie, decided she wanted to make the Buy Nothing group happen at the basilica. She checked in with Father David Carter, rector of the basilica, who Buy Nothing continued on page B3