AJC > Sandy Springs > Blog > Archives > 2008 > April > 21 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMemories of the “Underwear Hills”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The new elementary school in town is in the process - among other things - of choosing a name, school colors and a mascot. Obviously not the weightiest of decisions that will be made, but one that will lodge in a lot of memories.
Growing up I went all seven years of elementary school - this was in the pre-middle school era - at Underwood Hills, now The Epstein School. I can’t remember our mascot - the kids at other schools called us Underwear Hills — but I do recall our colors, for sports, were purple and white.
Back then our after-school sports program was run by the YMCA and was for boys only. If you were a girl with athletic prowess you were out of luck. As for us boys in the fall it was football, winter was basketball and spring was softball or track & field.
This being the south the greatest emphasis was on football. Our coach was a man named Larry Conklin, and in addition to teaching us football he also spray-painted our helmets purple and dogged us about our grades. I have no idea if he was a YMCA employee or coached as a volunteer, but we worked after school five days a week on the gravel and sand playground, playing our games on Saturday mornings in Chastain Park.
Very few kids wore cleats. You started the year in a new paid of Keds, with your parents hoping your feet wouldn’t outgrow them before you got your sports in for the school year.
I may leave some names out but the other schools in town back then included Highpoint, Liberty Guinn, Hammond, Guy Webb and Spalding. Heards Ferry would come much later.
There are two highlights from that period. The first was about the YMCA sports trophy that was given every year to the team with the best overall record. If one school won the trophy three years running they got to keep the trophy. We did. Hopefully that trophy is in someone’s basement and not in the landfill.
Second, when I was in 6th grade our quarterback was a 7th grader named Matt Robinson. Matt later played at Georgia and in the NFL. I caught a touchdown pass from him in a game - my only score in organized football. Ever. Years later when I was briefly a sports-talk radio producer I leveraged that TD into booking Matt on our morning show.
The new school off Lake Forest will have colors and a mascot but the YMCA no longer has after-school sports here in Sandy Springs. That’s not the worst thing in the world for those kids, but I sit here and think about those days. The memories have lasted 40 years give or take. Not bad as memories go.
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By Sandynista
April 21, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this
“Underwear Hills”! LOL, I remember that well!
Add James L. Riley (now part of Holy Innocents campus) to the list of bygone elemetary schools in Sandy Springs.
Thanks for the blast from our past, Jim!
By Buckhead Native
April 21, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this
OK Jim, I’m more than fuzzy here, where was Underwood Hill School? And out of the others you mentioned, I can only remember Liberty Guinn. Guy Webb I remember in name only, where was it? I attended Garden Hills.
By Jim Osterman
April 21, 2008 2:12 PM | Link to this
Buckhead Native:
Underwood Hills Elementary was on Colewood Way. It is now The Epstein School. I think Epstein assumed control of the facility around 1987.
By Bubba Bluffton
April 27, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this
If one considers the demographics of those found every day on the courts at Allen Park near the new school, one could ascertain that the school colors will be Green, Yellow and Red, the football team will play soccer and the mascot would be selected from “The Toros”, “The “Matadors” or “The Gauchos.” That’s the fact, Jack!
By MS
June 6, 2008 9:11 PM | Link to this
WOW, what great old memories. I dont remember the after school sports but, I finished in 77 and they may have stopped that by then. What a fun time I had there and my fav. teacher was Ms. Cook.
When did you go there.
Thanks Jim..
By Terri Sumpter Kilgore
June 25, 2008 5:09 AM | Link to this
Please tell Mona and Tommy I said hello. I went to school with them.
By Terri Sumpter Kilgore
June 25, 2008 5:10 AM | Link to this
Please tell Mona and Tommy I said hello. I went to school with them.
By David Mersereau
July 7, 2008 1:30 PM | Link to this
Guy Webb was on Hammond drive between Glenridge and GA 400. On the property now is 2 25 story condos and 2-3 hotels.
By David Van Valkenburgh
October 24, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this
The Underwood Hills mascot was a dragon.
I went there in the early eighties and sure miss the old school.
By David Van Valkenburgh
October 24, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this
The Underwood Hills mascot was a dragon.
I went there in the early eighties and sure miss the old school. Live in Buford now- wish I could afford to live in Sandy Springs still. My have things changed.
By Sharon Skinner Engstrom
October 26, 2008 8:03 AM | Link to this
Jim-Someone has actually put together a www.underwoodhillsreunion.com site…some of your old pals are on it…Go Purple Dragons!!
By Al Whitton
November 10, 2008 8:47 PM | Link to this
Jim, The underwoodhills reunion has been put together by three or four old underwoodhillers and will air in spring 09. Also, I made the trip to the old camp waco recently. We were there in 62 with indian guides. The property is now a hunt-ing camp. The old framework that held the sign and the old water tower is still standing, and the pond where we had sunday church has not been drained. It was a walk back in time just to find the old YMCA camp, but I went the extra mile and crossed the no trespassing signs to look back at the past, it sure doesent seem like 46 years ago, where has the time gone.- Al Whitton - PS- Please continue to promote our upcoming reunion.
By Shanna Meherg
February 22, 2009 1:47 AM | Link to this
Hello I did not go to school with any of you. But I read how you all went to the old camp Waco. I am actually trying to do some research on the old camp. This is actually how I found you. If anyone has ant info on the old camp waco and would be willing to share it with me please get in touch with me. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!! Shanna
By Howard Perlman
March 17, 2009 12:44 PM | Link to this
Hey Al Whitton, and Shanna Meherg,
I was intrigued by your Camp Waco post. I have some ancient memories of going there one weekend. It was 1960, so I was 7 in Indian Guides (my dad was Chief I remember). I can still hear the song (but can’t remember it exactly) they played on Sunday over the loudspeaker as we were getting ready to leave.
I don’t remember a lot - “fishing” early A.M. by a lake. Oh, shooting .22 rifles. But, I have some great pictures of the place (more of us kids, though). If you’re interested I can scan them in and email them to you.