DNA of a Dynamo- How The Small But Mighty Fulton County Pilots Soar

Nike introduces the Support Her Sole x Hibbett Sports campaign, which encourages Gen-Z girls and millennial women to knock down boundaries and showcase the power that comes from athletics. Ten schools were chosen to receive a $10,000 grant to support their women’s basketball programs with athletic needs from shoes to equipment to travel. Fulton County High School is one of the honorees.

On the banks of the Mighty Mississippi sits Hickman, Kentucky. It’s a small town on the Tennessee border, and home of Fulton County High School. At 175 students, the high school is tiny—but you wouldn’t know it from the impressive roster of activities, academics, and athletics.  

Upperclassmen at Fulton County can take college courses, free of charge. They can join teams from football to golf to track to bass fishing. Most students, says Principal Ellen Murphy, are two-sport athletes, and a staggering amount of graduates go on to play college ball.

“We have a lot of kids doing a lot of sports,” she says. “We’re a small community and try to stick together and gel together. We support each other.”

Women’s basketball Head Coach Leonard Smith knows the community well. He’s been coaching the team for ten years; he’s also a Fulton County graduate.

Twenty years ago, Smith’s coach compelled him to reach excellence. That mentorship informs the way he leads his team now.

“He wanted me to be a great person, a leader,” Smith said. “It’s the reason I am who I am today. Our team is one big heart. If we see one person struggling, we reach out to help them. Love one another and do what we can to help each other.”

The young ladies on the basketball team work hard, Smith says. But he and Principal Murphy are most proud of how they play with integrity. The Lady Pilots have won the Rex Alexander Memorial Sportsmanship award, rewarded by referees, three years in a row. They’re the first school with that streak, and it’s indicative of their character.

“I tell my girls, ‘five bodies, one heartbeat,’” Smith said. “When we’re on the court, it’s one heartbeat. Some of my girls realize what’s more important than basketball. Care, love and being one big family.”

Murphy is no stranger to the transformative impact athletics can have on young ladies. A former basketball player herself, she describes her evolution from a shy young girl to a determined leader—aided in part by the self assurance learned on the court.

“Sports build your confidence,” she said. “You have to work hard. It makes them proud of themselves when they score those points or earn that award for all-academic team or all district team.”

That teamwork looks different in a small town, she says.

“If you’ve never been part of a small school, you’re missing out,” Smith said. “The relationships you build with your teachers, coaches, students and community, that’s what makes us unique.”

That’s why the Support Her Sole donation is about so much more than the funds, Murphy and Smith said. The leaders of the Lady Pilots excited to share the story of their passionate, resilient, and remarkably mighty athletes with the world.

“A lot of the time, we’re just overlooked and forgotten,” Murphy said. “People are missing out, not knowing the great things going on here. We’re over the rooftop excited.”

Smith agreed, explaining that the secret to their success is a mix of sisterhood and heart.

“We’re very competitive; but it’s about teaching them to be more responsible, do what’s right, and be positive,” he said. “My girls work very hard. They know that once they step into the gym, it’s all about getting better. When they put that uniform on, they represent the school, the town, their family and themselves.”

“I love coaching at Fulton County,” he said. “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Congratulations to Fulton County High School on being a Support Her Sole recipient.