Aimee Tilley defines a South of the River girl. Growing up on a cattle farm, she brought farm-girl toughness to the basketball court. Aimee was a part of the great Lady Waves teams in the early ‘90s. Listed on her Lady Waves resume are 2 District Championships, 2 Region Championships, and a trip to Middle Tennessee for the State Tournament her junior year were they won the Sub-State Championship. While wearing the #14, Aimee could defend anyone baseline to baseline, all while partially blocking out the noise coming from Coach Hayes on the sidelines.
Section I: Aimee Tilley Moore, where are you now?
I currently live in Vernon, CT with my husband of 2 years, Brian Moore. Imagine that, I moved 1,000 miles away to meet a Moore!! I currently work as a Compliance Analyst for an international reinsurance company called Alea North America. My husband is employed with the University of Connecticut where he graduated.
Section II: Q & A
SORSN: Rumor has it after graduating from Tennessee Technology University you relocated to accept a position on Geno Auriemma’s staff at the University of Connecticut? Can you shed some light on this rumor and the former employment situation with the Huskies? Are you aware of how much Geno Auriemma is disliked by those SOR? Rebecca Lobo?
Aimee: Yes. The rumor is true, in the name of capitalism; I took a job with the rival of rivals, University of Connecticut. I will make it clear that it was food service, not the athletic department. Also, our department was not allowed to provide any meals to the girls’ team, per Geno. I was very much aware of both SOR’s dislike for Geno and my coworker’s and employers’ dislike for Pat. I believe Holdsclaw was as disliked as Lobo. The only ties I currently have with the University are through my husband who both works and graduated with this Institution.
SORSN: During your basketball career at Midway High School you became known as a defensive stopper. To what do you contribute your defensive prowess on the basketball court? How much of your overall skills do you contribute to the legendary summertime battles with your much larger brother, Travis and former Midway High school star father, Larry?
Aimee: My whole defensive game was built around trying to keep my “much larger” brother and superstar father from scoring “down at the shed”. Having been the shortest of my family, it was always an uphill climb. Please note, my brother did not have these defensive skills and was schooled on a daily basis by my offensive prowess.
SORSN: Tell us about growing up South of the River? Some of your best memories of wearing the Green and White of Midway High School? Do you keep in touch with anyone from those days?
Aimee: Some of my greatest memories are at Midway High School. I love to see the look on people’s faces, including my husbands, when I tell them I graduated with 36 people. I then have to explain that some of our class believed they would receive a better education by going “north” to Roane County High School.
Some of my best memories are: (1) summer practices and basketball camps, (2) going to the state tournament my junior year with the “Fab Five”, (3) Coach Ruffner throwing me out in the hall for talking and Coach Hayes finding me out there. (Needless to say, I had many lunches with Coach Hayes and Mr. Woody in the early days.) (4) Always asking Coach Branson for his shoelaces and him giving them to me. (5) We were playing Vonore my freshmen year and were so far ahead that Coach Hayes gave me the nod. Vonore had a speaker system that called the plays and the name of the player who had scored. It was right before halftime and Judy Moore through me a “bomb” on a fast break and fortunately I scored the easy lay-up. As I was running back down the court just before the horn sounded, my name was called, and I proceeded to trip on none other than Kelly Collier’s leg (she still denies this) and fell in the middle of center court right as my illustrious name was being called to announce that I had scored 2 points for the Waves. Coach Branson laughed the whole time in the locker room during halftime, to the point that Coach Hayes almost asked him to leave!! I was alright though. A few years later, when I was on crutches, this happened to the unsuspecting Lorna Cade at a Meigs County game. (Again Coach Branson was sitting next to me.) Lorna tripped over my crutches so hard, it moved both mine and Coach Branson’s chairs. I think she was all right as well.
There are several more, but I could write a book of all of them. I keep in touch with several people or have my Mother and Father give me updates: Dewayna Plemons, Susannah Johnson, CaSonya Stout, Michael Rose, Lance Easter, Kristi McKeown, Eric Stone, Lance Wheaton, Jon Helton, Trevor Davis, Kelley Collier
SORSN: You played for legendary Coach Mike Hayes at Midway. We understand you are also now a New York Yankee fan (ugh)? Could the support of the Yankees be the only thing that you and Coach Hayes ever agreed on? Tell us a bit about summer basketball camps under Coach Hayes. Do you see similarities between the program under Auriemma at UConn and the basketball program in the 1980’s and 1990’s at Midway High School under Coach Hayes? Could you elaborate upon a story involving yourself, another Lady Waves’ baby doll and some rope?
Aimee: I am, by right of passage, a huge NY Yankee’s fan. And yes, I do believe that may be the only thing Coach Hayes and I will ever agree on. Summer basketball camps with Coach Hayes could be made into a made-for-TV-movie. The other coaches almost called Social Services on him for breaking many Child Labor Laws. All kidding aside, those were some great times and looking back on it as an adult, he had about as much patience as any man could have with that many 14-18 year olds. I do see similarities in Coach Hayes and Geno. I do believe that Geno may have more hair than Coach at this point in time!! But a dynasty he did helm during that great time. As for the story involving rope, myself, and another Lady Wave; that will just have to wait till my memoirs are published.
SORSN: SORSN.com owner and editor is expecting his first child very soon. Coach Mike Hayes, who is also his neighbor, has been asked to be the Nanny and has listed you as a reference. Would you recommend him?
Aimee: If the child is a boy, maybe, he did seem to do an OK job with Josh (with a lot of Cindy’s influence). If the child is a girl, I would have to say nay (see my description on Child Labor Laws). The poor child would be locked in a basement until the age of 20.
SORSN: Your dad, Larry Tilley, has long employed some of SOR’s finest young men during the summer months of hay hauling. Any stories you can share about tractor driving, snakes, wasp’s nest or Coach Glenn Wheaton? Does Larry Tilley keep a hay hauling story “Hall of Fame”?
Aimee: I didn’t get a lot of experience working in the hay with the guys, but from what I hear, the stories were legendary. I only drove the tractor when Charlie Fitch, John Mac, or Johnny McMurray all called-in sick, which if any of you have heard those names, never happened. I do remember tales of Coach Wheaton being the frailest of the bunch and my Dad having to keep an eye on him in case of a heat stroke. He also had a habit of eating Todd’s candy bars and then feeling bad about it. The hall of fame consists of all the “employees” coming back the next day after Dad telling them that he would just pay them at the end of the week. If they came back, they had the status of John Wayne.
SORSN: New York City is a long way from growing up SOR. Can you tell us some of your favorite things about the Big Apple? Ever run into Jerry Seinfeld? Hang out on the couch at Central Perk with Friends? Ever see any members of the Mafia?
Aimee: NYC is a wonderful city and for any of you folks that would like to venture there, I would be happy to be your guide. I have not scene the likes of Jerry Seinfeld or hung out on the couch at Central Perk. I have however, sited Al Sharpton, Anne Heche, and Neil Patrick Harris (aka Doogie Howser). My biggest claim to fame is riding on the subway back from a Yankees’ game and sharing a bench with Curt Schilling and Rick Helling. The Yank’s had just kicked their you know what (with the current Bomber’s southpaw Randy Johnson pitching). Really nice guy, got to shake his hand and a New Yorker actually took our picture with him and sent it to us. Who says New Yorker’s are not nice? I have not met any members of the Mafia, but I did overhear a conversation on the train of someone finding a horse’s head in their bed one morning, hmmmm….
SORSN: Not sure if you’re aware of this or not but SOR has recently been referred to as the Big Apple of east Tennessee. Multiple storage facilities (one owned by Midway’s very own Preston Woody), home garbage pick up, and city water were once considered only something that could be found further north but are now luxuries that can be seen south of the river. Could you ever see SOR becoming the tourist destination that New York is now? If you were giving a New Yorker directions on must visit destinations in SOR what would they be?
Aimee: SOR could indeed become the next big thing. My directions would be said something like this on getting to my childhood home: “Go about a mile or so down the road, (now it’s going to be about 2 miles the way the crow flies), you’ll come to this road called Grigsby Hollow Road, or it could be called Suck Egg Hollow Road, whichever the sign reads at the time. Now you’re not going to take this road, you’re going to take the road across from it that is actually a county road but unpaved. Take that road for about 1 mile until you have no choice but to stop. There you are.
Destinations that are must sees: 1.) Fire tower on my Daddy’s land 2.) Southwest Point Golf Course 3.) The greasy spoon at the junction 4.) Our illustrious school 5.) Anglers’ Cove campground (where adulthood begins!!!)
SORSN: You once ran the clubhouse at the most prime real estate SOR, Southwest Point Golf Course. Please tell us how that experience prepared you for life in the working world.
Aimee: I’ve learned that having a real job just plain sucks!!!! Also, that friends come to visit you a lot more at a golf course than they do at an insurance company
SORSN: Any advice for any of our younger readers who are considering their futures after graduation?
Aimee:
– Live each day to the fullest
– Know that life after high school is very different and that one must apply themselves on a completely other level than before.
– Know that things, including respect and being well liked, are not given to you, you must earn them.
– Always remember, it is great to be successful, but make sure the costs do not cause you to be successfully unhappy.
– Whether college or starting a career are the plans right out of high school, it is never too late to change your mind.
SORSN: And lastly can you tell us what ever happened to the green El Camino?
Aimee: Contentedly awaiting to be refurbished once my Dad retires. It always amazed me how everyone enjoyed riding in the thing!!