In honor of Black History Month, the Times will be bringing you feature stories over the next few weeks about some people of our past. All stories were compiled by Roberta Vincent.

Darlene “Tubby” (Jenkins) Fonville

During Black History Month, we remember Darlene “Tubby” (Jenkins) Fonville, an unsung sports enthusiast who didn’t generate headlines but excelled in basketball, softball and volleyball as a player and coach. Her given name is Darlene but to those who know and love her she is known as “Tubby.”

Born in Norwich, she attended Elizabeth Street School, John B. Stanton and Kelly Junior High School.

Tubby is a 1970 graduate of NFA where she played intramural basketball, softball and volleyball for four years, also running track. Interscholastic sports for girls were not available at that time. She believes that the protections of Title IX, the gender equity law passed in 1972, is most famous for its impact on expanding opportunities for women and girls in sports.

Women are as competitive as men!

After graduating, she attended Eastern Connecticut State College, majoring in sociology. In her second year ECSC, she started its first women’s basketball team, the Warriors.

Her coach was Julie Bradley, and they competed again such teams as Connecticut College and Western Connecticut State College. This was her first time playing organized basketball; she played forward, but was not a starter. They had set plays which were all new to her, but she loved basketball. She left in 1972, worked at Capehart and returned to ECSU 20 years later to receive her degree in social work.

In 1975, she started coaching softball, for the youth, at Fitzgerald Field, St. Peter & Paul and Otrobando Avenue where she won the championship. In 1977, Norwich started a women’s softball league at Hamilton Avenue, where she played for three years.

During this period, the league moved to Jenkins Park. She played for Ortronics Inc. and Sportsman AC, where her brother Mickey was the coach. She played for four or five years.

When other towns started women’s softball teams, she played for the Hot Mamas in Baltic, Farmer’s Club in Colchester, Black Elks in New London and the Electric Boat league in Groton.

In 1975, she started her employment at EB, where she worked for 25 years as a first-class welder before retiring. In 1986, she was awarded the Dorothy Bliven Award for softball and volleyball, which is presented to an outstanding woman athlete who has contributed to promoting and accomplishing the programs of the Electric Boat Athletic Club.

On April 25, 1987, Tubby was honored as the EBAC’s Female Athlete of the Year.

Manager Calvin McCoy stated: “She has a good team spirit, sportsmanship, aggressive baserunning and is a team motivator with leadership qualities on and off the field.”

On April 26, 1987, Donna Tommelleo, a Norwich Bulletin editor, wrote an article titled: “Norwich’s Fonville finally gets her due.” She is listed as a gifted athlete who led her EBAC softball team to a 12-4 record, batting .600.

“EB’s award served two purposes: It recognized a deserving individual and made history a little easier to swallow.”

When she relocated to Uncasville with her husband Vouise Sr., Vouise Jr. and two daughters Dina and Fallyn, she continued coaching. She coached the fifth grade softball team at Mohegan Elementary School, which her son Vouise played on.

Her son always stated that he gets his athletic ability from his mom. Three residents — Vouise Sr., Mike Bianchi and Stan Gwudz — started the first league for Montville basketball at the Murphy Middle School; Tubby was the girls’ head coach for several years.

At the age of 40, Tubby played volleyball in two leagues in Norwich: Mahan School and Kelly Junior High, and three years in Lisbon.

She played for several years in the “One-Pitch” Jimmy Fund Softball Tournament in Washington Park in Groton.

Tubby treasures her three team jackets: Nice Sets, New London 1987 Rec. Champs and 1977 Norwich Women’s Softball League and Playoff Champ. From 2012 to 2016 Tubby was one of the half-time “Mohegan Senior Sun Dancers.” One may have witnessed the 5-foot-7 athlete on the Mohegan Sun Jumbotron, during basketball timeouts, “getting her groove on,” as they play music to entertain the fans.

Tubby loves the New England Patriots, Tom Brady, women’s college volleyball, fast pitch; and admires and respects the accomplishments of Pat Summitt, late coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team.

Bolt Molta, ECSU sports information director, recently interviewed Tubby and teammate Laura Winzler Aldridge for ECSU Warriors “Women’s Basketball Celebrates 50th Anniversary Season in 2020-2021” publication.

Nearing 70, she is still shooting hoops, throwing a football, waist hooping and walking four miles. One might ponder how a 10-year-old tomboy at Thamesville Playground who played basketball with her brothers Jimmy and Mickey could evolve into such an exceptional athlete, but she needs no accolades to “SHINE.”

Roberta J. Vincent lives in New London, where she is president of the St. Anthony Chapel Foundation. She is also a member of the Norwich Arts Center Board, NFA Alumni Board and Norwich Lions.