By Diane Glidewell
dglidewell@jacksonprogress-argus.com

Twenty-two-year-old Kendra Appling, who is better known as “Peaches” in Butts County, accepted an opportunity to pursue her dream of playing professional basketball which has taken her many time zones away from home. On February 22, she received an offer to play for Orlan Simferopol in the Ukraine; by 3:35 p.m. on February 25 she was boarding a plane on her way to becoming part of a Ukrainian women’s professional basketball team.

Appling attended Tennessee State University on a basketball scholarship; she graduated with a degree in Mass Communications in May after four years of outstanding play as a Tiger, including being a team captain for all four years and being named to the All Ohio Valley conference first team. At Tennessee State, Appling scored a total of 1,595 points, had 331 assists, and 466 rebounds.

She had hoped for a spot in the WNBA and was 39th in the 2009 draft, but only 20 players were drafted. She was invited to try out for the WNBA in April in San Antonio, but her current contract in the Ukraine extends through the end of the season in May.

Playing overseas was also a dream for Appling, and she previously had a chance to sample the basketball scene in Europe on an athletic tour during the summer of 2008.

Appling is the daughter of William and Sandra Appling of Jackson. She began playing team basketball at the age of nine at the Butts County Parks and Recreation Department. It was not long before she began practicing with the Jackson High School team in the summers, even before she was eligible to play officially at the middle school.

Her love for basketball continued as she played as a Henderson Middle School Tiger and a JHS Lady Devil. She also played AAU basketball and played on school softball and track and field teams. Recently she helped coach the 2010 HMS basketball teams while she was home in Jackson.

Her Orlan Simferopol team has been struggling a bit, currently holding a 4-18 record for the season, but the addition of Appling to the team should be a boost. She was eligible to begin playing March 5.

She has eagerly taken on the challenge of a country where she does not know anyone and does not know the language. She is the first American to play on the team.

“They put her in her own apartment,” said her mother. “She called me at 4 a.m. as she was getting out of practice because it’s seven hours ahead of us.”

Peaches may not be able to converse with her teammates in their native language, yet, but she is fluent in the language of basketball.