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Freda Malone (left) and Rhonda Ward double check the rosters prior to a Western Texas College basketball game at The Coliseum. Malone has been operating the shot clock at WTC games for several years and watched her daughter, Zoi, play for the Lady Westerners.
Freda Malone admits she loves Snyder. She grew up here and raised her two children here. She helps organizations whenever possible.
Malone can be seen at the basketball scorer’s table at The Coliseum each time Western Texas College plays. Some may wonder what she is doing with a clicker in her hand. She is the official shot clock operator for the junior college games.
“I love watching these games,” Malone said.
The day after a game, Malone will tell her students at Snyder Primary School about the game. She is a physical education aide at the school.
“They always ask me if they can play basketball,” she said. “They want to play.”
One of Malone’s proudest moments was watching her two children, Xavier and Zoi, compete in athletics.
“They did everything from all-stars to travel teams,” she said.
Both of her children had the opportunity to compete on the collegiate level — Xavier at Texas Tech in football for one year and Zoi at WTC in basketball.
“That was one of my proudest moments was watching her play here,” Malone said of Zoi’s two years playing for the Lady Westerners.
Her children are working on degrees and Zoi will graduate in December from the University of Texas at Arlington. Xavier is a junior at West Texas A&M University.
But Malone is not far behind. She is taking online classes through Ashford University and will graduate in May 2018 with a degree in elementary education.
“That has been my lifelong dream,” Malone said of a career in teaching.
Malone also instilled in her children a strong faith in God. She and her family, including her husband, Norman, are members of the Apostolic Church of Jesus Christ.
“I am a proud Christian and wanted my children to have a trust in God,” Malone said.
She said Snyder has been good to her family and is proud call it home.
“Snyder is a great place to live and raise a family. There are great people living here,” she said.