Berg inducted into Missouri Sports HOF

Peggy Berg and her high school teammates were recently inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame for their efforts in basketball. Berg is a Harlan resident and works at the Kohorst & Fischer Law Firm.
“It was truly a surprise and honor to be recognized for our achievements that occurred approximately 50 years ago,” Berg said. “Although I’m just ‘grandma’ to my granddaughter, Harper, she now knows I along with my teammates were inducted into the hall of fame, and I hope this is an inspiration to her as she begins her journey in sports.”
During the ceremony, some famous sports figures were in attendance including Carl Petersen, the former manager of the Kansas City Chiefs, along with Lorenzo Cain, former Major League Baseball player and 2015 World Series Champion with the Kansas City Royals.
Berg had the opportunity to be close with them during the ceremony as they both congratulated her.
“It was humbling to be honored with the two icons from professional sports and you could tell that they were equally honored to be inducted by their emotional acceptance speeches,” she said. “It was awesome to be congratulated by both of them as I left the stage.”
Berg said they didn’t lose a home game her senior season.
“I think what made those years so successful was that we had the same coach all those years, Coach Claude Sampson, who was also inducted in 1990, and our motivation and confidence came from within ourselves as a team and we were expected to win,” Berg said. “It came down to a culture of winning and a coach who believed in strong basic fundamentals.”
With all the success Berg had during high school, she does have a fond memory that sticks out more than others.
“Being a starter all four years of high school and my senior year we went 32-0 with a State Title and being presented the state trophy as a senior,” Berg added. “We always had a great following and it was awesome to see that sight in the stands. My mom and dad came to every game.”
Even though her time in basketball ended roughly five decades back, Berg still maintains a strong relationship with her teammates, some of which were in attendance at the ceremony.
“We came from a tight knit small community and my sister, Patty, was on the team as well as first cousins,” she said. “31 attended the induction ceremony. It was truly a reunion.”
Berg believes playing sports taught her some life lessons along the way, including practicing good sportsmanship.
“I believe the competitive spirit from sports can roll over into a person’s daily life to help you succeed in other endeavors,” Berg added. “I also believe being a good sport is important whether you win or lose. Our coach instilled sportsmanship in us. We not only won championships, but sportsmanship awards as well. Team sports also teaches you to cooperate with others to achieve your goals.”
With cell phones being such a distraction for the younger generations, Berg has some advice for any kids who have aspirations of playing basketball in order to achieve success.
“My advice to a young kid is to put away their phone and practice as much as they can; shooting, dribbling, no look passes and conditioning,” she said. “If the effort is put in, the reward will be confidence and helping your team to succeed.”