Before a single pitch was thrown at this year’s Native Classic Softball Tournament, players, coaches, family members and members of the Poarch Creek Indians Tribal Fire Department lined the baselines at Field No. 1 in Poarch for a moment of remembrance. The pregame ceremony honored Ronnie Ray “Pookie” Jackson, a longtime tribal leader and beloved figure in the local baseball and softball community who died shortly after last year’s tournament wrapped up.
The tribute marked one of the most visible community gatherings in Poarch this summer, drawing together generations of families connected through youth sports, tribal service and years of shared memories on the diamond.
Who Was Ronnie ‘Pookie’ Jackson
Jackson wore several hats throughout his years of service to the Poarch Creek community. He served as the tribe’s fire chief, leading the Poarch Creek Indians Tribal Fire Department, and he also held a seat on Tribal Council, giving him a direct hand in shaping decisions that affected the community he loved. Alongside that public service, Jackson was a fixture at the ballfields, coaching, mentoring and supporting youth and adult baseball and softball players for years.
That dual legacy of civic service and sports mentorship is part of why his death, coming not long after the close of the 2025 Native Classic Softball Tournament, hit the community so hard. For many who play in the tournament each year, Jackson was not just an organizer or a familiar face at the fence — he was, as longtime player Mal McGhee put it, a “baseball hero.”
A Ceremony Rooted in Community
The pregame tribute brought out a wide cross-section of the Poarch Creek community. Family members stood alongside teammates and coaches who had played for or with Jackson over the years, while members of the Tribal Fire Department turned out in a show of solidarity with the department’s late chief. The gathering along the baselines reflected how deeply Jackson’s influence stretched across both the tribe’s public safety operations and its recreational sports programs.
Moments like this are common at the Native Classic Softball Tournament, an event that has grown into a signature gathering for the Poarch Creek Indians and visiting Native softball teams from across the region. The tournament combines competitive play with cultural connection, giving families a reason to travel to Poarch, reconnect with relatives and friends, and celebrate community identity through sport.
A Lasting Memorial
To ensure Jackson’s contributions are remembered well beyond this year’s tournament, tribal officials placed a permanent memorial near the concession stand at the sports complex, detailing his years of service and his impact on the community. In an even more lasting tribute, the athletic complex itself has been renamed the Ronnie Ray Jackson “Pookie” Memorial Sports Complex, cementing his name into the fabric of Poarch’s recreational and civic life for years to come.
The renaming ensures that every team that steps onto the fields in Poarch — whether for the Native Classic Softball Tournament or another local event — will do so on a complex that carries Jackson’s name and legacy forward.
Poarch’s Place in Escambia County
Poarch is home to the Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Alabama’s only federally recognized Native American tribe, located in Escambia County near Atmore. The tribe operates its own government, public safety departments and community services, including the Tribal Fire Department that Jackson once led. Community events such as the Native Classic Softball Tournament play an important role in tribal life, offering a chance to celebrate athletic tradition while reinforcing bonds among tribal members, neighboring communities and visiting Native teams.
For residents across Escambia County and the greater Poarch and Atmore area, the tribute to Jackson is a reminder of how deeply intertwined public service and community sport can become in a small, tight-knit region — and how a single figure’s dedication to both can leave a mark that outlasts a single tournament season.