Court officer inspired by 'Rocket Boys' story is profiled by Hickam.

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama USA — It shouldn't be any surprise. "Rocket Boys" has produced some offspring.

In 2000, local author Homer Hickam's story of a boy coming of age in the coal-mining town of Coalwood, W.Va., and finding a way out through building model rockets became the hit movie "October Sky."

Many were inspired by the story, including Ron Witherspoon, the subject of an article in today's Parade magazine, "Where spirits & rockets soar." Hickam writes about Witherspoon and his "Birmingham Rocket Boys."

"I was introduced to model rockets when I moved to California in the '70s and returned home in 1985 and introduced my best friend, Trennon Nickerson, to the hobby," said Witherspoon, 57, who is youth minister at his church and has been a juvenile officer for the Jefferson County Family Court for 18 years. "Trennon worked at the city of Birmingham's north landfill and asked permission from his boss for us to fly our rockets there, which he approved.

"After many years of making and flying rockets, in 2003 I was given the movie 'October Sky' as a gift. Homer's true-life story in the movie inspired and motivated Trennon and I to use our model rocketry knowledge and skills to introduce kids to our hobby."

Witherspoon enlisted Chuck Pierce and Vince Huegele, two NASA engineers from Marshall Space Flight Center, and founded the Birmingham Rocket Boys. The goal is to teach at-risk kids and adults to build and safely fly model rockets and to instill something positive into their lives. He's done that, introducing his program to hundreds of kids and adults at schools and Boy and Girl Scout troops.

"I love kids and have been working with them most of my life as a parent, church minister and juvenile officer, and the Rocket Boys club is just another avenue that affords me an opportunity to work with them," Witherspoon said.

"I believe that in all kids everywhere there is potential for greatness and that we should strive to bring out the best in them and inspire them to aim high in life and to reach for the stars."

Witherspoon met Homer and Linda Hickam at a 2004 book signing in Guntersville. He told the Hickams how the book had inspired him to start the club. Hickam was inspired by Witherspoon and has been a big supporter of the club.

"I think Parade, with its large and varied audience, is the perfect venue for a story about an American hero like Ron Witherspoon," Hickam said. "It's past time we as a country admired people like Ron, rather than the overhyped celebrities we see on television and in the movies.

"I hope the Parade article will show parents and teachers at least one way to steer their kids toward careers in science and engineering. Rocketry is fun, and so is being a scientist or engineer."

Copyright © 2007 — The Huntsville Times