It’s a hug on a tough day, a breakfast treat before takeoff, an image that captures a memory, a note of encouragement that helps someone face the daunting challenge of professional fishing’s fierce competition.
Joy is something you spread to others, but you can only do that when joy — the most genuine meaning of the word — lives within you. Fittingly, Joy Gee embodies this truth with a sincerity punctuated by a meaningful milestone.
Joy brought third-year Bassmaster Elite Robert Gee into this world on January 19, 1999. Since that day, she has affectionately called her son Buddy.
“My husband and I had been married 15 years before we had Robert,” Joy said. “When I first looked at him, I said, ‘Oh my goodness, I finally have my little buddy.’
“Most of us in the family call him Buddy and, in my phone, I have a group of friends that I text about Robert’s tournaments and it’s called Team Buddy.”
Nearly three decades of loving support has rewarded Joy with numerous memories of her son’s success, from leading Tennessees Christian Academy to the 2017 high school baseball state championship, to earning a Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture and Agribusiness Economics from the University of Tennessee, to earning his place on competitive fishing’s most prestigious roster.
Attending every Elite event, Joy wisely gives her son his adult space, but a mother’s commitment stands as dependable as each day’s sunrise. She’ll keep the snacks and Gatorade stocked, but it’s the motivational messages that matter most.
“I have never missed a day of sending him words of encouragement, mostly bible verses,” Joy said. “Often, I’ll find a photo by one of the Bassmaster photographers and put a bible verse over it and text it to him before takeoff so he has that before he gets going.”
A Natural Inclination
Often we hear anglers refer to a certain family member as their biggest cheerleader. Each one, no doubt, merits that term of endearment, but for Joy Gee, it’s been a lifetime in the making.
“My father was a junior high football coach and at the age of 2 or 3, I became a little cheerleader for his team,” she said. “That just became part of who I was. Even though I have a Masters Degree in English, cheerleading became my career.
“Until I officially retired a few years back, I was the Spirit/Cheerleading Coach and director of the dancers and mascots at the University of Tennessee.”
Recognizing her stellar achievements, which include leading the UT Spirit Team to several national titles, the Andrews High School Athletics Hall of Fame inducted Joy into the class of 2016. Notably, she’s the only cheerleader to hold that honor.
What’s In a Name?
Born in the Western North Carolina town of Andrews, about 90 miles from her home in Knoxville, Tn., Joy grew up on Nantahala Lake. That’s where her parents still live and it’s where she and her husband Robert maintain a vacation home.
Cool connection: Joy’s son used to spend summers with his grandparents, so Nantahala is where he fell in love with fishing. Joy’s more of a casual angler, but she fondly remembers catching panfish and redeye bass with nightcrawlers and a Zebco spincast outfit.
Something else she’s fond of — her name. And let’s quickly usher any hint of vanity right out the door. It’s not about ego; it’s about authenticity.
“I really do like my name,” Joy said. “I appreciate my parents choosing the name Joy, and I’ve always applied this philosophy: JOY stands for Jesus first, others second, and yourself last.
“I believe my parents instilled that, because that’s the kind of folks they area. If I can be helpful or cheerful or offer others some joy, that’s what I try to do. There’s no ulterior motive.”
There is, however, a strong sense of legacy.
“My mom is the queen of giving and caring,” Joy said. “I aspire to be just 1% like her.”
Walk the Walk
Ask around Robert Gee’s circle of friends, from his baseball years to his professional fishing career, and you’ll find plenty who’ll tell you that Joy is hitting the mark. So much so that she’s warmly known as “Mama Gee.”
“That gives me tears of joy,” she said of her treasured title. “I think that originated with the boys from the University of Tennessee’s bass team. It was a club and not officially endorsed as a sport, so they didn’t have a coach or coordinator. They were kinda on their own.
“I was fortunate to be retired, so I could afford the time to assist them with lodging and after they got to their (tournament sites), I would bring them food. They just adopted that name, so I have the UT bass team to thank. It just gradually moved on to the Opens and Elites.”
Extending the Mama Gee love to other Tennessee college teams, Joy often sent tournament photos to several competitors beyond her son’s team. Such acts of kindness may seem modest at the time — until you learn their impact.
Case in point: Joy had sent a handful of photos to one of the competitors. After a couple of tournaments, the young man approached her with a heartfelt message that crystalized the motivation.
“He said, ‘I just want you to know how much I appreciate you. I just wish my mom could be at all the tournaments like you,’” Joy recalls. “I don’t share that arrogantly, I just say it because I was so blessed to be able to, not only offer my son support, but also to help other competitors.”
A few more examples:
During tournament travel, Joy’s son rooms with fellow Elites Cody Huff, Logan Parks and John Garrett. She deeply appreciates the anglers’ wives keeping her son fed, but bringing the occasional dinner gives the families a break.
Elsewhere, Joy happened to learn that one of the Elites enjoys honey buns. Bringing this sweet treat to takeoff starts the angler’s day with a smile.
Creature comforts and small indulgences matter, but sometimes a professional angler simply needs a safe space.
“If Tim Dube doesn’t have such a good day, or even on good days, he’ll come up to me and say, ‘I just need a Mama Gee hug,’” Joy said. “That makes me feel useful and helpful.”
Lead By Example
Joy said her proudest mom moment came after the Elite at Smith Lake during her son’s rookie year. With a victory within reach, fate had other plans, but success is less predicated on what happens, than how we respond to it.
“Robert was in the lead going into Sunday and my husband and I thought, ‘Wow, this could be it.’ Then, (eventual winner) Taku Ito caught that 5-pound, 12-ounce bass at like 2 o’clock. I was happy for him, but I thought, ‘How is Robert gonna manage this?’
“Trophies tarnish, but your character doesn’t. Later that afternoon, we were alone and I said ‘How are you doing?’ He said ‘Mom, I didn’t lose, Taku just beat me.’ As a mom, I was very proud.”
This is where Joy Gee points to another acronymic reference; one that she often uses to encourage her son and anyone else who needs it.
“JOY also stands for Just Outdo Yourself,’” she said. “As a parent of a Bassmaster Elite angler, obviously everyone has aspirations for a blue trophy or the Bassmaster Classic, but you have to define your own level of success and I try to not label an Elite Classic win as the only two achievements of success.
“God has a plan for Robert, whether this lasts 10 years or a lifetime. He’s blessed to be living his dream. If the blue trophy or the Classic trophy comes, our definition of success will have a new meaning, but until then we’ll continue to Just Outdo ourselves.”
