Thanking those who make prep sports special
Giving thanks should be a year-round activity.
This is the one day of the year dedicated specifically to it. The concept of this column may be as stale as week-old pumpkin pie, but the timing is perfect.
An initial standing ovation of thanks is due the point people in high school athletic departments. These administrative assistants or “athletic secretaries” give the preps writer a cadre of go-to personnel who get things done.
Need a head shot of an athlete for player of the week or all-area? Nearly all the time the secretary is the person who hunts that down. There are so many aspects of this job these people make easier. Much of it eventually makes the paper one way or another.
There are the athletic directors. When swamped, the phone is your friend, voice mail the enemy. Here's to those athletic directors never more than a few push buttons away who kindly provide their time and help.
Same thing for coaches. Nothing like a coach you can reach either in the office or, when need be, will accept calls at home.
Coaches are the link between the beat writer and the school. Meaningful relationships of trust and friendship develop over time with these folks. They sincerely care not only how well an offensive guard can lead a tailback through the hole, but how well the offensive guard executes in class and if he is enjoying life at home.
We're thankful for that army of contacts out there parents, neighbors, sports information directors, local graduates who extend a wealth of story ideas. E-mail is a boon in the contacts department when utilized by supportive folks who can also offer well-meaning and constructive criticism as well as provide a story lead.
A few specifics... We must be thankful for those athletic programs that bring so much excitement not only to the writer but to their high schools and communities at large. Some will be on display this weekend in Champaign Wheaton Warrenville South, Marmion and Montini all are shooting for state football titles for their proud communities. Naperville North, Lisle, Rosary, Hinsdale Central and WW South were among those that provided great storylines in other fall sports.
Football is, undeniably, king in these parts. Yet thanks and respect are accorded the so-called “minor sports” which, in fact, are not minor at all in terms of commitment, reward and accomplishment.
Tell the athletes on the swim teams of Marmion, Rosary, Downers Grove North, Neuqua Valley and Naperville North, or the tennis players of Hinsdale Central how minor their sports are. Then duck.
We give thanks for the simple joy and dedication athletes from all walks of life extend to their teams, and to themselves. Marmion football player T.J. Lally broke his hand in Week 2 and never left the field. Not that game, not this season. Montini linebacker Doug Diedrick is playing for a state football title with a torn ACL.
“I didn't want to let my teammates down,” Diedrick said. Commitment like that is a big reason Montini is still playing.
Brian McKeown was voted captain of the Lake Park golf team. He tore ligaments in his right ring finger the morning before his second match. Using an eight-finger grip and hitting the range for hours to improve his short game, McKeown led his team to a regional championship, medaled in six of eight invites and was voted the Lancers' most valuable golfer.
Every school has athletes with a transcendent story similar to Brian's. We thank those athletes and coaches who devour adversity like so many helpings of mashed potatoes.
We're thankful for sportsmanship on the field and in the stands; for the lessons that are available to those open to receive them. Team and “individual” athletics contain secrets, revealed from within, perfect to tap long after the pads get turned in for the last time.
No matter what the field, court or course it's competed upon, it's only a game. And it's so much more.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading.