Celebrating high school sports and the man who loved them

As we celebrated Memorial Day earlier this week, I'd like to pay tribute to the man who influenced me most - not only as a person, but as a sportswriter and editor.

Many of our newspaper readers will remember my father, Jack Ogden. He was a sportswriter and executive sports editor here for decades. He hired me to work the part-time desk nearly 40 years ago, 'offering” me a job when I decided not to play basketball my junior year of high school.

It was, to this day, one of the best offers I've ever received. I found I had a passion not only sports, but for telling stories about the games and the people, as well.

My father loved people and taught me to show respect and kindness to all.

He also loved sports and the people who played them. He enjoyed the bigger events we sometimes get to work, like bowl games and or maybe even a professional event. He especially enjoyed the Indianapolis 500, which was contested Sunday.

But his real passion was for the high school athlete and the games they played, as well as the coaches who mentored them.

It's a passion I share and a philosophy that still runs through what we do at The Gazette. While sports at the University of Iowa, especially football and men's basketball, rule in Eastern Iowa, high school sports are a close second.

The Gazette has carried on his legacy through our coverage of weekly games, state championships and stories about boys and girls who take to the fields or courts every day, striving to be the best they can be.

I bring this up today not only to remember his influence, but also to promote our Athlete of the Year awards.

We will, once again, honor two senior athletes this summer who epitomize all that we cherish - talented individuals who have worked hard to reach great heights for themselves and their schools and teams while also being outstanding people off the fields and courts.

The annual award bears my father's name. He inspired this honor and it's only fair to share his story, his passion for what it means.

The nomination process has closed, but Jeff Linder - another person who cares deeply for the high school athlete - assures me if you get your athletes' names to us by today we will include them in our voting. We will vote at the end of the week.

We will announce the finalist in the July 2 paper and the winners on July 9.

There are many deserving athletes in our circulation area and we'd hate to forget even one. So take some today and send Linder the names and resumes of the top athletes at your schools. You can email him at jeff.linder@thegazette.com

As long as I have at least a partial say in what goes in these pages each day, high school sports will always be important at The Gazette, not only as a tribute to my father and others who have worked here over the years, but as a service to you, our readers, who still enjoy the stories of these remarkable athletes.

l Comments: (319 368-8696; jr.ogden@thegazette.com