Oh The (Planning) Drama - A Fan's Perspective

Thursday...It's almost the end of the week, and that first round game is looming. The school must make Oh-So-Many decisions and plans in such a short amount of time. A State Tournament Bid is likely a logistics nightmare for a little tiny school...but I suspect it's one they are secretly not all that sorry to have to deal with.Still , in addition to making sure the team is accommodated, there is the school day to configure, ticket sales to deal with, transportation to arrange for the team, and for the fans, in the form of a pep bus (or two...or three) Cheerleader transport, a community pep rally, and special tee shirts to whip up. This year, The IGHSAU threw in an extra curve and invited pep bands, (but not for free, the kids have to buy tickets) to play...so add that to the mix, all of needing to be organized, finalized and carried out in 7 days...and you've got yourself serious drama.Somehow though, it will all get done. Some people will be unhappy, some will be mad, some will be thrilled, and most will never care one way or the other, because it will all occur outside their line of vision, and all they will know is the thrill of victory or the agony of defeat.It's a VERY BIG deal for a little school to make it to a State Tourney. VERY BIG. The entire community become emotionally invested in the process, the team, and the outcome. This year, (as last) The Mayor will issue an official city proclamation honoring the basketball team, for their contribution to the city of Springville. The town will all but go dark for the games. (In 1975 the Springville Boys team advanced to the State Tournament. That first game was played early in the day. If you had come to town for any business, you'd have seen store windows and doors with big hand lettered signs reading "CLOSED, Gone to State!" on them. Our boys lost that game in triple overtime by 1 point. To those of us who were a part of that moment, it is fresh in our memories, despite happening over 30 years ago.  In a small town, a trip to the state tourney is MONUMENTAL.)That makes the situation harder for the school, but it's reality, and it's understandable. The school is very often the epicenter of a small town. Without the community there is no school, and without the school, there is no community. No doubt this often weighs heavy on the shoulders of school administrators, even more than city officials...and sometimes makes the job a little tougher, but in the larger picture of Americana, I hope they know it's worth every ounce of energy spent, because small towns and their small school produce TREMENDOUS citizens.Thank you Springville Administrators, for all your efforts in making the State Tournament something that the fans can enjoy.