Hot & Cold Running...Opinions!! - A Fan's Perspective

So...WOW...who knew that Oriole Fans would be so emotional over the mention of track practice conflicting with other practices! I suppose that shows at least two things...Oriole Fans are passionate, and they love to read about the Orioles...both GOOD things, so hooray for Oriole Fans!!.That said, though this blog will generally be focused on small town teams and athletes, (specifically the Orioles) and what they accomplish, there is a dead week to fill, so I'll take a minute to reflect on the comments, made by so many (loyal ?) readers, on the last post.By the way, comments are welcome, and in some ways the lifblood of this place, so comment away, good, bad or inbetween, it's all okay.  After all, controversy keeps people interested, which is why that old saying "even bad publicity is good publicity"  in its own warped way still rings true.This writer, an, SHS Alum, current Oriole and resident for more than 40 years, has mentioned previously that in my opinion (and lets remember the title here folks -a fan's *perspective*) one of the downfalls of high school athletics in recent years has been the drive to build "superstar" teams, at the expense of everything and everyone else. How that really creates a positive high school sports environment overall is a mystery.Should practice seasons  overlap?  Maybe.  Or maybe it's a crapshoot. Indeed  it's true that the 2008/2009 basketball championship team worked all year round on basketball, for several years, and that may well have contributed to their success...OR, it may have been that they had just the right talent all in one place at one time, to have a great run. Year round practice doesn't assure any high school team of success or a championship. Reality folks, is that a lot of teams in a lot of towns work all year round, practice hard, spend hours a day at it, and NEVER see the success that our girls team saw. In fact, one commenter pointed that out by noting that though her teammates "busted their butts in the off season" they were not very successful. The Orioles Championship team was filled with talent and ambition, plus a chemistry that worked, and the combination paid off handsomely. They will forever hold a place in Springville history, and hearts. Love them or not, they were special...yet, how many of them are going on to play college ball? Only a couple at most.  That most of these girls will hang up their basketball shoes now is no disgrace...but it highlights some very clear truths about high school sports in a small town, and for that matter, a lot of big towns.Springville is a very small community, with a limited student population. We will never be a sports powerhouse. We are who we are and that's okay. We don't live here because we expect to be at a state tournament in every sport every year. (Though, I must mention we HAVE had qualifiers at the state track meet many many many times) What we WILL have, from time to time, through a little chance, a little luck, and some very real real talent, are a few very successful teams and individuals who stand out, and give us special moments. Why not cherish that? Why not embrace who we are, instead of trying to be who we are not? Do we really think its acceptable for the football coach to make snide remarks about the Marching Band, and complain about them using the field to drill? Who does that help?  What does it accomplish?  Do we want coaches tell their players that cheerleaders are just an annoyance?  How does that promote SHS spirit, or a sense of community within the school? In the context of  what is "negative", those things rank right at the top...but they DO happen here, and we wrongly overlook it.Commenter stever was dead on when he noted that in a 1A school, especially one as small as ours, you have to have crossover athletes to even field a team. That means though, that if you go out for the team, you should be fully participating, and not, as it seems several of our guys track team are ...**just going to practice, but not competing in the meets, because all they want to do is stay in shape for football**...with the blessing of the coach.  That creates fractioned teams and resentment. When the teams are fractious, and the coaches are not supportive of  other teams and sports and coaches, (including the fine arts!) the athletes follow suit, and what you soon have is one or two teams with several participants, and the rest barely surviving. That's not positive at all, and certainly doesn't bode well for the survival of Springville Community Schools.High school is a one shot deal, and for many, if not most kids, it is the ONLY time they will participate in competitive events with any measure of audience or applause. Once you graduate, that's the end. Finis. You don't get a do-over. If you don't experience sports, or fine arts in High School, you will probably never get the chance. Yeah, you might play league softball or sand volleyball as an adult, but it's not the same at all. So...shouldn't we encourage our kids to have all those experiences?  Shouldn't we be teaching them (through the example of coaches and parents) that different groups can be supportive of each other, work together, and be more successful as a whole, than when they are territorial and fractured?   Why not work together to encourage our kids to try it all, do the best they can at everything they do, experience everything they can and relish those moments in the spotlight while they are in High School?Negativity... I guess... is in the eye of the beholder. For those who found the last entry negative, apologies are offered.   It was meant to be a slightly humorous, yet pointed, commentary on proper etiquette, if you will. Sadly, we don't have adequate practice facilities for track. Our track hasn't been kept up over the years, and virtually no money is spent on it. That means the track kids need to use the gym, especially in inclement weather, and they should have full use of it right now, because right now, it is track season. We have some high quality track athletes, and they deserve the same practice time and recognition that the other successful teams have enjoyed. There is nothing negative about that, it's simply the right thing.  Sometimes the right thing gets lost in the drive to be great. 

We can do it ALL at SHS.  I clearly recall a time, and have the yearbooks to prove it,  when the best thespians were also football stars, and musicians were top basketball players at SHS, (I could name names, but in the interest of my classmates not having to show those pictures to their kids or grandkids, I won't!)  and the stands at every event were filled with the crossover.  Why not recapture that "SHS Spirit" where everyone was proud to be "an Oriole", regardless of the team?

At SHS, we can do the right things, be who we are and still have greatness aplenty, because we are the ORIOLES!Next week our kids will go to the first ever indoor Tri-Rivers conference track meet. Kudos to the AD's from the conference for putting it together. It's going to be a terrific way for the kids to start the season. I hope to see fans at Cornell, applauding the athletes and cheering them on as they start what will certainly be a successful track season, culminating in a trip to state.Check back here for the results and a POSITIVE summary of the meet, complete with pictures and maybe even video....you'll get to see see what last year's gold guzzling, record setting, girls

 4 x 100 team can do fresh out of the blocks...and find out if  the 4 x 200  and Sprint Medley teams are on track to break more records early in the 2009 season!

Go Orioles!!