Post season challenges individuals, teams
Email | Print Ruth Richardson | Courier-Times
February 21, 2008 - 12:00 PM

Wrestlers and swimmers had their state tournaments this past weekend and basketball teams will have their chance to excel in March.

Student athletes have to be able to balance academic expectations as well as their assigned roles on the court, mat or in the pool.

It could be practicing free throws over and over again, figuring out a new move that will make for an easy take down or swimming lap after lap to shave off that extra second. Most athletes know what is expected of them and try their best to give 110 percent.

In the classroom, these students have to maintain passing grades in order to be eligible. Many coaches have these students in class and take a personal interest in making sure they have what it takes to succeed off the court, field or pool.

Since few athletes get the chance to qualify for an athletic scholarship, these coaches know even their best athletes need the grades if they want to play at small colleges which have more academic scholarships than athletic.

Students in Skagit County have a unique advantage over those in a metropolitan area. Most local students are known in the community, whereas students who attend school in the Seattle area may never see their name in print unless they’re a standout.

Athletes are held to a higher standard. They agree to follow certain team rules and if they get caught breaking those rules, they probably won’t be on the team much longer.

As a parent and former high school athlete, I’m glad to have this type of standard. Having the privilege to play a sport shouldn’t be a cakewalk. At my alma mater, coaches always said if we were even seen at a party where alcohol was served we would be kicked off the team. This curtailed many of the problems in the community because most of us valued our teammates and coaches enough that it wasn’t worth the chance of getting caught.

Many student athletes will never get the chance of playing in the post season, let alone standing on top of the podium with a medal from the Washington Interscholastic Athletic Association around their necks.

These are the unsung heroes that help make schools a cornerstone in our communities. It’s their parents, relatives and friends that pay to attend games where the home team could be behind by 20 points and the cheerleaders would still be leading chants for the underdogs to rally.

These are the athletes who will someday become parents in our communities and who will attend their own children’s games because that’s what you do in a small town on a Friday night.

Winning a state championship for your school is an unforgettable experience. A medal is a treasure you can keep and show your own children someday.

But, the gumption to keep turning out for practice day after day is what the community should really support. This type of can-do attitude is what will make our towns strong for years to come.


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