Making cuts difficult for everybody
Toolbox
Published: December 2, 2008
The winter sports season has finally arrived. We can now start forming our weekly plans around the innumerable local basketball, hockey, wrestling and other sporting activities some of our children are engaged in.
But the start of every season brings with it another, less pleasant reality. And that is, for every team of hard-working, often elite athletes out there playing their hearts out, there are the guys and gals not on the team. The youngsters who got cut.
If they're plucky they can massage their bruised egos by playing on the "B" team or other intramural sports activities our schools often provide. Others just sit out the season.
For all, there is the tough-to-avoid "I'm a scrub" feeling that must be dealt with.
That is the challenge I was discussing with Guy Isabelle the other day. The Barre coach/educator and I shared our own war stories of being cut, and, in his case, the dreadful additional experience of having to tell a kid he didn't make the team.
"It's the absolute worst part of being a coach," he said. "And usually we have two adults in there to break the news. You just never know how the kid will react."
On the up side, Isabelle told me the story of one local kid who was cut and, with Isabelle's prompting, became manager of the team, and loved it. He even got plenty of time to practice with the team.
I had to laugh because that's exactly what I did when I failed to make my freshman hoops team. It turned out to be a wonderful educational experience, and I even got to work closely with the legendary professional coach and now-broadcaster Hubie Brown at the start of his career.
Not every young kid, though, catches or makes those breaks.
How can we, as parents, teachers and coaches, help in this heart-breaking situation? How do we help turn the "Loser" self-image around and help develop a stronger kid from the depths of rejection?
Of course, we're not talking here of the Michael Jordans of the world. Recall he was cut from his high school basketball team as a sophomore, and then after a summer of hard work (and 4 more inches of height) he made the McDonald's All-American Team as a senior.
No, we're talking of the mere mortals among us who face one of their first significant life choice moments. It arise from sports in this case, but the introspection skills and the spirit of pluck demanded during such moments will carry over in absolutely every endeavor for the rest of their lives.
Let's think about that. As always, your comments will be appreciated and published.Tide hoop stars return to Vermont
Ironically, Isabelle and I backed into the above discussion by talking about two of the finest hoops athletes ever to emerge from Spaulding High School, Jon Chaloux and Chrispatrick Cox.
Both of them are now juniors at Colby-Sawyer College and will be playing this weekend at the annual Norwich University Hockenbury Tournament. They'll also be joined by senior guard Shannon Sciria, another sterling SHS grad. Colby-Sawyer, which finished last year in the middle of the Commonwealth Coast Conference, has been picked by the TCCC coaches as the preseason favorite this year.
But the link to the above discussion revolved around the fact that Cox and Chaloux (both superstars and state champions, with the latter winning the Gatorade Play of the Year Award) are presently just stars. Cox averages 12 minutes per game and Chaloux averages16 minutes per game. Those minutes will surely grow as they likely both become starters next year, but the wondrous point Isabelle and I were marveling at was how sports fortunes ebb and flow even for the superstars among us.
And it was that phenomenon that got us talking about the marvels of life at the other end of the sports spectrum.
We can enjoy Cox, Chaloux and Sciria at the Colby-Sawyer vs. Worcester State game Saturday night at 8 p.m. at Norwich's Andrews Hall, immediately following the Norwich game at 6 pm. See you there.
The Training of a Warrior, by Zak Schmoll
Anyone who lives next door to Spaulding High School might think that vandals are attacking the school at 5:45 a.m. every morning. However, there's no such criminal activity here. The assorted vehicles are dropping off athletes from Websterville Baptist Christian School to put in gym time and prepare for Division IV competition.
These nine Warriors run, run and run a little more before most high schoolers even consider rising to hit the snooze button. Websterville coach Jay Ransom has led the Warriors for almost 30 years and makes sure these guys do not slack off just because the sun has not risen. Every practice starts with stretching and running before launching into skill development. Each young man shakes off the drowsiness and digs deep to make it to 7 p.m. – the end of practice.
Websterville's Division IV status and lack of a home gym has allowed the Warriors to fly under the radar for a long time. They have not been to the Barre Aud since Click Agnew & Co. fell to the Cabot boys a few years back in the semifinals. The Warriors have been to the quarterfinals in the past three years but have fallen to West Rutland, The Sharon Academy and Danville. The Warriors are looking to snap this trend and make the ascension to the glory of Vermont basketball in the Barre Auditorium.
Captain Isaac Ransom will miss the first month of the season while recuperating from a torn ACL suffered last January, but a lineup led by seniors Chas Burbank and Steve Davis should keep Websterville rolling and ready to kick into high gear once Ransom returns.
Regardless of what their record shows, these boys will still be in the gym every morning (except on the days after a game) to continue to improve themselves and rise to the top of their potential.
Mountaineer gear goes on sale
Don't blow your meager holiday budget before visiting the Vermont Mountaineers inventory sale in two weeks. Last year I picked up one of manager John Russo's unused game jerseys for just $25. If you're a cheapskate like me, this is a great way to support the team and grab some nifty gifts at rock-bottom prices. Check it out: Saturday, Dec. 13 at Montpelier High School from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m..
Puzzler No. 105
Last week I asked readers to spot the errors in the following.
1. Hello, my name is Doug Flutie, and in 1985 with the New Jersey Generals I set a pro football record 2,411 rushing yards. In 1986, I found myself in a Dallas Cowboy uniform and had 1,574 all-purpose yards along with 14 touchdowns. After playing with the Vikings, Eagles and Giants, I retired as a Cowboy in 1997.
Answer: The player is Herschel Walker.
2. In 1967, the Cowboys almost became the first team in history with two 1,000-yard receivers in the same season. Neither receiver reached 1,000 yards. The receivers were Lance Rentzel and Drew Pearson, falling just 6 total yards short.
Answer: The second receiver was Bob Hayes.
Congrats to Bill Noyes, Sean Bradley, Jan Gantzhorn and Jim Slotter.
Bonus: I asked readers to divine the meanings of "Plock" and "Rumgerenne" based on a Google's garbled translation of a German piece on baseball, which read in part, "Baseball is a rather pleasant game. Throw a little bit, a little Rumgerenne…and occasionally someone hits the ball then it makes Plock for a few seconds and cut off from hectic confusing…"
Gantzhorn and Slotter correctly determined that Rumgerenne means drinking (most likely alcohol), and Bradley correctly determined that Plock is simply excitement.
Puzzler No. 106
Even guys with the fate of the world at the fingertips need a bit of sporting relief from their worries. These presidents were known to especially enjoy the sports listed. Can you match up the prez or prez-elect or near-prez with his favorite distraction?
A. Nixon
B. Hoover
C. Obama
D. Eisenhower
E. Carter
F. Teddy Roosevelt
G. Kennedy
H. HW Bush
I. Kerry
1. Golf
2. Basketball
3. Touch football
4. Horseshoes
5. Trout fishing
6. Running
7. Windsurfing
8. Tennis
9. Bowling
Send your sporting news and Puzzler answers to jimhiggins@pshift.com.
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