(¡The Clackamas Print
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Sportsed@clackamas.edu
Value of sports lies not on the field but in the heart
By John William Howard
Sports Editor
T hey say that time flies when
you’re having fun, and that when
y ou love what you do, it’s n o r
really an occupation, but a voca­
tion. It seems only yesterday that
I first stepped foot on the job as
sports editor, eyes wide and igno­
rant o f what I would learn, who
L would meet and what I would
face. N ow that a year has elapsed
in no time at all and m y time on
staff is coming to a dose, the only
way to keep ahead o f the nostalgia
is to firmly grasp the things that
have imprinted themselves on me
in thé last 10 months.
T played soccer as a youngster,
and I watched m y older brother
participate in cross country meets
for years, so fall term left only
the unfamiliar sport o f volley­
ball. Throughout the season, the
girls along with their head coach
Kathie Woods taught me bit by
bit what, volleyball was about.
Mixed in with the shrill cheers
Volleyball players celebrate after upsetting No. 2 Community Colleges o f Spokane in the N W A AC C volleyball tournament on Nov.
2011. Following the victory, several players attributed the victory to the fa ct that the team came together a t ju st the right time.
underway, Clackamas moved on with the loss on the hom e court ship, I realized how im portant that good extent, b u t years down the
to something I was m uch more led to some hostility from play­ exchange was. It showed the value road I won’t remember who beat
familiar with: basketball. It was ers and even coaching staff for o f listening to those with experi­ what, team, and how m any runs
easy to follow the story o f each several weeks leading up, to the ence and, wisdom, and displayed they scored in what inning. I’ll
game, to track. the OTats and know |N W À A CC tournament. Through
~ 3 îê ^ ë n c n â n 3 tKë*pürëcSïnîcâr~ wKich“pIayefrto talk to. I got to that experience I had to learn that the benefits o f delegating respon- remember that friendship is more
sibility in order to accomplish a im portant than results; Til remem­
aspect o f the game is something a the point where I knew the players an opinion isn’t, just something greater goal.
ber that, opinions are a precious
lot deeper.
and their style well, and began to that were entitled to, it should be
After so m uch tim e traversing resource. I’ll remember to never
They’ve created a culture that is analyze what I saw. I noticed what precious to us. I f were n ot will­ Randall Hall and its surrounding
give up, and I’ll remember that
passed from season to season and I thought was a flaw in the offense ing to stand up and defend what facilities, youd drink that I would
it’s ok to ask for help. Above all,
team to team. There’s a general o f the women’s team, and despite we think, then what are we really have picked up sporty lingo, m ade
though, I’ll remember the excel­
attitude about th e program that my nature to keep quiet, I wrote good for? !
a bunch o f athlete friends and seen lent hearts and minds that taught
even die casual spectator can pick a column “exposing their weak­
I was saddened once winter a lot o f sports scores. Given, I have m e each o f these things. From the
up on, and that is the idea that nesses, (notably the refusal to take term was over. Baseball and soft- done all o f those things to a fairly
bottom o f m y heart, thank you.
camaraderie is the greatest victory. a jum p shot,) and published it a ball were both unfamiliar to me,
At the end o f the day, wins will be week after a stinging loss at hom e and track an d field is a difficult
wins and losses will be losses, but to Lane Com m unity College.
sport to cover. To make matters
without the close knit friends and
T he reaction was fairly instan­ worse, a rash o f injuries and other
partners in crime to fall back on, taneous. T he team was so up in wild circumstances surrounding
those W ’s and Es are just that and arms that those who hadn’t read the baseball team m eant that they
no more. 1
the piece had at least heard about started off the, season 0-6 and
O nce the fall sports were fin­ it and had their own opinion. T he ended the season with 11 straight
ished and with wrestling already bluntness o f the article combined losses to finish a t ,10-32. At one
point,-they ran out o f pitching
options and turned to their first
baseman w ho gave up Î3 runs in
the top o fth e ninth. As odd as it
m ight sound, there’s a. lesson’here
too: no m atter how bad things get;
just keep playing. There’s no sense
in giving up because life always has
a new inning ahead o f you.
T h e last lesson was the most
recent. It "was in the top o f the
fourth inning against Lower
Columbia College in the second
to last game at the NW AACC
championships, and sophomore
pitcher McKenzie Marshall had
just.given up a two-run hom er to
make it 4-2 in favor o f Clackamas.
She lèt loose another pitch, and
the. batter hit that one out o f the
park too. In the next inning with
two strikes and two outs, Marshall
gave? up another hom e run to
pull.LCC to within one. Smiling,
Marshall m et with her catcher and
her coach to discuss the situation.
She closed out the inning, and
tbén handed things off to Noelle
Wright, who shut out L CÇ the
rest o f the way and moved the
Cougars on to the final. A few
hours later as Clackamas jum ped
Fans cheer fo r , the softball team during the championship series on
and celebrated their champion­ M ay 23. Clackamas won the title, it’s ninth in school history.