Talking Sports: A change in the calendar

Happy New Year.

Not exactly. Not according to the Gregorian calendar anyway. Or the Chinese calendar. I think it’s the Year of the Horse and we’re now in the year 2565.

As for the Jewish New Year, that’s not until Sept. 25-26, which will mark the beginning of the year 5775. Kind of reminds me of an old song by Zager and Evans. They had a one-hit-wonder called “In the Year 2525.” They’re from Lincoln, by the way.

Bottom line is everybody can have their own calendar, and I have mine. At least for the purposes of this space.

It was just about a year ago I arrived to document the sports goings on in and around Sidney. When I arrived it was a rotten spring with frequent cancellations of sports events.

That was a bad start for me. I don’t like sitting and I don’t like being in an office. The best part of the job is being outside. That’s why I’m thrilled at spring having now officially arrived. And so far, so good. A couple of Peetz baseball games have been postponed, but that’s baseball.

I can’t help but think of some of the events the Sun-Telegraph has seen over the past year. It’s the big NSAA productions that come to mind most clearly. I don’t know how many state tournaments, championships or meets I’ve been to in the past year. Perhaps I can do the math later.

Having arrived in spring, the first state spectacle I witnessed was the NSAA State Track & Field Championships at Omaha’s Burke Stadium--and I do mean spectacle. After having gone there, I now know why the student athletes around here work so hard to earn their place in at Burke. And the crush of media in attendance ... for this state rookie it almost seemed like a royal happening.

The NSAA runs its events like clockwork, incredibly well organized. I’ve found since that the NSAA is very thorough in its preparation of the grand events. Not just are the teams and athletes well taken care of, but so are members of the press.

There are times when an athlete may not be feeling up to snuff and have a bad day. But not at state. With the right perspective, it’s near impossible to have a bad day at state.

Easy for me to say since I don’t have to feel the sting of defeat, but getting there is the victory that can’t be taken away--ever. The NSAA seems to understand that. They make sure to create an experience the student athletes will fondly remember the rest of their days.

Subsequent to track season, my fondest recollections are attending the state events for wrestling and basketball. Sure it was special to see the Sidney Red Raiders football team pound the number one team in the state to a near standstill in Gretna. That has to be one of the best single sports days I can remember. Exciting, too, watching the Leyton Warriors footballers battle up at Hay Springs in the playoffs. Even the gritty Post 17 American Legion baseball team went to state.

The Sun-Telegraph has also been to three different venues to watch state golf. Despite the weather being unpleasant on each occasion, there’s always a tension and a constant mental battle going on in golf that that provides interest for me.

All were great stories. But when the whole of a particular sport is gathered in one venue or city to settle all state crowns over multiple days, it’s a different feeling. Not better, just different.

The Century Link Center in Omaha hosted state wrestling. While there, I wanted to get a photo of the inside of the building from up high. What a scene. There were 10 multi-colored mats and action going full speed on all of them. And all in front of thousands of spectators.

From high in that large venue the combatants appeared no larger than bugs. Down at mat level, though, heartbreak was all too life sized. Fortunately, too, there was plenty of boundless joy. Thanks for the ticket Michael Muggli.

The Leyton boys and Sidney girls basketball teams punched my ticket to the state basketball tournaments in Lincoln. Of course, the girls earned their way after playing in the most exciting game I’ve seen during the year of the Raider-Warrior-Coyote-Storm-Bulldog. Even though they were stopped by the eventual state champions from Grand Island Northwest, what a treat it must have been to play in Pinnacle Bank Arena, home of the Huskers.

Since the Warriors played their state game at Lincoln Southeast High School, I thought somehow it wouldn’t be quite as spectacular. But I was wrong. It was such a great game and the crowd so raucous and the stakes so high. What an atmosphere. And Lincoln Southeast has a huge pool adjacent to the basketball court. Man, they really know how to live.

For all those working so hard to earn a trip to Omaha in May, keep working. When you think you can’t run another step, take another jump or receive another baton - do it just one more time. It’ll be worth it. You don’t have to trust me. Just ask your teammates who’ve been there.