Worst Seat In The House: What a team

I think we can all look back on a favorite team that we were a part of with fond memories. There can be a lot of different reasons, such as great teammates, coaches or having a lot of success. I honestly think that winning is a great motivator and allows us to have special memories that can last a lifetime.

Having great success usually takes a lot of hard work and learning how to play the game. A really good coach can teach how to do things the right way and can make playing the game seem so much easier. Sure, when you are a Little Leaguer taking a grounder that takes a bad bounce and hits you in the head it makes things a bit tough not to fear the next time the ball comes scurrying across the infield.

A lot of tears can be shed by getting hit with a baseball, or getting blindsided with a block or diving for a basketball and earning a nasty floor burn in the gym. But all of those owies will wear off and young players that play through the tough parts of the games played will most likely think that if that is the worst that can happen, they’ll probably have a good day.

Of course, concussions, sprained ankles, broken bones, dislocated shoulders and knee injuries can keep a lot of kids from wanting kids to participate at all.

I received a broken bone in my hand; sprained an ankle; received a cut over my eye in a basketball game; wore a knee brace while playing basketball and sprayed Nitrotan on more floor burns than you can shake a stick at. By the way, nothing burned more than Nitrotan on any scrape or floor burn, but you never had to worry about an infection since it burned away almost every germ known to mankind.

With every ache, sprain, cut and even broken bone it was most important to never want to miss another practice or game. When you miss over half a season due to injury, you take care not to do something stupid and try to protect yourself without being a bit paranoid.

Throughout my playing days I had a lot of teammates, and several of these guys were teammates on several teams. There were also several guys I went to school with up to junior high that moved to other small towns in eastern Washington. I played against two of them in basketball in high school and one in football. Another former classmate would have great success and would be the state leading scorer his senior year of football.

I really thought about what it would have been like if they had stayed in Ritzville. It certainly would have been a bonus. They were good athletes and would have been great teammates.

I think back to my second grade year when a kid moved to town that was a big kid and was a good athlete. Turns out he was exactly a year older than me. I wasn’t sure if he started a year late or was held back and I wasn’t about to ask which it was. I really wish I know what happened to him because this kid was fast and strong and his family left town before the year was over.

I’ve coached kids in the past that had a lot of talent and hoped that they could achieve greatness as they matured as a Bronco. Several did but several others would also leave the community and would have success elsewhere. I’m a bit selfish because I know that these kids were the missing piece to a state tournament team or even a state championship. But you can’t change might-have-beens. You can only concentrate on those that are still here.

I for one have a really good idea as to how good we could have been when I was in high school had these guys finished school in Ritzville. But I also know that my playing time might have been cut as well. I’ll just have to be happy with how things turned out.