The Press Box
Number one on my mind for this week’s column is the family, friends and community of Roane County High School. The loss of a 13 year old Madison Middle School student athlete during a routine practice is a shock to the entire state. We want to offer up our condolences to his family and everyone associated with the school and community. This was a terrible tragedy, one we all hope never happens again to anyone else. We mourn this terrible loss with the Roane County community.
High school athletic programs give a huge boost to communities by generating pride for both participants and community members. It’s been that way ever since I can remember. Once a new school year rolls around the excitement starts to build. Talk around town always centers around the sports teams. While winning teams play an important role in community involvement, what sometimes goes unappreciated is participation by student athletes and the impact that high school athletics has on them after they graduate.
I was saddened this week to learn that Hundred high school had to give up Volleyball this season due to a lack of participation. I remember back a few years ago when they had some really nice players. Paden City at that time was a regular in the OVAC tournament and usually was a 30 game winner on the season. Some of the best matches I covered were between Paden City, Valley and Hundred. There was a lot of excitement in the gymnasium and fan participation was second to none.
Recently I was looking around at what happened to some of the area’s past athletes and discovered that a large number of them continued to stay on course and are now involved in one way or another with helping young athletes become better. Several of the local schools now have head coaches and assistant coaches who just five or six years ago were on the playing surface learning the game themselves. That demonstrates the long-lasting benefits these young men received while in school that transcended into building athletic foundations for a safe and healthy environment for high school students to build on. Coaches who value character education more than wins and losses help students set the foundations for a lifetime of success.
Adult coaches and mentors need to value character education more than wins and losses. When coaches understand they can start students on a path to reach their unfulfilled potential, they can help students set the foundations for a lifetime of success. Scoring the winning points against a rival, hearing the roar of the crowd after a goal or attaining a personal record are just a few high school athletic moments replayed in participants’ minds over a lifetime that have meaning but they are secondary goals. What students remember most from their athletic participation is the relationship and celebration they share with their teammates.
Being an athlete in high school allows students to experience rigorous physical activity while still maintaining high mental acuity. It is this focus that allows high school athletes to set a strong foundation for fitness habits that last long after graduation. Coaches play a huge role in the benefits received from participating in high school athletics.Coaches need to build up character development, they need to be vigilant and create a positive environment for students.The impact to the participants can be long-lasting and beneficial. Schools that provide this atmosphere develop students who maintain lifelong habits they carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Several athletic contests for the 2024 fall are already in the history books. Area golf teams have been busy as have the volleyball and soccer teams. High School football is under way with week one in the books. From what I have seen so far Wetzel and Tyler County schools are competitive and it looks like we could land a couple teams in the postseason activity. Still too early to tell, but things look good so far. Paden City, Valley, Hundred, River and Tyler Consolidated all opened the 2024 football season. Magnolia will open their season on Friday night with a home battle versus the Wirt County Tigers. The Blue Eagles coming off a three win campaign in 2024 are set to improve on that record. Look for a Magnolia win on opening night 21-7. Hundred will look for their first win of the season as they travel north on 250 to take on a good Cameron team, looks like Cameron 36-12. Paden City will try for a win on the road at Tolsia, could be a good one with the Wildcats picking up a win 18-16. River will travel cross county for a battle with Monroe Central. The Pilots could get a win here, but it looks like Central 21-20. After picking up an easy win over Ritchie, the Silver Knights will host Williamstown on Friday and will have to settle for a 1-1 record falling to the YellowJackets 32-18. Valley will look to go to 2-0 on the season as they travel to Hancock, Md, the Lumberjacks prevail 40-14.
I made the journey over to Morgantown on Saturday morning for the big game between the Mountaineers and the #9 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. Kick off was scheduled for 12 noon, which meant getting to the stadium was going to be a chore. I started out around 7:30 am, got to Morgantown around 9:15 and sat in traffic until 10:30 before arriving at the media parking lot. To say there was a huge crowd would be an understatement. Tailgating was taking place nearly everywhere you looked. By 11:15am the stadium was filling up quickly and many more were still enjoying the time in the parking lots, eating and drinking and socializing. What an amazing atmosphere, college football at its finest. If you have never been to a Mountaineer Game you are missing out on a great experience.