As time goes by, merit of no-cut programs seen

The value of no-cut athletics (Sept. 21): There was a time long ago when I was critical of the middle school sports policy of no-cuts. Along with others, I thought it detrimental to the futures of “better” athletes who were supposed to be prepared for the eventuality of high school sports. But then my kids, with varying degrees of success, played.

As I watched the system work – and concurrently went through the club sports thing – my philosophy changed. Universal participation, including basketball teams with 30 or 40 kids, isn’t a bad thing; indeed it should be encouraged. The best will play varsity, the rest, divided into as many teams as necessary for junior varsity games, play for their own rewards. Some mature athletes who were varsity in junior high never improve or play in high school. Other kids who are physically less mature, blossom. Still others who would never play in high school profit from the experience and fellowship.

In the same vein, I wrote an opinion piece in last week’s Prep Page of The Spokesman-Review concluding there are other rewards to coaching than merely winning, and the coach who endures despite loss after loss should be lionized and not vilified when circumstances outside his control intervene.

They can have an impact on athletes’ who still remember values learned to this day.

Hitting century mark (Sept. 22): Back in 1999, I wrote a Valley Voice article about 1979 Central Valley graduate Steve Garrison, who had gone on to play football at the University of Montana and student-teach in Great Falls. He wound up in Pasadena, Calif., where he’s been teaching and coaching at Monrovia High. In Garrison’s 14th year as Monrovia’s football coach, he reached a milestone last week with his 100th victory. He’s the subject of my column on The Spokesman-Review Prep Page today.

Great, great cross country meet (Sept. 20) at Audubon Park. A comparison of times at the Highlander Invitational would have had Ferris beating Mead by 11 points. The Saxons won by two points, and the Panthers were without No. 1 runner Taylor Nepon and another, Marcus Budig, who coach Steve Kiesel said would be somewhere in Mead’s top seven.

“Taylor ran a fartlek (speed and tempo run) on the course today and was pain free,” said Kiesel. “He’ll be back maybe in a week and one-half or two weeks max. We don’t want to rush. Marcus got a clean bill of health, and he’ll be right in the mix. Just to be this close as wounded as we are, I couldn’t be happier.”

His coaching counterpart, Mike Hadway said, “This is exactly where I figured we would be. We were a little tired (from the Highlander) and a little nervous, but good teams rise to the top. Hey, it was for the league championship; obviously I’m satisfied with the victory. This was our goal.”

GSL girls cross country is interesting and was expected to be so. I wouldn’t have bet against Mt. Spokane even with Megan O’Reilly gone, but with Central Valley having had such a good track spring, Mead so traditionally strong and both Lewis and Clark and University so experienced, there was no clear-cut favorite. Two weeks into the season, that is indeed the case.

The unbeaten Panthers and Wildcats raced for undisputed first place at Siemers Farm Wednesday in Green Bluff (see results in today’s S-R sports section). Meanwhile once-beaten contenders Lewis and Clark and University raced at Manito Park.

If Mead got past its rival, it hosts LC and another contender, Central Valley, on Oct. 11 and finishes the season against U-Hi a week later.

A Mt. Spokane victory would close the Wildcats in on a fourth-straight league title. They finish the season at home (Siemers) against CV on Oct. 18.