Friends with Football

As a swimmer the world of football was foreign to me until two months ago. As a sports writer I have pushed to learn all I can surrounding America’s sport. All that field goals, two-point conversions and cornerbacks do. Forgive me if my lingo is still amateur as I have yet to finish “Football for Dummies”. No shame. Until this fall, I classified watching football as something punishing, unrewarding, and above all, confusing.

At this point people will be laughing for one of two reasons; one being my butchering of football lingo. Two being that Lauren has bashed football for the past sixteen years. But, I immerse as a new, informed, cultured American that sees the beauty of the sport that owns a night of the week.

After volunteering to cover a football game for our school’s paper, little did I know how little I knew. Minutes after arriving at the game I was overwhelmed on the sideline by tackles, cheering, angry shouts, happy chants, and vocal parents. I clenched my Football for Dummies book and prayed for a win. Win’s are easy; everyone wants to talk to you for an interview and the high spirits help ease the pain of writing until midnight on a Friday night. Of course, they lost.

I wrote the subpar article and received some slack for its deficiencies. But from that night on, I began to appreciate the sport. I began to cheer for teams rather than just mascots and colors. I began to look forward to college football saturdays. I picked a team and followed its successes and successors (go cards). Above all, going to friday night football games I had a new sense of pride for the greatness that shined beneath them.

Before, I only compared the football team’s record to that of the swim team’s purely out of experience. Soon enough I was educated about the competitiveness existing in the football region that was barely existent in that of the swim. Following our swim team’s second place finish at the 2016 Ohio State Swimming and Diving Championships, I was in awe that the football team put such an emphasis on the GMC/league title. But football is not swimming.

Football takes a team to advance to the next level where only 8/30 in the region clinch a playoff spot. In swimming, individuals excel and from there the team benefits. So it would be like seven, maybe eight members of the football team qualifying for a “playoff team”.

The two sport’s seasons cannot be compared because of the nature of the state tournaments and for that reason I offer my sincere congratulations to team 55 because they did something that no Mason football has ever done before; win a playoff game.

Sports Coverage: COMETS HEAD TO AKRON TO TAKE ON WALSH JESUIT IN SEMI-FINALS

For the first time since 2013, Mason Softball boarded the bus to Akron for the state tournament.

On June 3 the Comets will take on Walsh Jesuit, a team they have already defeated once this season, in the hunt for a state title. Head coach, Liann Muff, credits the success to the hard work and positive team atmosphere exhibited throughout the year.

“The girls have an expectation of winning, great team chemistry, and ride on confidence,” Muff said.

Despite being a predominantly younger team, each and every girl puts in the hours; attending morning workouts and additional batting practices. The team’s standout senior, Erin Rockstroh, has raised expectations for the team. Muff said the Cornell signee makes it a priority to interact with and welcome her younger teammates, while instilling the values of a successful player.

“Having a senior like Erin–she’s obviously brilliant, humble, hard-working, and welcoming to our young players,” Muff said.

Sports Coverage: GIRLS SOCCER FALLS TO LOVELAND; TOPSOCCER JOINS IN ON FESTIVITIES

For these players, soccer is more than just a game.

On September 10, girls soccer was defeated by the Loveland Tigers 1-0. The Comets may have lost the game but spirits were higher than ever with the presence of the TOPsoccer: an organization aiding kids with physical and developmental disabilities to learn the sport.

Preluding the first half, members of the Mason soccer team and their TOPsoccer buddy met on center field to sing the national anthem as one unit. For a split second, Loveland and Mason met in the middle to celebrate the children with a spirit tunnel before resuming competition.

In the 26th minute, the Tigers found the net and took the lead 1-0. Two other shots were attempted, but Junior goalie, Emma Schewe, kept them away.

At halftime, the score stood 1-0, but there was no silence on the field. After the field was cleared by the girls, the stars of the night arrived. Three different TOPsoccer games began playing simultaneously and a plethora of goals were scored by the participants. Children in grades kindergarten through high school ran and wheeled around the turf. Junior Bradley Tripp, is a player himself in TOPsoccer and views the opportunity as something bigger than a game.

“The only thing that matters is the relationships; not the score,” Tripp said.

Online Story: PLAYERS RETURN AS STUDENT COACHES AFTER SEASON-ENDING INJURY

Coaches are always harping on their players to put the team first.  Little did junior soccer players Jade Myers and Maddie Spiker know that their allegiance to this Team First philosophy would be put to the test this season.  

Season ending ACL injuries meant no less commitment for Myers and Spiker. The pair remain a part of the sport because of their love for the team. The pure joy they receive as a result of helping others completely outweighs the pain that the sport has caused them, a true devotion to the destiny of Mason soccer. 

The pair are seeing a different side of the game they love from the sidelines as student coaches. Head coach Andy Schur said the girls have the same work ethic and willingness they did as players.  

“We dropped the team manager title and went with student coaches because we feel really positively about the knowledge they bring to the team,” Schur said. “They are both really hard workers and have been willing to take on some of those traditional manager roles that a lot of kids wouldn’t,” 

Schur said Myers and Spiker make the head coach’s job more efficient through their assistance with virtually every aspect of practices.

“During practice they administer drills so we can coach,” Schur said. “They do more than I am even aware of. They do ice baths for us, they grab the trainers if the girls need them, they fill the role of a great teammate.” 

Myers and Spiker don’t let the injury spoil their love for the sport as they continue to go out each week, assisting with practice set-up and games. Myers goes as far as taking notes at games on aspects that could be improved. 

“I still wanted to be apart of the team and do everything I could to help them succeed even when I wasn’t playing,” Myers said.

The job gave the two new perspective on the game. It allowed them to see the power in and appreciate each position on the field. Rather than thinking solely about their role, the new job has enhanced their understanding of what it means to be part of a team.

“You’re not focused on simply your position but rather how the game is played as a whole” Spiker said.

It’s not just the coaching staff that has noticed the contributions the pair makes to the team; juniors Annie Metzger and McKenna Egan both took note of how the pair stays involved with the team.

“On the sidelines they watch us play and keep stats so it’s a different perspective than the coaches are able to have,” said Egan. 

Metzger said that Myers has used her ACL injury to teach her teammates about injury prevention and therapy.

“Jade leads the rehab and prevention activities,” Metzger said. “She cares about others and it shows in so many ways.”

Myers and Spiker both agreed the position was a way for them to stay involved with the team in preparation for their optimistic return. Spiker hopes the lessons she’s learned will help when it’s her turn to take back the turf. Both girls are determined to make a comeback their senior year. 

“I wanted to be a part of the team, no matter the circumstance, so it was a no-brainer to fulfill this role,” Spiker said.

Sports Coverage: COMETS LOOK AHEAD AFTER 21-17 LOSS TO LAKOTA EAST

The Mason Comets fell to the Lakota East Thunderhawks 21-17 after a rollercoaster of a game.

Making his second career start, junior quarterback Jake Harris connected on a pass to fellow junior Austin Croy creating an explosive start for the Comet offense. The first points of the game came on a 21-yard play action pass from Harris to junior tight end Christian Hutchinson with 1:45 left in the first quarter. The Comets were out front at the conclusion of the first quarter with a 7-0 lead.

The Thunderhawks took advantage of a Comet fumble when senior Silas Ingram punched it in with 2:12 left in the half. The point after touchdown however, was no good leaving the score at 7-6, Comets.

The Thunderhawks’ advance didn’t damper the Comets’ spirits. With only 52 seconds left in the first half, junior Matt Sora ran in for a four yard touchdown. After the Andrew Hauer’s PAT was good Mason took a 14-6 lead into the half time break.

The second half would be a completely different story.

Lakota East took charge of the game in the second half, starting off with a strong return by senior Justin Fuller putting the Thunderhawks at their own 44-yard line. The Thunderhawks tied the game after a touchdown and a successful two point conversion. The score was tied at 14-14 with 7:20 to go in the third quarter.

Following the touchdown, senior Michael Kopaygorodsky, returned East’s squib kick and put the Comets at their 26-yard line. Harris and Croy connected once again, moving towards the end zone. The Comets were unable to punch it in the end zone and had to settle for a Hauer 40 yard field goal giving the Comets a 17-14 lead with 3:47 remaining in the third quarter.

On the next drive the Comets had the East offense in a hole facing third and 22 but a half back pass caught the Mason defense off guard and jump started the Thunderhawk offense. The home team took advantage of the momentum to drive 79 yards capped off by Dylan Fry eight yard touchdown run to give the Thunderhawks a lead they would not relinquish. The Comets entered the fourth quarter trailing 21-17.

After a frustrating start to the fourth quarter, the Comets were able to put themselves at the East 40-yard line but a fumble recovered by East allowed for the home team to remain in control of the game.

After being held to only three points in the second half head coach Brian Castner lamented that the Comets needed to learn from their mistakes if they’re going to keep their play-off hopes alive.

“We’re gonna keep doing what we do and start playing better,” Castner said.

The loss dropped the Comets into a log jam with five other teams tied for second place in the conference. The Comets will look to bounce back at home next Friday against a vastly improved Princeton Vikings team before closing out the season at Sycamore.

Print Story: MULTI-SPORT ATHLETES FEEL UNSPOKEN PRESSURE TO SPECIALIZE IN ONE SPORT

The Los Angeles Times said 87 percent of the picks in the 2015 National Football League draft played multiple sports in high school, but athletes at Mason High School still feel pressure to play just one sport.

Intense year-round off-season workouts and increasing competition for varsity roster spots are just some of the factors that go into a high school athlete’s decision to fixate on one sport. The unspoken pressure piles on to teenagers until there seems no other option but quitting.

Senior DJ Fluker said he felt this pressure  after spending hours at workouts for multiple sports.

“I would come from football practice not really wanting to go to baseball and go hit,” Fluker said. “I would go to both practices sometimes and that would just be too tiring like it would just take time away from when I could be hitting or working on my defense.”

Fluker faced a difficult decision that many athletes at Ohio’s largest high school often face: the decision to become a one-sport athlete.

“It was definitely hard because I have played football since sixth grade, and I just love being around all my teammates,” Fluker said. “But I know baseball is for the better because it was the first sport that I actually loved and excelled at.”

While coaches may not overtly tell their players to focus on one sport, the implication grows  with off-season requirements and the amount of athletes participating for a limited amount of playing time.

Fluker said he was never urged to give up football by head baseball coach Curt Bly, but he was told to look at the complete picture.

“Coach Bly would talk about all the time I spend playing football, like it would just take time away from when I could be hitting or working on my defense or something like that,” Fluker said. “I want to play baseball in college, so I just wanted to focus in on baseball and better my skills at it rather than risk getting injured playing football.”

Sophomore Niraj Komantineni played both soccer and tennis and said head tennis coach Mike Reid felt soccer improved his endurance but hampered his development as a tennis player.  Komantineni quit soccer this year to focus solely on tennis.

“My coach always said that soccer improved my endurance but he said I would get better at tennis because I would have more time to focus on it,” Komantinei said.

Aaron Wright, director of Ohio University’s Master’s Degree program in Athletic Administration, said it is logistically difficult to play multiple sports in Ohio.

“Today if you were a three-sport athlete in the state of Ohio, and you’re on the football team and the football team advances to semifinals, if you’re still doing well in November, by that point basketball has been going on for possibly two months already,” Wright said. “If you make it to December, games have started. Same thing would happen if basketball doesn’t finish until April.”

Wright said that if he were to be put in the same position that student athletes are today, he would also choose to focus on his strengths.

“If I wanted to excel in one or two of the sports, I would probably pick the one where I was least likely to be successful at and drop that sport,” Wright said.

Bly said he believes coaches should not discourage athletes from playing multiple sports but should instead be supportive.

“If you are capable of competing at a high level in multiple sports at MHS, then you have that drive and that desire to do it,” Bly said. “As coaches, we should be helping you and not creating obstacles.  Athletes tend to see that and choose to go after excelling in maybe their most passionate sport because they’re afraid they’ll fall behind.”

Senior Nick Bosticco plays football and lacrosse. Bosticco said playing multiple sports helps to keep him in shape year round.

“Whether it’s in the weight room with football or conditioning with lacrosse or even basketball, you’re conditioning in the offseason,” Bosticco said. “(It works) as long as you’re doing something to better your body.”

Bosticco said he was glad none of his coaches discouraged his multisport participation.

“Any coach I’ve had encouraged multiple sports because it keeps you busy in the offseason, and it keeps you disciplined,” Bosticco said. “My grades were better; I was better conditioned. I was more focused in school, more focused overall.”

Rio to Infinity

Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time. He puts countless hours into intense training no matter the year, and yet his recognition only comes every 4.

Swimming is not the sport where you have favorite players or teams. In fact, you don’t even say I play swimming, as you would most other sports. There’s no sub for when you get tired, fouls, or even contact at all for that matter. 

In a survey conducted by Statistica.com, Swimming was the favorite sport to watch during the Olympic season at 21%. The closest was Gymnastics at 15%.

Why, you may ask, is it only every four years Swimming becomes the favorite sport to watch during the Olympics? Because there are no competitive teams. Imagine a swim team per major city similarly to the MLB, NBA, and NHL. 

Attendance would not be an issue after the obvious interest shown during the olympic years. With the popularity that has surrounded the new addition of a soccer team within the city of Cincinnati (FC Cincinnati), it brings into question the possibility of a competitive swim team in the area. Swim teams similar to this exist in North Carolina (SwimMac) and in Maryland (NBAC). These elite programs produce olympians. A team around Cincinnati would bring more attention to Ohio Swimming and give midwest swimmers the opportunity to compete at an elite level year-round.

An Open Letter to My Transgender Friend

She and I shared laughs. We shared hugs. We shared faith. Now all he and I share is a Facebook-friendship. She and I went to the same church. I always thought she was slightly quirky but in the best way. She was the kind of person you could count on to be there every Sunday. The one you’d vent to and she’d somehow sympathize with despite not completely understanding your meaning. She was a friend that I lost.

He’s new. He remembers his old life but chooses to forget it. I’m stuck in his old life. He identifies me with the hurt and pain he felt trapped in the body of a girl. He sees me high-fiving her unfitting hands.

I recall admiring her new hair. A short pixie cut was how my mom and I saw it. He saw it as a step closer to being who he was.

Everyone talks about the struggle one goes through when they transition from man to woman or woman to man. Without a doubt the challenges and difficulties they face are unimaginable, but what about their friends? What about the people who knew them but now don’t? The ones that cherished the friendship, and now aren’t even acknowledged in the hallways?

I will never understand her, now him. I hate that I am associated with the hurt she once felt. The world is scary but I'm not. The world is not always accepting but I am. 

Life hurts, friends help.