March 19, 2024

The Pressbox

Embrace being a strong fan

Embrace who they are. Embrace who you are.

When I was growing up in a very small town in Kansas, the high school teams were not very good. We played eight-man football and got rolled. We played basketball and got thumped. Once we began high school wrestling, we had individuals who were pretty good, just like our track and field teams over the years.

I went to Kansas State University, where basketball was king — yes, basketball. The Wildcats won Big Eight Conference championships when I was in Manhattan. Football not so much.

I learned to embrace all of the Linwood Junior High and High School athletic teams for who they were. Growing up a K-State fan, I did the same with the Wildcat teams.

It’s always easier to be a fan or a participant when a team is winning. When a team is young and struggles or just struggles, it’s not as easy. I’ve always said, “I was a K-State football fan before it was cool to be a K-State football fan.”

Right here in Newton, the Cardinal volleyball team is struggling. These younger girls are working to find their own identity as individual players and as a team. It’s not for the lack of effort that the NHS varsity is 3-13 right now. It’s not a lack of talent.

Playing experience is the only way you get better — individually and as a team. There are flashes of the talent the Cardinals have among their young squad. With only one senior on the team and only one full-time starter returning for this season, first-year head coach Laura Rowen and her coaching staff are searching for the right combination of players on the court.

Consistency comes with experience also. The Cardinals have to come together and embrace who they are right now and who they can become. They don’t need to compare themselves to NHS teams of the past. They are the NHS team of the future.

Newton plays at home Tuesday in a Little Hawkeye Conference match against Dallas Center-Grimes. The varsity match is slated for 7:15 p.m.

After wearing pink to Westwood Golf Course late Tuesday afternoon and supporting the Newton cross country teams at the NHS Cardinal Invitational, go to the high school gym. Bring your full voice and cheer on the Cardinals.

A strong fan base can help get a team over the hump. Fans can provide a little extra boost to the Cardinals’ energy on the court.

SPEAKING OF K-STATE, sure I was disappointed in the outcome of Thursday night's home football game against Auburn. The Wildcats had opportunities to make a big statement as a team and little things tripped them up. As a fan, I want Auburn again.

AS A KANSAS CITY Royals' fan, my fingernails have been bitten to the quick. I had thought of writing about a September Swoon by the Royals, but they've picked themselves up and are still in the playoff race.

The Royals are not in first place right now in the American League Central. They are a half game back of Detroit. Guess who is coming to Kansas City for a three-game weekend series? Yes, the Tigers are in town and this series could well be the deciding one of the division championship.

Two other divisions — the National League Central and National League West — are close. St. Louis is ahead of Pittsburgh in the Central and the LA Dodgers are in front of San Francisco, in both races the margin is 2 1/2 games. Baltimore, the LA Angels and Washington have clinched division titles in the AL East, AL West and NL East, respectively.

I embrace who the Wildcats are, the Royals are and yes, even my Kansas City Chiefs.

Contact Sports Editor Jocelyn Sheets at (641) 792-3121 Ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com..