Produced by Scott Reule, Jonathan Alder High School Athletic Director
Too many times in sports we get wrapped into the stuff that at the end of the day really doesn’t matter. How many times are you at a sporting event and fans are crazy, losing their mind, screaming at officials, players, coaches, and many others at the game. People leave sporting events so mad that they can’t get something off their mind and can’t stop thinking about it. Usually those types of things involve winning, losing, decisions made during the game, and stuff that again when it's all said and done shouldn’t be as important as we make it out to be.
We give lip service all of the time about the life lessons that we gain from being involved in sports. How to deal with adversity, how to work with others, how to react when things don’t necessarily go our way, and how to learn to work with others even when you may not like them. These are just a few things that we always say, but do we really put them into action? It’s something that we all need to stop, take a step back, and reconsider the next time any of these scenarios occur.
It is with all of the above in mind, that one of our Alder Softball players led the charge and ignited her team and everyone in the program to join together to make a difference. Each season, Anna Engle lives for softball, can’t wait to compete, and make another run at a State Championship. But in that process is where she noticed something that was bigger than the game, and truly more important. Anna noticed that some of the teams they connected with in the postseason didn’t have the same support as her team. They needed new helmets and bats just to name a few.
That’s where she stopped, took a step back, and said I’m going to inspire those around me to make a difference. She quickly had the coaching staff, teammates and others on board and she will be the first to tell you, I couldn’t have done this by myself. The program hosted youth clinics in the fall with a fee to attend, did their best to make an impact on all the young aspiring players to be, worked to teach them the game and proper skills, and in addition used the proceeds to purchase equipment for two local teams that she noticed would be appreciative. As the excitement began to grow, so did the support, and local businesses like Main Street Treasures said, we’ll donate our services to help such a special event. From a single spark the fire grew, and most recently Anna and Coach McGrew delivered 10 new helmets and 2 new bats to two local schools. Both were incredibly appreciative, and were so excited to have support of someone they played against. The experience for Anna was rewarding, and overall just made her feel like she had done something above and beyond just winning games. Success was measured differently.
This is truly what High School Sports are all about. We all lose perspective of this. If you say you don't, you're not truly being honest with yourself. A very small percentage of players ever make it to the next level, and an even smaller percentage ever make a living through sports. That said, even those who do make money stop, and find ways to make a difference. To this point I urge all of Pioneer Nation to stop, and think about what's really important. Let’s continue to compete, play hard, work hard, and get better everyday, but in doing that let’s not lose sight of what truly making a difference is all about.
