But Sunday, one of the reporters, Bryce Miller, put forth a long article on the Des Moines North High School boys basketball team. In our paper it was on the front page and it was excellent. (click long article above to read) The printed version had great photos, including pics of each player. Plus an address for donations.
It's not likely North will end up winning the state championship. Or even their conference title. But these guys are winners. It starts with the coach, Chad Ryan, who has stuck with it seven years - chauffeur, mentor, therapist, coach and parent figure and friend. A former Iowa State player, Morgan Wheat serves as one of his assistants.
The players have challenges besides which girl to ask to prom. Their coach wants them to go to college. They're experiencing success both on the basketball floor and in the classroom. The article had me cheering for this team. Good luck to each of them in the future.
The article also made me remember my coaches from my high school years. The 70's were when girl's sports beyond tennis and golf in my hometown of Atlantic, Iowa were just starting to be allowed. Girls could run and jump without getting the vapors? Imagine that!
I played softball on teams coached by Joel Simms - he was quite a flirt, and a very good coach. We had a great time on the bus and drove around in Kristy Davis's classic car with root beer floats after games. The softball diamond was down by Sunnyside Pool back then. Toni Robinson, Chris Watson, Becky Nelson, Sandy Larsen (when her ankle wasn't busted), Joanie Troll, Sal..and Mona and me.
My sophomore year we finally were allowed to play basketball. All those years of playing on Reinertson's patio - the hoop nailed to a wood pole. I'm sure they looked out and thought - there she is again...I'd play with my ABA ball. American Basketball Association. It was red, white and blue. We also had a tile floor in our basement, so after I got the ball, I would dribble down there until Mom yelled at me.
My first coach was Dale Allen - for varsity. I was on Junior Varsity as a Sophomore. I believe our JV coach's name was Chuck McLaren. He was pretty quiet. We were all learning about this girl's basketball thing! That first year, something like 70 girls went out for the team. It was weeded out to 30 or so after a couple weeks. I was thrilled to be awarded that JV uniform. (all that dribbling paid off.) Though the school put their uniform order in so late, all they could get were silver. We called them the "silver bullets". It's ironic that teams like Kansas are wearing silver unis now. I think they're dorky.
Despite all my practice shooting at the neighbor's, I never became a good shooter. Recall this was in the days of 6 on 6 basketball - and I was a forward. But at only 5'6", and not all that quick, I was not great guard material. I did have a wicked hook shot. When Dale Allen explain how to do a pick and roll to us - it was so cool. I never knew basketball had actual plays before - it was like he'd invented it himself.
We chose the name Atlantic Trojanns over Lady Trojans or Trojanettes. Yes, it's dumb - but I still prefer it over the other two choices. I've never been an "ettes" fan. In the last couple years they started just using the name Trojans for boys and girls. We were terrible for the most part - playing catch up with other towns who had started their teams a few years before. But we had some exciting wins.
I'd like to say I was a big part of those - and perhaps I was. I cheered hard when we won in overtime my junior year at Red Oak. Cathy Hjortshoj made a shot for the victory. Sue Tyler and Sally Rodgers were other forwards on the team. The next year, Sally banked a shot in from long distance to beat our nemesis Clarinda on our home court. It was fun running onto the court and hugging everyone. Pammy played in the guard court - good thing Betty Heflin didn't see Chris Watson during hoops season, smoking those ciggies on her way out of the high school parking lot. She did during softball season...alas I believe Chris gave it later.
It was also really fun giving the youngsters crap on the bus - but not in a bullying kind of way. My little sis Betso acted as our manager one of the years. I still remember her - so skinny that she couldn't get pants long enough that would fit her.
My senior year, the school hired a real girl's basketball coach - Sharon Leslein. That was different after Dale Allen! I liked her a great deal, and she liked me - but that didn't increase my playing time at all. I would volunteer to ride with her to scout teams before playoff games. To this day I can't hear Aerosmith's Dream On without thinking of her - that song always came on while we drove to games for scouting. When she got married the summer after my freshman year of college, Sandy Larsen, Mona Jones and I were cake cutters at the wedding up in Edgewood, Iowa. I lost track of Sharon after she married Bruce and moved to Minnesota.
Kids don't have to be stars to be part of a team and to be "coached" up. The memories of those team years are worth all the sweat, shin splints and yes - even the dissatisfaction with lack of playing time.
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