The world of sports is a many faceted thing -- the competition, the drive, the preparation, the camaradarie, the spectacle and all the things that one may think of when discussing the role of sports in American society. Not be overlooked is the chance to demonstrate class when involved in the sporting world.
The Razorbacks were on the cusp of winning the West Division of the SEC baseball race with a chance to win an overall title. They finished their season on the road at Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. While they won the opener, they lost game two and game three was to be a stressful, pressured situation. The conference standings, regional and national seedings were on the line.
Sunday during the National Anthem, a young girl wearing A&M clothing was on the field and apparently lost from her parents. Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn noticed the girl's distress, asked her to stand by him until they could locate her folks, and she accepted, hugging his leg during the anthem until later when her folks were found. Van Horn is and was always a class act, though it is no act.
Recently, after several years of unmet expectations and unfilled goals, former head basketball coach Mike Anderson was fired as coach. He could have just gone home, hung around the house, made some TV appearances for extra cash and had the Razorback Foundation pay him the millions due him per his contract.
Rather than do that, Anderson went to work, located another job rather quickly in New York, thus allowing the Razorbacks to not be faced with another expensive coaches' buyout that they have suffered so often recently.
Former head football coach Bret Bielema had some years left on his contract which the Hogs are required to pay UNLESS he got another job coaching somewhere else. Bielema got a job, on paper, working in the New England Patriots' front office, a non-coaching job which would keep the Razorbacks cash flowing his way. It turns out, he is actually coaching linemen but arranged his contract to mask that actuality. No class.
Former head football coach Houston Nutt was on the hot seat and the University wanted him to resign. However, if he resigned, he would lose the millions due him contractually if he was to be fired. He presented a story to the UofA that if they wanted him to leave, he would, but he needed the money in the contract as he had a family, needed to eat, etc. They agreed to allow him to resign and also pay him the millions he sought since he may not get a job he needed.
They signed the paperwork, he was guaranteed the money, then the NEXT DAY he announced signing a lucrative contract with Mississippi, essentially scamming the UofA out of millions. Since the UofA agreed to the arrangements when they didn't have to, he got away with it. Of course, Nutt was fired later at Ole Miss and he can't get a job anywhere now. Lack of class has blow back sometimes.
The past few years on the Ridge has seen a lot of class exhibited by the coaches who walk the sidelines for the Blackhawks. When the 'Hawks lose, you never see a coach whining about how someone was injured, or that the calls were terrible, or blaming anyone for losing.
Life isn't always fair, and that is has been the way of the world since Adam and Eve. No one can always control what happens to them or their friends or loved ones, but they can control how they react to it. That is called character and is what produces class.
Their sports year
has concluded
With the conclusion of the track event last week in Fayetteville, the sports schedule has concluded relative to Pea Ridge 2018-2019 athletics.
This was a good to great year as in the school motto.
The headliner was the dominant girls track and field team that coach Heather Wade has put together. A nearly 100-point victory in the state indoor championships and a comfortable win in the outdoor championships was especially impressive in light of the AAA moving half of the 5A classification down into 4A this year. Blakelee Winn's and Cassidy Mooneyhan's domination of the state sprint events left a lot of south Arkansas coaches asking "did you see that?"
The boys' track team under Asa Poteete reached the upper echelon, taking second places in both state championships. Not that long ago, the 'Hawks' track program was near the bottom of the conference and the state. Their winning of the state 4x100-meter relay in such a remarkable time shocked a lot of the former 5A schools. That wasn't supposed to happen.
Football had a much upgraded schedule but was still quite competitive. For the past four years, the 'Hawks have one of the very best records in the state.
Basketball had a great year with both teams ranked in the state Top 10 for most of the year. The diamond 'Hawks had highly ranked teams in both baseball and softball.
We are losing a lot of talent via graduation this year, so next year will see different kids taking on leadership roles in new situations. Of course, that's what high school is all about. Bringing up the next generation to succeed and follow in the footsteps of the ones before is why we have sports.
Sports has the potential to be a bad thing sometimes, with students learning concepts or attitudes that will prove harmful to them later. Here in the Ridge, being involved with sports will not only be a good thing physically, mentally and socially, it will also prepare students for the future.
My association with my own high school and college coaches certainly changed the arc of my life. I would not be here in Pea Ridge if not for their influence and the choices their influence led me to make.
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Editor's note: John McGee, an award-winning columnist, sports writer and art teacher at Pea Ridge elementary schools, writes a regular sports column for The Times. The opinions expressed are those of the writer. He can be contacted through The Times at [email protected].
Sports on 05/22/2019