...Sports, memories, and the 56th Neosho Holiday Classic....

This week's article for the Seneca News Dispatch

            I am a hyper person.  I talk fast and I can never sit still.  When I am in one place – I am always ready to move on to the next.  There are a few things which I will always take time to slow down for – like watching my kids in an activity, or to stare at a gorgeous sunset or sunrise, or to take in a sporting activity.

            I love sports.  Now, for those readers who don’t care about sports – don’t give up on me just yet – because there is a lesson for you here, too.  You see sports are more than just games to see who wins and who loses.  Earl Warren, the famous Supreme Court Justice who led the hearings on JFK’s assassination, well he loved sports too.  In fact, Mr. Warren once said, “When reading a newspaper, I always turn to the sports section first.  The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures.”

            Isn’t this true?  There is so much bad news in our World these days and most of it ends up on the front page of so many newspapers or in the first “Seven Minutes” of a television newscast.  I wonder why we can’t have the sports page as the front page or in the first seven minutes of television.  Best reason I can guess, is people always say save the best for last and usually that is where we find information on sports.

            I recall one of the greatest moments of my youth was way back almost 30 years ago.  I was playing for the Neosho Eight Grade on the “B” squad, as I was no star and did not have much experience playing football, but I loved the game. 

My team had not won a game all year and we were coming into the final seconds of a game - behind.  One touchdown and we could win our first game.  I was a wide receiver.  The play was brought in and my quarterback dropped back to pass.  The ball sailed in my direction – bounced off my helmet twice and nearly fell to the ground dashing our hopes, but some angel’s wings clipped this ball and dropped it plum in my hands.  I held on for dear life and ran like never before.  Sixty yards later, my teammates and I partied in the end zone! 

We over came.  We persevered.  We accomplished something on that Thursday night, in Neosho.  You see sports are not about winning and losing.  As I said, we lost all games that year, but this one.  Sports are about coming together as people to have fun and bond as a group. 

As we approach Christmas and prepare for wonderful times with our families and friends, I want to encourage you to prepare for a sporting event.  While the athleticism will be wonderful for “sports fans”, I want to encourage the “non-believers” among us to watch as well.  Come feel the electricity in the air as good kids build memories they can look back on, in thirty years.   For as little as $8 per day, you can attend the Neosho Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament. 

In its 56^th year, the tournament will include many boys and girls teams, from all over the region and some far reaches of America.  The Seneca Lady Indians are among those who will strive for the Championship.

This is a wonderful Holiday tradition and an opportunity for all of us to see kids at their best.  There is plenty of research and evidence to indicate high school athletes are much less likely to drop out of school and more likely to attend college.  As a Deputy Sheriff, It is great for me to witness the positive side of our youth.

Come celebrate “people’s accomplishments” December 27^th through the 30^th and help put some positive news on the front page and make the first seven minutes of area news casts about the best our communities have to offer.