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If you want to be caddy, buy a golf bag

May 20, 2011

Here’s what I’m saying: if you’re interested in being caddy, go buy yourself a golf bag. I saw the Cape lacrosse girls' practice schedule for the rest of the season after the Tuesday practice before the Wednesday game at Sussex Tech. It read, “Conditioning run after game.”  Cape runs after lots of its games because sprinting about like a house cat during a game really produces little in the way of physical/cardio conditioning.

I have never seen Coach P.J. Kesmodel and his staff use “punishment as a motivator” in any way, so let’s quell the perception by some that Cape ran after the game as some sort of punishment for not beating Sussex Tech by more than the 20-12 final score. That would be disrespectful to both teams and most certainly didn’t happen.

And if you are a relative of a player and fan in the stands, that’s great, but yelling at a specific player from another team for any reason is just way lame. I know it’s dangerous to talk on the cell phone while driving, so just cock the rear view mirror to see yourself and your bushy eyebrows and repeat, “I am such a loser!”

Learn a lesson- The state championship track meet will be held over two days, Friday and Saturday, May 20-21, at Caesar Rodney High School. Every school in Delaware is represented. There is more diversity represented in this than in any other sporting event and more competitors. The competition is for the team, but also the individual. Competitors are side-by-side. They know each other, at least by reputation, and there is only one first-place finisher. And there is no security at track meets, I think because of the purity of the sport and the respect the athletes have for each other. Don’t be a school administrator and leave your track kids out there hanging. A few years ago I spent two days covering track, saw no school officials, then got back to the mother ship to see all kinds of high paid peeps fronting and shaking hands. The lesson I learned from track is to divide your school into teams, each with a head coach, and instill discipline and respect - what we athletes call sportsmanship. You can’t run a school using the tag-and-release, wild kingdom discipline model. Discipline is what you do for somebody, not to somebody. That’s it; now I’m sure to get beaten up at the state meet.

A Good Kid - Twenty-eight-year-old Matt Carter died suddenly May 12 and it’s just so sad. Matt graduated from Cape in 2000, played baseball as pitcher and centerfielder and was good friends with guys like Tommy Sheehan, Ricky Cooper and Ryan Whibley. I was one of his teachers and a writer who covered his baseball teams. I have fond memories of many conversations with Matt. He loved talking sports and I was easily diverted away from school stuff. I recently spoke with Matt’s wife, Dawn, at Club Fitness. She's also a former student and she is just the best person. They have a son, Lucas.  For friends wanting to help out, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Lucas Scott Carter Fund to be sent to County Bank, ATTN: Karen Mumford, 19927 Shuttle Road, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 or to same fund, Citizen's Bank. Matt Carter was always a good kid and a good guy.

Snippets- Memorial Day is a week away and the official beginning of the summer drinking season. Say it isn’t so, but you would be wrong. My simple advice to guys - I completely don’t understand women and don’t pretend to - is to always tell the truth and to keep stuff out of your body that doesn’t belong in it. Athletes are alpha social creatures, but so are baboons. “Drunk is dumb,” Grandmom Rose always said. “Look at shirtless Uncle Joe at the kitchen table singing and shaving with an electric razor. His dumb is fun, but still dumb." Retired journalist Bruce Pringle pointed out to me that a Baltimore Sun sports comment atorsuggested the Orioles bring up Tyler Townsend because on a team of non-hitters, he at least would be one. Playing with the Class A Frederick Keys, Tyler is batting .300 with seven home runs and 11 doubles. And most importantly, if I send him a text message, he sometimes answers me. We’re practically related. I’m out like a water spout. Go on now,git!

 

 

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