Contagious celebrations in a neurodiverse universe

Team Reese - Reese Cathcart is a Mariner sixth-grader who plays field hockey and lacrosse. The 18th annual Run for the Ribbon 5K June 1 was held to support her upcoming medical journey to fight off and win over a cancer diagnosis. The Seashore Striders published information about the 2025 proceeds to benefit Reese Cathcart: ”Reese was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 dysgerminoma [a malignant germ cell tumor]. Starting next week, Reese will undergo inpatient chemo with five days in the hospital followed by nine days at home for the next two to four months. She is extremely bummed to miss the end of sixth grade as well as her summer lacrosse and field hockey seasons, but we know she will be back on the field in no time! Reese’s treatment will take place at Al Nemours Children’s Hospital in Wilmington, which is two hours from their home. We are hoping to help lift the financial burden that time away from work, commuting to and from the hospital, and medical expenses will take on their family. If you are able to help the Cathcarts during this unimaginable time, please run or walk in support of Reese, or you can make a donation to the cause. Reese is a member of the popular U12 Shore Byrds, a travel field hockey club on the Eastern Shore.” 

Wildcard - Cape goalie coach Bruce Leibu with the game-day blue hair told goalie Abbey Schaeffer to run and get the game ball after Cape’s state championship victory over Tower Hill. As Bruce enthusiastically started to spool out Abbey’s season stats, I said, 'Who am I, Rainman? I don't even have a notebook!” Ron Allen, the JV goalie coach, said, "Fredman, no one here knows who Rainman is beside you and me.” After the game, I saw Abbey with her dad and said, “You were the wildcard in the lacrosse deck this season, and you came through with flying colors. The bad news is you're a senior and we can’t put you back in the deck.” Abbey’s dad Pete said, "That's why I wish they would have given Daisy [Mastriana] a chance to play today, so she could get some big-game experience.” I thought it was amazing in the afterglow of his daughter's greatest athletic moment that Pete Schaeffer was able to see Daisy the backup as a wildcard still in the deck.

Plug-in play - The late Mike Evick died in June 2021. He was a baseball guy. I have a photo of him outside the fence of a baseball game staring through the chain links. A great guy gone. I’m sorry he missed his son Ben winning his third Cape state championship Sunday night as coach of the baseball team. The Fred boys, Tom and Jack, were classmates and teammates of Ben. They were also baseball guys, but in ninth grade, they went to lacrosse. They were the leading edge of little leaguers who found Atlantic Lax, preferring to hit people rather than baseballs. Lacrosse surged, winning a state title in 1998 and going unbeaten, led by all-state midfielder Scott Steele, also a product of the Little League system. Baseball rebuilt itself with straight up baseball guys and both programs excelled. Boys’ track was Cape’s first state championship program going back to 1971. Athletes like Jimmy Allen, Hertford Gibbs and Brian Mifflin did both sports. This spring, just on the boys’ side, saw a baseball state title, boys’ track missing a state title by two points to Middletown and boys’ lacrosse losing 12-9 in the state finals to Salesianum. Just tabulating spring sports in the new millennium, Cape has won 43 state championships since the year 2000. Cape softball, girls’ soccer and boys’ volleyball were all state tournament teams this spring. The Cape golf team won the Henlopen Conference title, and the tennis teams each had great seasons. Cape field hockey and girls’ lacrosse have won 27 combined state titles since 2009, and all those teams featured a majority of two-sport athletes. 

All-sports banquet - I emceed at least 25 end-of-season all-sports banquets for Cape where all coaches got three minutes at the podium before getting gonged. It was four hours of sports celebration, a bask-in-the-past reflection of Cape sports history. Special sports awards were especially meaningful, delivered by a person who understood the history and tradition. Senior awards night with $5 million in cash and prizes is nice, but it’s not the same. With a graduating class of more than 500, that is just the evolution of how things go. Nevertheless, I’m allowed to miss the past without getting all whiny about it. 

Snippets - There is a neurodiverse universe that includes all of us wirelessly wafting about and bumping into one another. “Helpers gonna help,” my mantra is an unstoppable force. Shout out to all the unified coaches and partners elevating the appreciation of sports for so many athletes and families. Go on now, git!