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The talent train keeps rolling like Old Man River

July 30, 2021

Champions Stadium - The Cape campus is user-friendly with a fieldhouse separating two lighted turf fields, outdoor basketball courts leading into a wrestling room on one side and weight room on the other, which then opens to an incredible gym. From there, it’s down two halls to a lunch room off a rotunda and doors to the best theater in the county – and I should know, I’ve been in none of them. I left my barstool under the Cape canopy (blue chair supplement requires less lift to get up, mostly just fall off) at Cape’s field hockey camp and just walked about capturing faces of girls who came to play. There were 100 kids with curved sticks in a sport where everyone's right handed. The talent train just keeps rolling along like the Old Man River.      

Therapy dog - If I saw Simone Biles sitting on a Boardwalk bench, I’d sit down next to her and begin talking about everything and anything except gymnastics or her fame. The same with Carson Wentz, Ben Simmons, Donavan Brazier, Sha’Carri Richardson and Naomi Osaka and I wouldn't admit I even knew who they were. I enjoy chance meetings with strangers and I come in on a level plane – that’s the only one I can land. I'm not looking up or down on anyone. I know the lesson to be learned from famous people who short circuit and trip the breakers of self-satisfaction is obvious. Contentment and happiness for yourself and the people you care about is priority one through 10. The Impressions released their hit single “Keep on Pushing” in 1964, and on today’s sports landscape so many families are collectively pushing all the time. But when you get where you’re heading, will you even know you have arrived? 

Gold medal softball - I watched the entire seven-inning gold medal softball game between the USA and Japan at 7 a.m. one recent morning. The Japanese emerged with a 2-0 victory, playing joyfully with fundamental precision. The United States looked like a team ready to bash the ball, but to me they looked tight, which happens when there is a game in the way of your dreams of a gold medal. I was surprised that pitchers from both teams were in their late 30s. That is a long time to hang around playing a kid’s game. Ten players on the USA roster are from California. The three replacement players were also from California. Japan has a professional women’s softball league which allows two foreigners per team. Cat Osterman, the USA starting pitcher at 38 years old, plays in the league. Monica Abbott, 6-foot-3, who pitched the later innings for team USA, plays professionally in the United States for Scrap Yard Fast Pitch and in the Japan Professional League for Toyota Motor Corporation.

Fussbudget - Looking into my desktop WordHippo thesaurus, I found cool synonyms like grumpler, whiner, moaner and fidget. The seaside village of Sesame Street by the Sea is an economy fueled by service industries from restaurants to those highly skilled tradespeople who are great at what they do but don’t charge an arm and a leg and are available tomorrow. I must admit I have zero tolerance for grumplers and moaners, but in my happy sports world, I get none of that because I’m right on time and don’t charge an arm and a leg for photos; in fact, you don’t even have to be my friend. But mess with my muppets and I’m coming off the bench like Jungle Jim Loscutoff, a seven-time NBA champion with the Celtics of the 60s. The Celtics wanted to retire his No. 18 and hang it from the rafters. But Jungle Jim said, “Please don't. I want another player to wear it to keep me in the game.” It was worn by Dave Cowens and No.18 is now retired; the names of Cowens and Loscutoff hang from the rafters. If you were ever in one of my classes, you wouldn't even ask, “How did we end up with Jungle Jim Loscutoff?”  

Snippets - Cape approved a freshmen soccer team and let me be the first to say “it will never work” because whenever I say that, things really take off, like middle school cross country and lacrosse and high school volleyball. Prospect day camps at colleges are a summer moneymaker for programs with lots of kids playing and most to all of them are simply getting played. Years ago teaching in a Cape classroom, I was buzzed to the office with this message: “There’s a coach Tubby Raymond here in the office who wants to speak with you.” I went straight down and saw Tubby standing at the counter, “Hey, coach, I’m Dave Frederick.” “Hi,'' he said, “I’m the Phanatic’s father. Coach Bill Muhlheisen said if I stop at Cape to talk to you, that you will give me the straight scoop on players. But mostly I’m here so I can write off my trip to the beach. Can we get a cup of coffee?” Raymond was old school but he was real, an artist in athletics. They make great coaches. Go on now, git!   

 

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