Sitting inside the circle of shade at Champions Stadium

Slim Shady - I sat in a chair inside a circle of shade cast by the Darby Klopp Girl Scouts scoring table at Champions Stadium Tuesday night. My 500-meter lens was overkill for casual photos. I was only there to break away from an air-conditioned bonus room at home and to engage in some human interaction. The players went up and down the field for 15 minutes of running clock; there were no refs and no goalies. During a five-minute break, they all sat on the turf inside the same shady circle. I felt I should seize the opportunity to talk to them, their faces flushed and damp as heat escaped through their heads and faces. But a voice inside my large head said, “Don't go Captain Kangaroo and start telling heat stroke stories.” Everyone brings their own water bottle, which is not sharable, but gramps left his canteen in the car.

Dog Day Afternoon - Puppies of the pandemic are being surrendered to shelters in record numbers because so many owners are suddenly inconvenienced and can’t afford dog walkers or tennis balls for fetching or walker coasters. The relevance to a sports column is dogs are the best athletes on four legs and several have been Athletes of the Week during my tenure as Cape Gazette sports editor. Most dog bios read like Playboy bunny profiles, “Bingo enjoys long walks and cuddling on the couch.” The 17th annual Race for the Paws 5K is Saturday, Aug. 2, beginning with registration at 7:30 a.m. at Dewey Beach Lions Club. Note: An actual intelligence test question: “What do a lion and a dog have in common?” Best answer: “Not too much really.”

Early start - Cape attended a two-day football camp at Salisbury University Monday and Tuesday, and will begin practice for real Monday, Aug. 4, because of this season’s early game Thursday, Aug. 28, versus Saint Mark’s. Saint Mark’s head coach is Bill Dinardo, former head coach at Middletown and Salesianum. The Spartans were 3-7 last season, losing their last six games. Cape beat them 21-7. Both teams have the game penciled in as a potential win.  

Crude expression - My late friend Bruce Hefke used to say, “You can’t swing a dead cat without hitting a (insert category) certified trainer in the head.” Athletes have been strength and speed training over the summer. Daily practices begin this month for a three-month season. The question is always, “Do I continue to lift during the season” or is it time to focus on performance and give lifting and conditioning a break?” I’m not stupid enough to weigh in on this topic because although I'm certifiable and on the sports spectrum, I am not certified by certificate, with the exception of special education.   

Flag football girls -  A new sport this fall on the Cape schedule shows seven games that include: Concord, Middletown, Ursuline, Padua, Delaware Military Academy, Odessa and Saint Marks. Whatever you do, don’t call it powderpuff or you may get your hot pockets ripped out on your new cotton Dockers. The team will be coached by Allison Davis. 

Endorsement and analysis - Almost every person I ever endorsed for a job, including myself, has come in second no matter how large or small the pool of candidates. Political people and coach hopefuls sense that so they stay away from me. I’m also on the record for almost every new Cape sport down through middle school as saying, “It will never work.” I have been 100% wrong on all of it. 

Snippets - Reagan Ciabattoni (Cape) is listed as a senior on the Duke University field hockey team. A gifted field hockey and track athlete at Cape Reagan, Regan has seen limited playing time for the Blue Devils, and those of us who know the character and skill of the athlete are befuddled. She’s a four-time all-state player and Delaware Player of the Year, finishing Cape with 65 goals and 47 assists. Reagan has been on the ACC Academic Honor Roll (2022-24). At the end of this school year, she will have a degree from Duke University. Reagan has a redshirt year in her pocket if she elects to use it after graduation. I have become the John Stockton of sports writers, dishing off assists rather than writing stories myself. Stockton holds the NBA career record with 15,806 assists. Fredpop is dropping dimes, so if the pay phone rings, answer it. Go on now, git!