Moment of Zen on the playing fields of Fred Thomas Middle School

Moment of Zen - “First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.” – Donovan, 1967. That’s a Buddhist saying that nothing is permanent. I walked onto the Fred Thomas football field surrounded by an off-sized cinder track. It took me back to 1975 when the track behind Shields Elementary was scientifically lined by the late JT Moore, who said to me, “Show me where to put the lines and that’s where I put them.” I, of course, had no idea. There were coed kids all over the place, mostly track and lacrosse athletes. I was on a strafing mission, just a quick grabbing of photos, then I was gone like a turkey through the corn. Jumbo gnats drilled my back through my dark blue Cape shirt. The kids called out my name, “Hey, Fredman.” Such an honest and enthusiastic age group, except when on classroom lockdown, most are distractible because adults are just not all that interesting over 45 minutes. I thought of all the years Blockhouse Pond and surrounding marshy areas were there but a bit of a hidden gem. But why no-see-ums morphed into something big enough to actually decide to attack, I don't know, I’m not an entomologist. 

Parents at practice - It’s a free country until you start being annoying. I’m a parent and grandparent of lots of athletes in the lineage. I’ve been at many sports practices with family on the field. But I’m in the business of taking photos and writing stories. Otherwise, my presence at practices would just be weird, and most coaches would request that I depart like the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. Sporadically, a parent will request a day pass to follow their child's schedule and sit through the classes. The intentions are rarely good; the dynamic changes just like it does during a teacher observation by an administrator. Like the discontinued penny, some parents just have no cents.  

KJ up the way - In her last middle school basketball season, KJ Johnson played for Fred Thomas. The two years previous, she played for Beacon. Over three years and one loss, she was the star player, money whenever on the court. Her freshman season found KJ at Sanford on the No. 1 team in Delaware. In the state semifinals March 10, she had 14 points and will play for the state title Saturday, March 14, versus St. Elizabeth. I call her a Cape kid playing at Sanford. 

Unrelatable, that's what you are - This is the season of free agents let go and others re-signed, and the money is so stupefying that I really don’t want to hear about it. I wonder when loyal fans will internalize the message that they are being played. Many young players are defensive about their opulence, realizing most fans don’t  think they are worth it. That is why the World Baseball Classic is so much fun to watch. The best rosters playing for their country, remembering how much fun it is to compete and really care about the outcome.          

G lax play day - Teams coming to Cape for a play day Saturday, March 14, are Bishop Shanahan (lost in Pennsylvania state finals), Manchester Valley (won a Maryland group title), Glenelg (nationally ranked) and Stephen Decatur.  And defending Delaware state champion Cape Henlopen. This play is always a see-what’s-up day, as the best people play each other.  

Posterized - Where was I when half the world learned the group dances like Electric Slide, Boot Scoot Boogie and Cha Cha Slide? I guess the same place I was when everyone started making sports posters. What is up? I feel like the lead singer from Simple Minds from simpler times. “Don’t you forget about me.”  I take photos, but now promotional sports posters rule the day and I don’t want to play. Adobe, ChatGPT and OpenAI have sent some of us to the Velvet Underground, and based on my wardrobe, I should be in a grunge band. 

Snippets - Back in the day, there were more stories about bad grades leading to ineligible-to-play status. I used to argue, following that logic, “Then why not throw fat kids out of Honors classes?” But all seriousness aside, most athletes today take care of business when it comes to academics, even bragging about honor rolls and GPAs. Jake Gelof played third base for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic. The Israeli team went 2-2 in pool play and did not advance to the quarterfinal knockout round. Israel beat the Netherlands 6-2 as Gelof stroked a two-run single to put his team ahead. Go on now, git!