Showing posts with label frank workman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label frank workman. Show all posts

Frank Workman: A Story For This Super Bowl

Saturday, February 10, 2024

Frank Workman
Photo by Wayne Pridemore
By Frank Workman

It was 20+ years ago, in the pre-Amazon days, and my old turntable had become obsolete. We needed something to play CDs, nothing fancy, and I went to the local Best Buy store for the first (and last) time.

I walked in and saw the store was huge. Music was blaring and colored lights were flashing on-and-off. It was very disorienting, to say the least.

Fortunately there was an employee near the door who must have sensed my bewilderment, and he asked what I was looking for. When I told him, he pointed in the general direction of the far corner of the store and said these words - “Go to the usher.”

“Hmmm”, I thought, as I ambled through the aisles. Best Buy has ushers.

I marveled at the inventive ways companies have of identifying their employees. I recalled how, when I was (ahem) assistant manager at Polly’s Pie Palace the geniuses in management decided to upgrade the title of the young guys who cleared off tables. They went from ‘busboys’ to ‘Customer Service Coordinators’. (It was probably a case of either giving them a ten-cent raise or a fancy-pants title.)

Garbage collectors have long ago been upgraded to ‘Sanitation Engineers’.

I was thinking of other places that have ushers. Ballparks and weddings, for sure. Theaters and playhouses, too.

I made it to the far corner and waited. And waited. Maybe five minutes. Not an usher in sight.

I went back to the front of the store, to see the guy who’d sent me to the usher. When I told him I didn’t see an usher back there, he laughed at me.

He pointed out various banners of entertainers that hung from the high ceiling. He explained that the banner in the far corner was somebody named Usher. As if I, then in my fifties, should have been expected to know the latest musical flavor-of-the-month.

To this day, if I’m in an unfamiliar store and don’t want to waste time wandering aimlessly, I will, at risk of violating the terms and agreements of my Man Card, ask for directions.

More often than not, that employee will walk me to the item I’m looking for. That’s a store that just earned my business.

By the way……did you hear who’s performing at halftime of the Super Bowl?


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Frank Workman: Just for a moment... a sense of what's it's like

Sunday, June 7, 2020

The Snohomish River - Photo by Wayne Pridemore


By Frank Workman

Over the years, I’ve watched thousands of young people playing in various sporting activities. I’ve gotten to know hundreds of them. Of at least fifty, I’ve been known to say ‘that’s as good a person as you’ll ever meet”.

One of those is my friend Amanda. She’s now a college student. She’s black.

When she was growing up, I’m sure her teachers checked every box on her report each semester (“Is a pleasure to have in class.” “Works well with others.” “Shows initiative.”)

Just being around her makes you feel like you’re better off for it.

If she were a star, she’d be the brightest one in the sky.

As I’ve watched the events of the last two weeks unfold, I’ve thought a million thoughts.

Early this week I thought of Amanda.

I texted her and asked her what she was thinking.

She responded with a lengthy message that expressed her anger and frustration, not just at the killing of George Floyd, but also by the response by many that the protests aren’t appropriate (as if another killing of a black man by police IS appropriate), ignoring entirely the reasons for the protests.

I could tell she was furious. I also knew that being of a different age and skin color, I couldn’t possibly feel what she was feeling.

But then the next day a thought struck me…. what if Amanda was The Next One? I imagined her face down on the pavement somewhere, with an officer’s knee on her neck, begging for her life. Then seeing it over and over again on the news.

A wave of anguish washed over me. My eyes welled with tears.

I thought of how her death would affect me personally, to not be able to watch her fulfill her enormous promise in my final years.

I thought of her immediate family and the grief that would stay with them for the rest of their lives.

I thought of her friends and teachers, all of whom have had a hand in helping her become what she is today.

And I thought of all the lives she’d never be able to touch, and all the good she’d never be able to do, no matter how high she might have risen in the world, whether she’d become President, Senator, CEO, teacher, coach, or that most important job of all….mom.

What a loss, for all of us.

Maybe for just a instant I was able to begin to get a sense of the anger and the rage that so many African-Americans have had to endure for too many years, not just starting with the killing of George Floyd, but with all the other people of color who have been murdered solely because of the color of their skin - their lives cut short before fulfilling the promise of their lives.

The racism in our country that diminishes the value of black lives must end.

Black lives matter.



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Frank Workman on Sports: How soon is too soon?

Friday, December 6, 2019

Photo courtesy US Youth Soccer

By Frank Workman

Down here in the San Diego area, I spent my Saturday mornings this fall watching my granddaughter play soccer for a team with the delightful name Glitter Sparkles. By my count, they played .500 ball.

When their season ended, the league’s coaches were asked to nominate their two best players from their own teams to be included in an all-star game that was played last weekend. My granddaughter was chosen to play in it.

Right before the games started, an impromptu meeting was held for the parents/guardians to hear of that night’s format. But before we were told that there were four teams, and that each team would play two 30-minute games, we heard from the event’s organizer, the league’s Director, who, we learned, is also the varsity soccer coach for the local high school the league feeds into.

What came next was part genius, part demonic.

First he congratulated us on the girls’ success in being recognized as all-stars.

Then he let it be known that in two weeks he would be starting a winter soccer camp for those kids whose parents wanted to see their skills rise to ‘the next level’ (for a fee, no doubt).

Turned out this entire ‘all-star’ event was a thinly disguised commercial to recruit kids to join the ranks of year-around Select soccer, so they can begin to hone their skills for when they’re able to play for his high school team.

The All Stars soccer team
Photo by Frank Workman

And by the way……my granddaughter is four years old.

Maybe this is how local greats Michelle Akers (Shorecrest) and Lori Henry (Shorewood) started on their paths to winning the Women’s World Cup for USA, but four years old seems way too young to be emphasizing one sport over the vast cornucopia of other games a child can try out.

I’m a big advocate of kids playing sports.

Sports has been called ‘life’s non-traditional classroom’.

A whole lot of good comes from it.

Lasting memories are created, lifelong friends are made (for both the players and their parents), and many valuable lessons are learned by playing.

Kids learn teamwork, unselfishness, and dedication. They compete with, and against, people who have different traits, qualities, and values than they have. They learn how to win and lose with grace, dignity, and humility. They learn to push their physical limits beyond what they imagined possible. In the process they acquire self-esteem and gain confidence in themselves. There are almost as many benefits to be had as there are people who derive them.

By all means, let your kids play sports. That’s ‘sports’, plural. Expose them to a variety of games, see which ones they enjoy and/or have an aptitude for.

It’s their life, not yours, and they should have a say in the matter of which sport they’re going to settle down and specialize in.

And that means they need to be old enough to take ownership of whatever decision it is they make.

Maybe wait until they’re at least in kindergarten.


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Frank Workman on Sports: What makes a great manager, coach, or teacher?

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Frank Workman
By Frank Workman

I went to a ballgame last week with a new (albeit 90 years old) friend, a historian of Baseball who has forgotten more about our National Pastime than I can ever hope to know.

At one point during the game, Norman inquired as to who was the best manager the Mariners have had. Given Norman’s professorial mien, I knew I needed to get the answer exactly right, so I paused for half a second before I responded with the obvious, Lou Piniella.

As that question had been of the simplest fill-in-the-blank variety, his follow-up was more an essay question.

“What makes for a great manager?” (This from a man who wrote a three-volume / 1600+ page biography on Connie Mack.)

Again I paused.

For once in my life, I chose not to be a smart-aleck by responding with “Great players.”

This time I took a breath. I didn’t exactly answer his question directly. Instead, I recited all the duties a manager today needs and the skills required to carry out those duties. There was a litany of them.

As the face of the franchise, he has to deal with the press on a daily basis, a time-consuming (and patience-testing) endeavor.

He has to work with his bosses upstairs, whose long-term and short-term goals may not always align with his, and with whom he may occasionally have profound philosophical differences.

He has to know his players’ abilities, personalities, moods, and temperaments. He has to know which buttons to push on each player to get their best effort as close to 100% of the time as possible. Some old southern football coach used to say “It’s not all about the x’s and o’s. You still need to know about the Jimmies and Joes.”

The ability to communicate clearly with all the entities listed above is paramount.

It could be expected that by the time a player makes it to the Big Leagues, he’s pretty solid in his physical abilities. Yet even the greatest of players needs to be coached-up along the way.

Likability isn’t essential, but it would seem to come in handy most of the time, although the annals of Baseball are filled with championship teams who didn’t much care for their manager. By the same token, there would seem to be enough examples of well-liked failures to prove Leo Durocher’s point that ‘nice guys finish last’.

Our conversation was interrupted by some action in the game (or maybe by the incessantly loud music played between innings that renders simple conversations impossible), and we didn’t speak on the matter any further.

A couple days later, while I was waiting for the light to turn green, it occurred to me the same question could be asked about our school teachers, as I recognize many similarities between teachers and managers/coaches.

In one sense, managers have it easy. They’ve only got 25 guys on their roster to contend with, while some teachers are apt to have 125-150 students each semester.

Teachers aren’t likely to have any students earning millions more per year than they are, with equally inflated egos to match, but then managers don’t deal with teenagers and their raging hormones.

While managers spend a portion of each day talking to the media, teachers get to correspond with parents, some of whom are capable of criticism every bit as much as the local sportswriter can be.

There are some players/students who just seem to perform better for one manager / teacher over the other.

The Houston Oilers old head coach, Bum Phillips, admired Miami’s Don Shula, paying him the highest compliment. In his best Texas drawl, Phillips said of Shula, “He can take his’n, and beat your’n…. and he can take your’n, and beat his’n.”

What makes a great manager, coach, or teacher?

Having seen many coaches and teachers from up-close-and-personal over the years, the best ones don’t make their players / students do the extra work that’s necessary to be successful. They get them to want to do the work.

And figuring out just how to do that…… that’s what makes for a great manager.



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Frank Workman: A high school senior's letter to Mom and Dad

Sunday, September 1, 2019

Huge crowds attend Shorewood - Shorecrest football games
Photo by Wayne Pridemore


Frank Workman is not a high school senior. He is a long-time participant and observer of high school sports, who is known locally as an announcer for high school games. He has been a regular contributor to the Shoreline Area News.

A high school senior's letter to Mom and Dad
By Frank Workman

Dear Mom and Dad –

You know how you like to write me a letter before my sports seasons begin, offering me encouragement, advice and good wishes?

This season I want to turn the tables and write a letter to you, especially since this is my senior year, and likely to be my last time playing organized sports.

I know there have been times before, during, or after my games when you’ve said or done something that has annoyed me. I realize you’ve meant no harm, but I want to spell things out for you so the memories we’ll take from this last year of my playing ball will be good ones.

First, I want to thank you for respecting my wishes by letting me play football, basketball, and baseball, and not making me specialize in just one sport.

The money you spent for me to play on various Select teams wasn’t some sort of guaranty that I’d ever become good enough to play college ball. What my Select ball experience did was improve my skills and help keep me on the right track, instead of drifting off doing who-knows-what with my idle time. I am only guaranteed a chance to play when it comes to high school ball – nothing more.

Look, I know deep down that I’m not going to get an athletic scholarship to college. I’m a good athlete, but I am not the elite, almost freakish one that gets a free ride. I’ve learned something about genetics in Biology class, and I got your genes, which explains why I’m not 6’10”, or 275 pounds, or run the hundred in ten-flat. So don’t blame me for not playing at the next level – look in the mirror. Just kidding. I wouldn’t change a thing about me – or you.

I need you to understand that it’s not just me who gets to have a sports season. But the sports season the two of you get to have is going to be an entirely different one from mine.

I’ll be learning life lessons in the “non-traditional classroom” that high school sports represent. I’ll be learning what dedication and commitment are, not just by playing the games, but by working hard in practice, testing my courage, running until my lungs feel like they could burst, dealing with the hurts and pains that come from sore muscles, bruised bones and scraped knees. By finding out how much I can care about something, how much I’m willing to do beyond what I think is possible in order to help our team be successful, how much I’m willing to sacrifice myself for the good of the team, I’m going to be learning important things about life.

I’m also going to experience the fun times, too, times that you can’t be any part of, like the ten minutes in the locker room right before a game, and the ten minutes in the locker room after a game, regardless of if we won or lost, happy or sad – or the bus rides to and from games, and the silly times in the dugout or locker room when I’m just having fun with my friends, still just being a kid.

This goes without saying ---

While this has never been a problem with you in the past, if for some reason you indulge in adult beverages before one of my games and think it would be a good idea to show up and be loud, abusive, possibly even vulgar - DON’T. EVER. That sort of behavior from you would embarrass me to death, and would become your signature moment, to be remembered forever. And should one of the other parents come to a game in that condition, do everybody a favor and quietly suggest to them that they leave. Or better still, discreetly talk to one of the school’s administrators who are at the game, and let them handle the situation.

I want you to get the other parents on the team to sit together at our games.

You and the other parents get to have fun, too, as you band together and root for us all season. It’s sort of like getting on a ride at Disneyland, with all the ups and downs, thrills and spills.

Here’s a golden opportunity for a couple old fogies like you to make some new friends, and when was the last time that happened? I’m not saying you have to sit next to that blowhard who is always bragging about his life, who distracts you from the game you’re intently watching – avoiding getting stuck sitting next to him is going to have to be a new move you’ll have to work on this year, I guess. I’d like you to seek out the parents of the new kids on the team, the ones who don’t really know any of the other parents yet, and bring them into the fold. You’re always telling me how some of my high school buddies are going to be my friends for life. Maybe the same can be said for you about other parents on the team. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your next best friends at my games this season.

This year, I want to hear you cheering for my teammates, too, and calling them by name, not just me.

I’d really like it if you went out of your way to get to know some of the other guys on the team. I am not the only story on the team. Every player has his own story worth being aware of. Unlike the college or pro teams in town who you can only cheer for from a distance, you can actually meet and get to know the kids I play with. The more kids you know on the team, and the more you know about them, the more you will enjoy watching us play.

I know you like to root for me at my games. I can hear your voice every time you do – I’ve been trained all my life to listen for it. But I also want you to cheer for my team and teammates so much that a stranger in the gym can’t tell that we have the same last name. With any luck, the other parents will get the hint and root for all of us, not just their own kids.

They’re just our opponents – they’re not our enemies.

It’s also OK with me if you acknowledge a good play or effort by an opponent. You know, those kids are just like me, they just live in a different town than we do. They care about the sport we love, they probably like the same music and movies that we do, and there’s not much difference between them and us, other than the color of the shirt they’re wearing that particular night. At the end of each game, we show them respect by going through the handshake line with them. I want you to show them respect, too.

Just because the call wasn’t in our favor doesn’t mean it was a bad call.

And while I’m on the topic of showing respect, I want you to be respectful to the game officials. I know there are times when we all disagree with their calls, or are at least disappointed when one doesn’t go our way.

It’s OK to disagree with them, but don’t be disrespectful. They are the game’s authority figures, and since you’re always telling me to respect authority, I expect you to do the same.

Besides, those guys are right most of the time, and they almost always know our rules better than anybody up in the stands does, especially since the rules can be different for high school, college and pro ball.

The team comes first. Not me. Not any one single player. Certainly not you or any of the other parents.

Our coaches do a great job of instilling in us team values, to put aside any selfishness we may feel in favor of support for our common effort. If any of us are unhappy about our playing time, the position we’re playing, or the way we’re being treated, he wants us to come to him and talk with him about it. All of us are OK with this arrangement. Most of the time, the guys who are second-string understand that the guys ahead of them are better than they are. Our coaches work really hard to nip any jealousies or disagreements in the bud.

The most important thing for us when we’re on a team is …… The Team.

When comments are made by outsiders (parents, particularly) that are critical of us or the coaches, they tear at the very fabric of the team. The louder they are, the more they damage the sense of unity and togetherness we’re trying to establish.

Instead of thinking about the next play or the next game, we wind up spending time dealing with stuff that takes our eye off the ball, so to speak.

But our coaches know more about the game than you do, I’ll bet. When a play doesn’t work, they know – right then- who it was that caused the play to fail, as opposed to the fans in the stands who only know that the play didn’t work.

The coach has earned the right to fill out the line-up card - to decide who plays where, when, and what plays we run.

My head coach probably spends 750-1000 hours a year on his sport, between planning practices, watching game films, game-planning for each week’s opponent, running practices, and actually coaching the games, not to mention attending coaching clinics, dealing with the paperwork side of coaching, and keeping in touch with us players all year round. He spends more waking hours during the season with us than his own family. Fact is, I see more of him each week than I do you during the season. On top of that, you might know only 5 or 10 of the kids on the team. Coach knows each and every one of us. He cares about us, not just as players, but as people.

Just because you disagree with the coach, doesn’t mean he’s an idiot.

Dad, I know how much you love sports, and how much you think you know about them from having played when you were young, and from watching games week after week, year after year. You know a little about a lot of sports. My coach is the world’s greatest expert on the subject of my team.

Just remember that there are three things every guy thinks he can do better than anybody else – build a campfire, grill a steak, and manage a ballclub. There’s an old saying – ‘a little knowledge is a dangerous thing’. There are bound to be times when you disagree with something he does. When that happens, keep it to yourself, please.

I hope you’ll get to know my coach.

If you want to have a relationship with my coach, make sure it’s a non-critical, supportive one. Thank him after the games for his hard work, be appreciative of all he does and be thankful (as I am) that we have him on our side. And while you’re at it, be a friend and supporter of his wife, too. She comes to all the games and roots harder (if only to herself), and cares about it more than you do. While all you parents have a son on the team, she has fifty of us. She hears every comment that gets made up in the stands, and somehow manages to keep her cool when somebody up there says something critical or stupid about the team or her husband. When the game is over and you’re on your way home, the game may not even be on your mind by the time you pull into the garage. I’m sure Coach’s wife lives with the outcomes (especially the losses) a lot longer than any of you parents do.

I know you’ve always told me that my schoolwork is more important than sports. I guess that means that if you’re going to get to know my coach, you better get to know all my teachers this year, too. I want both of you to come to Back To School Night and meet my teachers, maybe shoot them an email afterwards.

As you would no sooner try to tell my English teacher how to conduct her class or criticize her in public, the same probably should be said about your demeanor toward my coaches.

If you want to analyze and re-hash the game in-depth, I’ll do it with you, but won’t it keep until the next morning?

When the game is over, don’t expect me to be all chatty and happy to talk with you, at least not right away. Games are physically, mentally, and emotionally draining for me, for you, for all of us. Everybody’s nerves might be raw and on edge right after a game. Sure, I’ll take your hugs, win or lose, as will my teammates. But give me some time to decompress, to think through what just happened out there and what the coaches had to say afterwards before you start peppering me with all sorts of ‘what happened?’ questions. And don’t ask me to violate the sanctity of the locker room. What gets said in there stays in there – sort of like going to Las Vegas.

Look, if all you want to know right after the game is what was so funny in the third quarter that all of us on the bench started laughing, I’ll tell you all about it.

Playing in games with my buddies, in front of our fellow students with all you moms and dads watching and cheering us on; it might just be the most fun I’ll get to have in my whole life.

I know we’ve talked in the past about what it’s like for me to be playing during the pressure situations that can develop during the games, and how your stomachs get twisted into a knot, and how mom sometimes has to hide her eyes.

But from my perspective, I’m so busy playing, so locked in and focused on what I’m doing, that I don’t have time to think about the consequences of failure, of what happens if I drop the pass, or miss the shot, or strike out.

What you call ‘pressure’ is, for me, pure fun.

Everybody’s always saying how playing sports builds character. You’ve told me that yourself on several occasions.

My coach says that while it’s true, there is a greater truth to be said about sports.

He says ‘sports reveals character’.

As my last year of playing sports begins soon, I hope that the character I reveal will make you proud of me.

And I hope that I’ll be proud of you.

I have to go now. First practice of the season is in the morning.

Here’s to a great season.

For you.


Love,

Your Child



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Sports by Frank Workman: Max Uhm is a very special Scot

Thursday, May 2, 2019

Max Uhm is "a very special Scot"
There are those rare athletes who can score thirty points a game, blast long home runs, or win all their races. And good for them. 

Rarer still are those who have the capacity to make their teammates better.

We all know people who are wonderfully skilled artists, singers, gardeners, woodworkers, or cooks.

But those individuals who can brighten everyone’s day by merely being present... those people are few and far between.

Max Uhm is a senior at Shorecrest.

Max is a student with autism.

When he was a freshman, it was unimaginable for his parents, Louis and Hayley, to envision him participating in all aspects of school life and being accepted by his peers, much less playing on several teams and riding the buses to away events, sitting among his teammates, laughing and joking, making memories.

Max wasn’t gifted with blazing speed, mad hops, or muscles on top of muscles.

What Max does possess is a unique ability to make everybody he comes into contact with better off for having done so, through his cheerful, optimistic nature and guileless innocence. He is constitutionally incapable of disliking anybody.

Shorectrest Principal Lisa Gonzalez gushed when asked to describe him.

“Max is the hyphiest Highlander on campus. He has embraced every opportunity to be involved at Shorecrest — participating in Wrestling, Track, and Cross Country for four years, while also being a member of our PALS club, Seattle Unified Soccer, and our Leadership program. 
"Students at Shorecrest know and love Max because he always brings a smile and positive attitude to everything he does. Max Uhm is a true Scot and all of Shorecrest has been made better by Max’s school spirit, kindness, and boundless energy.”

Mindy Dalziel is the girls soccer coach at Shorecrest. In the spring, she coaches Seattle Unified, a soccer team that enables kids with special needs to feel part of a team that represents Shorecrest. And it gives the general education students who help out with the team a chance to see a slice of the population they might not otherwise encounter, and develop empathy toward them.

Mindy says. “I love Max! He makes me a better person and a better coach. Soccer helps Max see others similar to him and compete against them, and his soccer aggression comes out. It’s the only place where it’s acceptable for him to be that way. Max warms my heart every time I see him.”

In Trent Mitchell’s Video Production class two years ago, two separate groups of students asked Max to be in their movies. In both cases, he played the lead, especially distinguishing himself in a ‘Charlie’s Angels’ parody, in which he played Charlie to three lovely young classmates.

Max has had Brent Busby as both his wrestling coach and home-room teacher for four years.

This past season, Max was voted ‘Most Inspirational’ by his wrestling teammates. 

Busby says, “It was not some sort of “feel good” or politically correct-type of moment when Max was unanimously chosen as Most Inspirational of the Shorecrest wrestling team. Max is the real deal and is the most pure and wholesome student I have ever met. 
"Max makes everyone’s day and helps others to keep everything in perspective. No other student has faithfully greeted me and demonstrated sincere appreciation like Max has… no student even comes close to inspiring me on a daily basis the way he does. 
"His positive attitude and cheerful heart are contagious attributes that bring out the best in everyone around him. Max has instilled in me, and many others of the Shorecrest community as well, a great example of what it means to give your best to others and to seek to radiate joy to those people who are all around us.”

Max has a friend who moved out of town a couple years ago. A week before he left, the friend arranged to take Max for one last jog around the track. After they were done, the two sat on a bench for one final chat.

“You know, Max,” his friend told him, “everybody loves you.”

“You’re right,” he replied. “I’m splendid.”

Judging by the impact he’s had on so many, I’d say he’s right.



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Frank Workman on Sports: 54-51? Ptui.

Friday, November 23, 2018

Frank Workman, who did not
get that tan in Lake Forest Park
By Frank Workman

The Monday Night Football game this week between the Chiefs and the Rams was wildly entertaining, if not artistic. It ended with the highest score in MNF history, 54-51, with the Rams on the winning end of things.

For all its scoring, it paled in comparison to an epic Shorecrest game from October 2005, against Mariner High.

The Scots emerged victorious, 69-60. Those who attended were treated to their money’s worth and then some.

On this holiday weekend, what follows is taken from memory. Some details may have faded over the years, but the essence of what follows is true.

That year’s Shorecrest team was their best in the last 25 years. They won 4A WesCo, in spite of being a 3A team. They were the Gutty Little Scots that season, racking up wins week after week. Only one defeat marred their record going into the state tournament, where they were flattened by a robust Rainier Beach team.

The Scots were led by Jesse Hoffman, a rock-solid, bruising runner and defensive back. He would go on to help Eastern Washington win a National Championship at the 1-AA level. (Former UW coach Tyrone Willingham, that astute judge of talent, had no use for Hoffman. Perhaps that acumen contributed to the Huskies’ 11-37 record in his four disastrous seasons, including an 0-12 mark in his final year, 2008.) Hoffman became a Seahawk for a short time. In high school, he was a man among boys.

Chasen Gardner was the quarterback. Many times that season he would fling the ball as far downfield as he could, and speedy wide-receiver Kevin Ramos always managed to catch the deep balls in perfect stride on his way to the end zone. Ramos doubled as the team’s punter, and he seemed to have carte blanche from head coach Mike Wollan to tuck the ball under his arm and run for a first down. Several times that season Ramos would weave his way downfield, not only gaining the necessary yardage, but taking it to the house for six.

The most versatile and complementary player on the team was Grady Small, still pound-for-pound the best high school football player I’ve ever seen. He played running back and he would flank out as a receiver, too. He was the snapper on punts and place-kicks, he seemed to be involved in every tackle on defense, and there were nights when he sold popcorn at halftime and even helped sweep out the stadium after everyone else had gone home.

Mariner had an outstanding running back in Raymond Fry, who played his college ball for Idaho. By memory, he was maybe 5’ 8” and a chiseled 170 pounds. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on him. He wasn’t small by any means, just short. When he carried the football, he was faster than snakes or the blink of an eye. He was as elusive as mercury. It wouldn’t have come as any surprise to learn that he wore a cape and had a blue shirt with a red S on his chest.

The Scots fell behind the Marauders early in the contest, and Shorecrest fans felt a gnawing dread in the first half as their team repeatedly had to score just to catch up to Mariner. But Hoffman righted the ship late in the first half with an exciting touchdown romp. A perfect form tackle consists of the defender executing a hit-lift-and-drive on a runner. Hoffman turned the tables and put a shoulder into a tackler on the five yard line, lifted him off the ground, and landed the tackler across the goal line as he drove him into the end zone.

The Scots pulled away in the second half, extending their lead to three touchdowns twice in the fourth quarter. With such a lead, Coach Wollan subbed in some backup defenders to give his starters (most of whom played both ways and never came off the field) a breather. Both times Fry went coast-to-coast for six points on his team’s first play following the kickoffs.

The Scots had to re-insert their starters with their lead narrowed, and of course they kept scoring. It was that kind of night.

When the game ended, fans stood and cheered in amazement and appreciation for what they’d witnessed. Few were ready to leave right away.

For two fans, old friends and devotees of high school football going back to the Fifties, the game stood out for another reason.

Gamblers at heart (degenerates, some could say) they would make sport right before kickoff of every game they attended together. One would set the line for how many combined points would be scored by both teams, and the other would choose to take the ‘over’ or the ‘under’.

That night, the ‘over’ easily won the wager before the first half ended. So a new total was posited at halftime, the first time a second wager had ever been made in one game.

When the ‘over’ covered by the end of the third quarter, yet a third total was proposed.

The game was one for the books.

Maybe if the Chiefs and Rams lock horns again this season in the Super Bowl, they could dream big, put on their Big Boy Pants, and try to top what Shorecrest and Mariner managed to do in 2005.

I’ll take the Over.


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Frank Workman on Sports: Shorecrest girls take 1st and 2nd at Cross-Country Districts

Monday, October 29, 2018

Lilly Visser (l), Lauren Block (r)
Photo courtesy Visser and Block families
By Frank Workman

A few years ago at the District Finals track meet, a meet official wandered over to the pole vault area to watch the boys perform. He stood next to three outstanding distance runners from one school who were admiring their efforts.

One commented “Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to fly like that?”. 

Her teammate responded “Wouldn’t it be nice to compete in something that didn’t hurt every time we did it”.

Such is the life of a long-distance runner. Lots of long, lonely, largely unnoticed workouts designed to push the body’s limits to painful exhaustion.

For two highly competitive Shorecrest seniors Saturday, their hours of dedicated exertion bore the fruits of victory at the District One 3A Cross Country meet at South Whidbey HS.

Lilly Visser won the District Championship with a time of 19:02, while teammate Lauren Block (two-time District Champion in the 800 meters) ran second in 19:22 over the 5,000 meter course.

Full race results are here.

These two are no strangers to the readers of these pages. Their previous exploits have been chronicled here. (See previous article)

Visser in front, Block second
Photo courtesy Visser and Block families


After the race, the two talked about their strategy going into the race.

"I thought it would be smart to let the Edmonds-Woodway girls set the pace," said Visser. With a GPA of 3.9, she’s knows what smart is.

“About halfway through, the pace seemed pretty moderate, so I took the lead.”

Block, who carries a GPA just a hair higher (3.956) than her teammate, commented “Our goal going into the race was to finish 1 and 2, so I’m glad we were able to do that. When Lilly took the lead back in the woods, I just decided to go with her. I wanted to get closer to her while building more distance between myself and the Ed-Way girls”.

Visser #1 atop the podium and Block #2 to her right
Photo courtesy Visser and Block families


The two took time to reflect on what running has done for them.

Visser — “Running has provided an outlet in my life that allows me to take a break from the stress that school brings, and challenges me in a way that nothing else does. The combined mental and physical training always challenges me but it has brought really great rewards”.

Among those rewards, Lilly is weighing her college choices, with Seattle U., Gonzaga, and Loyola-Marymount under consideration. She also volunteers with the Pink Polka Dot Guild, an inspiring local charity that raises funds for pediatric cancer research.

Block — “Running has given me so many great opportunities, taking me to outstanding meets like NXR, Seaside, and the Oregon Relays. The biggest plus is most of my closest friends in high school I’ve made through running cross-country and track”.

Block has agreed to attend the University of Portland next year.

The two train together, nearly year-round. Chances are if you’ve been driving in LFP or near the Shorecrest campus and have seen a pair of teenage girls running through the neighborhood, it’s been these two.

They keep a record of every workout, and have even calculated how many miles they’ve run together since their freshman year.

As they prepare for next Saturday’s State Finals at Sun Willows Golf Course over in Pasco, they’ll both go over the 4,000 mile mark.

And I’ll bet every single mile brought its own degree of pain.


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Frank Workman on sports: Keep the fun in youth sports - don't be THAT parent

Thursday, August 2, 2018

Photo courtesy Shoreline Sports Foundation
By Frank Workman

Days before he was to become Elizabeth Taylor’s eighth (!) husband, Virginia Senator John Warner confided with friends “I know what I’m supposed to do on my wedding night, I’m just not sure how to make it new and exciting”.

I’ve written and commented frequently in the past about fan (parental) behavior at youth sporting events.

I’m not sure if this will be new and exciting, either, but given that every year there are parents who are new to the business of watching their kids play ball, this may prove helpful. And for those who are veterans of the process, maybe this can serve as review.

A recent local news item in The Seattle Times detailing the arrest of a mom (for assault) following a sixth-grade Catholic girls basketball game suggests that a reminder may be in order.

Don’t be THAT parent.

In my experience as a coach, fan, umpire, and announcer, I know that for every arrest, ejection, or expulsion from a youth sporting event that occurs, there are dozens-to-hundreds of instances where parental behavior crosses the line of civil, acceptable, and appropriate behavior, without extreme action being taken against the offenders.

When the task was mine to publicly address fans at our high school sporting events, I always reminded / admonished them of the following: “Root for your team. Be loud. Be proud. Be Positive. But most of all, have fun”.

Let me unpack all five elements of that, in reverse order.

# 5 - Have fun. You’re getting to watch your son or daughter play a sport they love. How cool is that? Just remember, it’s their game, not yours. Keep it fun for them.

Enjoy the action, the drama, the ebb and flow of the game. If you spend any of your energy focused on the performance of the umps and refs, it’ll take away from your fun, and your kid’s. 

Look, are you going to disagree with some of the calls? Of course. And you get 1.5 seconds to react to those calls, about the same amount of time you let your kids gripe when you tell them it’s bedtime.

Remember, not every call that goes against your team is a bad one. And not every bad call goes against your team. 

Accept the calls and move on to the next play. It’s what the coaches encourage their players to do. Leave the officiating to the officials. Same with the coaching. The coaches have earned the right to fill out the lineup card in any way they see fit. Accept their decisions. You want your kids to respect authority. Do that very thing at their games.

Your greatest fun comes from socializing with the other parents and going on the roller-coaster ride that a sports season represents.

#4 - Be Positive. Assume anything you say about other players (or coach) will be heard by their parents (or spouse). Every mom’s best advice is apt at ballgames - ‘if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all’.

#3 - Be Proud. The players have devoted much time and energy to their sport. You may be proud of their efforts, even of your own contributions to their success. Just keep in mind, it’s their hard work that creates success, not yours. All you did was write the checks and drive them to practice.

#2 - Be Loud. Did the boss yell at you at work today? Did you overcook your supper? Almost miss the kickoff/tipoff/first pitch because you were stuck in traffic, singing the I-5 Blues? Games are your chance to let out the day’s frustrations. Immerse yourself in the entertainment of the game, forget your cares and worries, let your voice be heard (keeping #4 in mind).

#1 - Root For Your Team. Your team. When the game’s going on, whether there’s 5, 9, or 11 of them on the field at a time, each of them becomes your child, not just the one you tuck into bed at night. 

Root for all of them. Set the example of calling out ‘good play’ by teammates other than your child. 

You are your child’s best teacher. You teach them to be unselfish and considerate of others away from sports - reinforce that philosophy at their games, especially when their attention is more focused and the memories more lasting.

As you watch your child play over the years, you’re going to make judgements about the various teammates and parents you’ll be spending so much time with. And they’ll be judging you.

So behave yourself.

You (and your kid) will have more fun that way.



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Frank Workman on Sports: Brian Fischer steps down as SC Boys Basketball Coach

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Brian Fischer is stepping down as
Shorecrest boys' basketball coach
Photo by Frank Workman

By Frank Workman

Late last week, Brian Fischer let it be known that he was stepping down as the Shorecrest boys' basketball coach.

“I have decided to retire from coaching basketball at Shorecrest in order to give more time to my family. My family has been incredibly supportive of me and an inspiration to my coaching, but my kids are at critical ages and I want to make the most of our time together while they are still young. There have been many many great coaching memories.”

Fischer will stay on as a Science teacher at Shorecrest, and he’ll have many more nights when he and his lovely wife Amber get to tuck into bed and kiss goodnight their sons Brayden, Caleb, and Brody (whom they adopted from China in 2015).

(A personal aside…..do NOT play H-O-R-S-E with Brayden for money. Ever.)

In his 13 years at the helm, the Scots won two District Championships and finished second at State in 2016.

But more important than the wins and losses (the how many) is the HOW?

How did he use his position as boys' basketball coach to influence the young men who played for him?

Steven Lin
Photo by Geoff Vlcek
Steven Lin, Captain of the 2017 District Championship team, talked about the influence Coach Fischer had on him.

“Brian Fischer was a great coach, but he was a better role model. This is a guy who would set up an annual trip every four years for the team to go to third world countries and help out underprivileged communities by building a basketball court and connecting with the people there.

"It would be done out of his own pocket. And he would do this not because of his personal image or because of personal gratitude, but because he cares. He cares not only for those kids not having the daily privileges that we take for granted, but he also cares about every guy on his team and what they can take away from basketball beyond the court.

"And I believe that Coach’s ideals carried over to our team during my senior year. I think our team played so well together because we genuinely cared about the success of one another, rather than personal stats and highlight plays.

"And that philosophy, the same one that Fischer tries to imprint on his players every season, is the reason why we were pretty successful in my time there.

"That’s what I’ll remember and take away the most from Coach Fischer, to care and put in your best effort, not only for yourself but for everyone else around you."

Shoreline District Athletic Director Don Dalziel said,

“We have been fortunate to have Brian as our Head Coach for 13 very successful seasons. Coaching for 13 seasons is one thing. Coaching for 13 seasons, having success and being respected by your peers is another. Brian has done an outstanding job representing both Shorecrest and the Shoreline School District.”

Mountlake Terrace Head Coach Nalin Sood
Perhaps Coach Fischer’s staunchest on-court adversary, Mountlake Terrace Head Coach Nalin Sood, said it best. Sood, 18 years the coach of the Hawks, and a recent inductee into the Washington Interscholastic Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, took time from a family vacation to share his thoughts.

“In reflecting on Brian Fischer and his coaching tenure with the Shorecrest Boys Basketball program three words come to mind: respect, admiration, and appreciation. Brian set the bar in these three areas and many a coach could learn a lot from him in these three important areas; three areas even more important than just being a coach.

"I have a great respect for Brian and his staff over the past 13 years due to how hard they worked at their craft and the time they put in. Many a night when I would walk into a gym to scout an opponent there would be Brian, video camera and all, ready to get his team as well prepared as possible.

"Anyone who saw Shorecrest play saw that they were always prepared.

"My admiration for Brian goes deep as I had many opportunities to talk with him outside of the game and got to know and see him as a husband and dad to his family, and mentor to his players.

"Lastly, my appreciation for Brian will always be sincere. Over the past 13 years Brian’s teams made our teams better. Many years our teams battled in games that had major implications on the line, the stakes were high and the intensity level was great.

"Brian is the ultimate competitor but during these games Brian and his teams always competed with class. They won with humbleness and lost with dignity, something I hope we did also. Brian never compromised standards and expectations from his players for the ‘almighty win’. How many coaches can say that?

"Brian made me a better coach. 

"Our coaching profession has been lessened with Brian’s retirement after 13 years, but overall our profession is stronger because of the young men that were fortunate to call him coach, and myself to call him a colleague.”


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Frank Workman on Sports: My High School Sports Moment of the Year

Sunday, June 4, 2017

Lauren Block is running in second place in the 800
but starting to gain on the leader.
By Frank Workman

It happened on a bright sunny August morning. The Shorecrest Cross Country team was having their first on-campus workout, following two days of jogging the hills in Kenmore's St. Edwards Park.

After some stretching and light jogging up a slight incline, the coaches gathered the fifty-some boys and girls and explained that day's workout.

It would consist of ten half-mile loops, with breaks between each loop, to be run at the same steady clip every single time. The aim was for the runners to find a pace they were comfortable with and sustain it each time around. Fluctuations in times were bad - consistency was good.

At no time, the coaches stressed, should this turn into a competition. The day's workout was solely to help each runner establish his or her own steady pace. Simple enough.

The runners took off on their first loop of the season. Across a 75-yard stretch of grass they went, through a gate, then counter-clockwise around the outer perimeter of the football field, behind the batting cages, then back again to the starting point.

Lauren Block crossing the finish line
Four or five of the boys first made their way through the gate, with that same 75-yard stretch to complete their initial run.

Then the first two girls reached the final straight-away. Stride for stride, shoulder to shoulder the two were.

Neither seemed to acknowledge each other's presence, yet they knew full well the other was right there.

Each girl had a certain look in her eye, a determination, that said 'I'm not going to lose'. Their bodies were straining to beat the other, in spite of trying to make this first run appear effortless. Neither runner gave an inch down the stretch. Call it a tie.

The band wasn't playing. There were no cheerleaders, pompoms, parents, or announcers.

But it was the very essence of competition, why we watch  and love sports.

Two great athletes, their stars on the rise.

Those who saw it just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

Lauren Block, left, and Lilly Visser
The girls, Lauren Block and Lilly Visser, were about to be sophomores. As freshmen the previous spring, they had scored points at the State Track Finals, pitching in to help the Scots win the 2A State Championship.

This past fall, the two went on to lead the Scots to a third place team finish at the 3A State Cross-Country Finals. Lilly finished 14th and Lauren was 19th.

With the spring came another track season. Both girls continued to run the 1600 and 3200 meter races for the most part.

But girls from other schools in the District were clearly better than them and would gobble up the precious berths to the lState Finals.

With Lilly having the best shot at cracking the top four in the 1600 and 3200, she pressed on.

Lauren's coaches suggested she try her hand (and feet) at some shorter races. Open-minded and coachable, she ran a few 400's and some 4-by-400 meter relays. She dabbled in the 800, with enough success to qualify for the District meet.

She ran well in her prelim, qualifying for the District Finals two nights later.

In the finals, she rounded the last turn trailing the leader by a couple strides with 90 yards to go. As the track straightened out, she found another gear.

There was a familiar look in her eye .... the same one that was seen back in August. She wasn't going to lose.

She passed the leader with forty yards to go and won the 800 by two strides, going away.

Lauren in #1 position. Teammate Livia Glascock finished 4th
Shorewood's Rachel Hansen was fifth..
It came time for the announcer to introduce the top eight finishers in the race. After he'd named places 8 through 2, he took just a second to look back at the lone girl yet to mount the victory stand.

He saw a girl beaming so broadly, it caused a lump to form in his throat.

He quickly gathered himself and turned to face the crowd.

And he introduced Lauren Block as the District Champion in the Girls 800 Meter Run.

THAT was my favorite high school sports moment of the year.


 

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Frank Workman on Sports: No longer blind to excellence

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Frank Workman
Photo by Wayne Pridemore
By Frank Workman

While nothing matches the feel of a crisp fall Friday night watching the spectacle of a good high school football game, the distance of the fans from the field, coupled with the unrecognizable nature of the helmeted players, make for a remote experience.

Basketball, on the other hand, has to be the most intimate of all the high school sports.

Fans sit within feet of the court. It's natural for passions to be aroused and for fans to try their best to help make the difference between victory and defeat for their team.

Players' faces, and their facial expressions, are distinct, as are their sweat and tears.

Fans get so close to the action, it's easy to form opinions and make judgments about players - from both teams.

I stumbled upon my first girls high school basketball game in 1999. I was blown away by the teamwork, effort, pretty passes, and artistry I saw. It was love at first sight.

The following seasons I was all in cheering for my local team, attending all their games, doing my darnedest to root them on to victory every night.

But there was a team in our league that was a juggernaut, a Goliath. They dominated, going 67-1 in league play the next four years, 98-9 overall.

They were talented, sure. But they were intimidating, too. It seemed as if they started guarding our girls as soon as they got off the bus.

They wore kneepads, mouth guards, and dour, grim expressions that never changed.

If you looked up the word 'gameface' in the dictionary, you would see their team picture. It never seemed as if they were having any fun.

They had quick guards and tall powerful post-players.

The last thing they needed was a deadly outside shooter, one who never missed. And yet, they had one.

Boy, did they ever.

She drained threes with such regularity that I demonized her, actually muttering under my breath, through clenched teeth, the following phrase every time she released a shot --- "that evil, black-hearted, soulless she-witch". And just as I got to the 'she-witch' part, the ball invariably would go through the net for three points.

Even though I'd never met her, I hated her. Not in a Tonya Harding / Nancy Kerrigan, or a post-Mariners A-Rod way, but in a way that prevented me from imagining she could ever be capable of having any positive characteristics.

Her team won the State Championship her senior year.

The following morning the paper had a picture of her. She was leaping for joy, hugging a teammate, ponytail in full twirl.

And she was smiling.

I realized I'd never seen her, nor a single one of her teammates, smile. Ever.

For the first time, I saw her as a girl. Not as a basketball player - as a girl.

The more I looked at that photograph, the more it dawned on me that she looked a whole lot like all the girls I rooted for. A nice girl. One who probably liked the same music, movies, and TV shows as did the girls on my team. One who, just like the girls I rooted for, could be trusted to babysit their neighbors’ kids.

It occurred to me that probably the two biggest differences between her and the girls I rooted for were what color shirts they wore, and what part of town they lived in.

I kick myself to this day for not having enjoyed or appreciated that team’s excellence.

I was irrational, admittedly. Like some of the parents I see and hear at games now.

As the years have rolled by, I've changed. I still root for my team, but I don't live and die like I used to. I've come to appreciate all the players and teams I see, recognizing they're all flawed individuals (like myself), striving to find themselves and become the best they're capable of being.

And when excellence presents itself, I'm no longer blind to it. No matter what color shirt it’s wearing.


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Hoopapalooza Saturday - all day basketball-fest between Shorewood and Shorecrest

Friday, January 27, 2017

T-Bird Taryn Shelley
Photo by Wayne Pridemore
By Frank Workman

This Saturday marks the 8th annual Hoopapalooza, the all-day basketball-fest between our district's two teams, Shorewood and Shorecrest, culminating in the varsity girls facing off at 5, and the boys squaring off at 7.

This year it will be held at Shorecrest, 15343 25th Ave NE, Shoreline 98155.

There are very few other games on the high school docket Saturday, so the basketball cognoscenti can be expected to descend on the Scots gym, as well as locals who might only get out to see
one game a year.

If the games themselves aren't enough to lure fans to reacquaint themselves with friends and neighbors, then the promise of tantalizing food should do the trick.

Taqueria Tonita Taco Truck and Daddy’s Donuts will be setting up shop in the courtyard right outside the gym, while the SC Boosters already have meatballs marinating for the occasion .... meaning all the major food groups are included.
And, as always, the best gym popcorn you will ever eat sells for only a dollar at the concession stand. Add a box of Junior Mints to your popcorn and you'll be onto the taste sensation that's sweeping the nation.

Scot Jazlyn Owens
Photo by Geoff Vlcek
The Varsity girls game figures to be hotly contested. Both teams are vying for the top spot in the WesCo standings. Shorecrest is 7-1 in league (11-5 overall), while Shorewood is a game behind at 6-2 (14-2).

With District playoffs only 2 weeks away, this game will be pivotal in determining playoff seedings.

SW emerged victorious in their non-league meeting on December 8, 47-35.

The T-Birds feature 6' 2" senior Taryn Shelley, a WSU-commit.

The Scots, last year's 2A State Champions, are led by senior guard Jazlyn Owens.

The nightcap features two teams with opposite records.

The SW boys have struggled under first year coach George Edwards, going 1-7 in league play, 1-15 overall, while the Scots are 7-1/15-1 this season.

The Scots cruised to a 73-58 win at SW on December 12. They are led by 6' 8" junior Phillip Pepple, 6' 3" senior Malcolm Rosier-Butler, and 6' 2" junior Chris Lee.

While it may look like a mismatch on paper, expect the T-Birds to be scrappy as heck, knowing nothing would please their fans more than to knock off their arch-rival.

Here's the complete schedule of games ---
 
10:30  C-team Girls.
12:00  C-team Boys.
  1:30   JV Girls
  3:00   JV Boys
  5:00  Varsity Girls
  7:00  Varsity Boys

The games will be webcast live by the Shorecrest Live Video Production Club.

Wait ...... did somebody say  'taco truck'?



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Frank Workman on Sports: A letter to Santa

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Dear Santa -

Sixty years ago I last wrote you a letter, and you brought me the 'Davy Crockett and The Alamo' toy set that I wanted so much.

No present from you ever topped that one back when I was 6.

Tonight I write you with an entirely different request.

I am a fan of High School sports. I attend upwards of 75 games and meets each school year.

What I want isn't so much for me as they're wishes I have for others.

To start with, I would like it very much if you could bring speedy and complete recoveries to the athletes who have recently suffered season-ending injuries. 

(Do you even stock rebuilt Anterior Cruciate Ligaments at the North Pole?) If I never hear another player crying out, in both pain and heartache in a hushed gymnasium or on a soccer field, that'd be just fine with me.

Maybe there's a book on your shelves you could give to coaches - a book that would give them the patience, tact, understanding and compassion to better deal with the athletes' parents, particularly the ones who think they know more than the coaches do, whether they played the game or just watch it on TV. Their second-guessing of the coaches (especially in front of their kids) undermines the coach's authority and tears at the fabric of the team.

While you're scanning your bookshelves, maybe there's one that would give perspective to those parents who have forgotten that the games their children are playing are just that --- games --- their kid's games, and not theirs, at that.

Long after the final scores have faded from memory, the lessons that were learned and the relationships that were forged along the way are what will shape their character for the rest of their lives.

Too many parents seem to show up angry at games, and they can't wait to yell at somebody (usually the refs) over the slightest provocation. 
It's as if they don't appreciate just how much fun it is watching their kids play - what a gift it is.  Could you please check your medicine cabinet for something along the lines of a chill-pill for them?

And I've got an idea for those team-sports parents who only cheer for their own sons or daughters, not the team.  How about a nice tennis racket or some golf clubs for their kids. Those are individual sports, and the parents would be forgiven for rooting only for their own kids.

Actually, Santa, I think it would be a lot to ask for you to deliver just one of these presents, much less all of them.

Even if you could, it still wouldn't top Davy Crockett.

Thank you for everything.

Frank Workman



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Frank Workman on Sports: Shorecrest Girls Soccer - It's Family

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Frank Workman
By Frank Workman

When they trudged off the field for the last time Saturday, after the referee’s whistle brought an end to their season, a season that ended as most do (with a soul-crushing playoff defeat, this one against Bishop Blanchet, 3-1), the Shorecrest girls soccer team couldn’t help but see their glass as anything but half-empty at the time.

A day later, Head Coach Mindy Dalziel’s perpetually sunny disposition shone through as she detailed all the accomplishments this team achieved in what she believed was going to be a rebuilding year at the start of the season.

“We had to replace some key players who had graduated. We needed to recreate ourselves this year. I thought we could be very skilled and tactical; the question was, would we get buy-in from the players and see the kind of teamwork we would need to be successful”? 

The answer was a resounding yes.

The team went 14-6-3 this year, mirroring Dalziel’s career mark of 156-67-22 in her 11 years at the helm. They tied District champion Arlington on the road, while losing in a shootout to the Eagles in the District semi-finals. They managed a tie at Edmonds-Woodway, which was just two years removed from winning State.  All this came in spite of more than their fair share of illnesses and injuries that beset key players throughout the season.

As a player, Mindy led the Scots to two State Championships during the mid-90’s. (Her JV coach, Teddy Mitalis, was her coach back then. Lori Henry, her varsity assistant, had an illustrious playing career, winning national championships at University of North Carolina, as well as playing for the first US Womens National Team, and winning the World Cup in 1991.)  As coach, she’s been to State nine times, including six years in a row. Twice her team advanced to the semi-finals; two years ago they made it to the championship game before losing.

Her philosophy sounds simple. “I want the players to treat their team like a family, to love it and make it better. In the end, what I want is for each of them to be the best human beings they can be.” 

How does the philosophy actually play out?

A handful of players gathered after school Monday and shared their thoughts on playing for Coach Mindy.  The word ‘family’ was frequently spoken. One player cited the easy transition from JV during the regular season to Varsity for the playoffs, how she didn’t feel out of place at all, due to the closeness between the two squads. Several mentioned how freshmen are valued and made to feel a part of the team, rather than be slighted or shunned by the older players.

Another recalled how, as a freshman, she didn’t even know if she’d make the JV squad. Instead, her coach saw something in her, believed in her and brought her up to the varsity. It was mentioned how starting positions had to be earned at every practice, and that doing so made each girl work harder and get better. And if a girl’s poor play resulted in a benching, caring but candid conversation the following day tended to result in improved performance.

When one player enthusiastically gushed “I wish next year started today”, the others nodded their heads in agreement, in spite of the bumps and bruises the grind of a season had left them with.

Finally one girl seemed to sum it up best. “I always feel like I’m with my 20 best friends, every time we’re together.” 

With many talented younger players vying to replace the three seniors who finished their high school playing days on Saturday, the glass may be more than half-full next year.  In fact, it just might run over.

And they’ll have a great coach to lead them.



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Frank Workman: Friday's Rotary Cup is the single biggest gathering in Shoreline

Wednesday, October 5, 2016

Mascots go nose to nose at 2015 game
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

By Frank Workman

It's the single biggest gathering in Shoreline every year, and it takes place this Friday night at Shoreline Stadium when the Shorecrest Scots square off against their cross-town rival, the Shorewood Thunderbirds, at 7pm

Fans are encouraged to arrive early to claim seats for what is expected to be a highly competitive game. Seat cushions and blankets are recommended to keep fans warm against the October chill.

In addition to the usual colorfully clad students, the premises will be graced by the presence of Shoreline High alums who will be in attendance commemorating the 30th anniversary of the closing of their beloved school.

At halftime, they'll even be able to hear their old fight school one more time, as performed by the SC and SW marching bands.

Plan on skipping dinner to partake of the Booster Clubs' pregame fare.

Shorecrest will try to extend its 24-13 lead in the series. The Scots reclaimed the Cup last year with a thrilling 14-12 win, when the T-Birds' 2-point try was thwarted in the end zone by SC's Marvin Yong, who stepped in front of SW's Ronnie Gary to intercept the pass that would have tied the game.

What the game may lack in artistry, all the other elements of a great sporting event will be in great supply; passion and enthusiasm, great effort all around, ending up with tears of sadness and tears of joy.

Shoreline Stadium, 18560 1st Ave NE, Shoreline 98155 in the southeast corner of the Shoreline Center campus.



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Frank Workman on Sports: It was a banner year

Friday, June 24, 2016

By Frank Workman

It’s been a banner year for our local high school athletes, and with the school year coming to a close this week, now’s a good time for a look back at the year and remember a few favorite players, stories and moments.


Ronnie Gary in the Rotary Cup
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

The Rotary Cup Game featured all the drama you could ask for, as Shorecrest hung on for an exciting 14-12 win over Shorewood. The T-Birds got the ball back with just over two minutes remaining in the game, trailing 14-6. When QB Aaron Okamura completed a long touchdown pass to a streaking Ronnie Gary, SW was a two-point conversion away from tying the game. But SC’s Marvin Yong intercepted the pass intended for Gary in the end zone to preserve the win. Yong sat out the entire season before to injury, yet he attended every practice his junior year, wanting to be as ready as possible should he be challenged during his senior year. Yong rose to the occasion when it mattered the most, and the Rotary Cup returned to Shorecrest yet again.

Ronnie Gary at the Shoreline Invitational
Photo by Corey Rainboth
 
Ronnie Gary came this close to thrilling an overflow crowd this spring at the Shoreline Invitational Track Meet. With the fans rhythmically clapping their hands to get his juices flowing for his try at 7-feet in the high jump, he got his shoulder, back, rump, legs and feet over the bar, only to knock it over with his trailing hand. There couldn’t have been but a handful of fans in attendance who’d ever seen somebody clear seven feet in the high jump. Sadly, none of us got to be added to that list.

Delaney Hopen spikes the ball in a 2015 game
with Edmonds Woodway
Photo by Wayne Pridemore

Last fall, Shorewood’s Volleyball team brought home a fourth-place trophy, finishing off a dream season for coach Jenn Chartrand’s girls. Senior Delaney Hopen struck fear in the hearts of the opposition with serves as powerful as her smile is bright. 

Sophia Viviano
Photo Geoff Vlcek

Sometimes when you watch an elite high school athlete, it’s apparent that he or she is ready to play at a higher level. Such has been the case for SC soccer star Sophia Viviano. She led her team to a second-place finish at State as a junior, and this past fall her team ‘settled’ for making it to the quarter-finals. It was breathtaking to watch her long legs inhale ground as she flew past defender after defender, game after game.


Saturday March 5 was the day that both SC basketball teams played for the 2A State Championship in Yakima. The sting of the boys heart-breaking one-point loss was soon erased by the girls' team bringing home the school’s first basketball championship trophy. Seeing tears of joy, instead of sadness, on the faces of the girls after the final game of the season was unique, almost unsettling, due to the team’s completely unexpected march to the championship.

Part of the reason the SC girls championship was so unexpected was due to the way they were beaten up by the excellent competition they faced in their league. Lynnwood returned speedy Jordyn Edwards and Mikayla Pivec from their State Championship team the year before. Glacier Peak likely would have gone to state if not for injuries. Edmonds-Woodway took home a sixth-place trophy at State, and Arlington made it all the way to the championship game this year. The Scots could only muster a single win in seven tries against this top-notch 3A competition, but when the playoffs came around, the 2A Scots feasted on the smaller schools. 


As unexpected as the Scots’ basketball championship was, their girls track team carried the heavy burden of high expectations all spring, having won State the previous year, primarily on the strong, fast legs of Wurrie Njadoe, who won four events as a junior. But win it all again they did, with much more of a team effort this year. 

Wurrie Njadoe
with State Medal
Two favorite moments from the track season - in an early season meet, Njadoe and Edwards squared off in the 200. Wurrie had a small lead at the top of the turn, but then her Roadrunner jet pack seemed to kick in and she outran her rival by five yards down the stretch.

It was magnificent to watch two of the state’s fastest going head-to-head. And the reports from the State meet of Miss Pivec, trailing by a mere inch with just one throw remaining in the javelin, coming though in the clutch, once again, to win the event on her final throw --- by 13 feet!

But my favorite moment of the entire year came on an obscure Friday night when the SC girls were playing at mighty Lynnwood. The Royals (royalty, indeed) were allowing only 35 points per game at that time, yet on this night the Scots put 61 on the board against the defending champs. Never mind that Lynnwood won the game by 25, the mere fact that the Scots could score nearly double the points usually allowed by Lynnwood was amazing.

Uju Chibuogwu at Hoopapalooza
Photo by  Geoff Vlcek

The Scots were led this night by senior Uju Chibuogwu. Built like a cross between a brick outhouse and an old oak tree, Uju has deceptive quickness to go with her strength, and her long-range shooting skills were on full display for all to see this night at Lynnwood. Hitting three after three from behind the arc, in spite of being tightly guarded all night, she had the crowd oohing and aahing, even the Lynnwood fans.

With three seconds remaining on the clock, the Scots were inbounding the ball from mid-court, trailing by 25. Normally the ball would be passed in and held, letting time expire. But one of the Lynnwood students, sitting in the front row, rose to his feet, cupped his hands, and made a loud plea – “Pass it to #40”.

He wanted to see if Uju had one more impossible shot left.

So did we all.
THAT was my favorite moment of this banner year.



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