From My View For March 14
They say out with the old and in with the new, but getting up there in age now, I sometimes don’t always like the new. But, in the case of my new family room, I say “Yes sir.”
The Short Line Construction crew renovated my family room this past week, and what a difference. With all the heavy rains this year, a lot of water floated into my family room and caused some damage; I had to get it fixed.
After the crew removed some items to be able to fix the problem, I asked they would consider fixing up the entire room. They said they could, and boy did they!
You know, you work hard to get what you have, and sometimes more isn’t always what is good. I enjoyed my space, but sometimes you must think about the future, and I just don’t want to wait and have things fixed in later years.
I have always told Lynne we would do whatever it takes, within reason, to make things nice. I didn’t think about insurance covering the damage until my wife said a patient said we ought to contact our insurance company to see if it would help with some of the cost.
Believe or not, Nationwide came through with a little to cover carpet damage and miscellaneous things, and I was happy.
Now that’s out of the way, out with the old and in with the new in sports! The Magnolia girls played in the state tournament; they didn’t win to move on, but they will lose only one, Logan Riggs, to graduation. Losing one, will bring in new, and maybe some that didn’t play this season. They lost older coaches and replaced them with newer ones, and succeeded to the state tournament.
I’m not saying replacing older coaches with newer ones were the difference into the team’s success, but in this case, the team fared all right. It took some time for the girls to buy into their way of coaching, and it worked out well in this case.
The same could be said about the River Pilots boys basketball team, but in this case, the coaches were older, as well as the players. They have six seniors on their squad that is still going strong; as of this writing, they are playing for their district title tonight.
The older guys will leave and newer ones will continue on their tradition. That’s good stuff. These boys have played together for four seasons and are one game away from winning their District. That’s a big thing in Ohio high school sports.
Now for me, it will be my last year of officiating softball. I went 24 years as a basketball official before giving way to younger and faster guys that can get in proper position to make calls. I couldn’t with my wheels.
That’s the same with my umpiring softball. I love the game, and I love the girls, coaches, fans and my partners, but I’m getting older. I want, and the teams need, more younger officials covering games. The game has just gotten faster as I, and some others, have lost a step or two and need to cover the faster players in the game.
My eyes aren’t as good as they used to be, but its still pretty good. I was hoping to go for more years, but, the game is changing. I’m not thrilled about how the game is changing in all sports.
We need to get more men and women wanting to umpire, and referee. Many of us are getting older, and we need to bow out and let the younger ones keep striving to do a good job on the field or court in any and all the sports.
I can tell you from just my experience is that it is a job that doesn’t get the recognition it should give. To the fans that yell and complain, shame on you. I took up officiating not just because I loved the sport; it is because I wanted to do the best I could for the players, coaches and fans.
You few fans that yell and complain, go to a class and get yourselves legal to referee and umpire sports. It is a good thing. It keeps you in the game and really knowing the rules. When, and if you do, you will see a difference in the way you watch a game.
As we all get older, we must do what’s best for us, as well as the game. I would have loved to keep on keeping on, but when Mother Nature rings, you better answer.
I wish River all the luck in the world to continue their quest for a state championship, something you don’t see to much in Ohio around the Ohio Valley.
And as I have stated, out with the old and in with the new, but try to stay in tune for as long as you can; do it for you and the game. We need our older coaches and officials, not only to teach the younger ones coming in.