High school sports are instructive to participants, enjoyable for fans, and traditional among adult supporters. The school year was completed with a sense of relief and a sense of joy that better times should be ahead. Think next season, if we, as a society can prevent virus variants from spreading to a detrimental stage. We must take it seriously and not be over-confident.
• Certainly congratulations are in order to the Illinois Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA) for stepping up to conduct a State tournament which ended Saturday. The Illinois High School Association canceled the State tournament when the pandemic was rampant and it was easy to see contact was not advisable. The distinctive season will be remembered for a variety of reasons.
• The Little Ten Conference baseball all-conference team was recently released. Newark High School was the salute of the Conference with six selections. Newark took third place in the Class 1A State tournament and won regional and sectional championships. Newark won the Little Ten Conference championship with a 14-0 record. The six all-conference selections, all unanimous: Lucas Pasakarnis, junior catcher; Dalton Reibel, senior, pitcher, third baseman; Jared Slivka, senior infielder; Tegan Kruser, senior infielder; Jake Kruser, sophomore center fielder; Joe Martin, sophomore pitcher, second baseman. Following Newark in the standings were Serena, 10-4 and Indian creek, 9-3.
• The Naperville Junior Amateur Golf Championship will be Monday, July 12 at Naperbrook Golf Course for amateur golfers ages 9-17. Youth will be served with golf for both boys and girls.
• College athletes, in the top divisions, especially in football and basketball, help bring in significant revenue to their universities. The recently-passed bills in various states will allow those athletes to make money on their signatures, likenesses, and personal appearance. That should not lead to financially comprising situations. It will not affect even close to the majority of college athletes. It should lead to positive experiences if handled properly.