Preparation is a relevant word in sports, whether for Super Bowl, freshman high school sports, or, midget-oriented, family-focus, fun.
The next stage is in the thought process. Where do we go from here?
Participants and fans can operate in the range from sheer joy to the agony and ecstasy as a fan of taking the outcomes of games too seriously. Participants when the levels of participation are elevated, quite naturally must be more serious and increase focus.
As a society are we excessively involved in sports?
The answer is up to each person. What is negatively changed is the barometer.
As the son of a high school teacher and coach, who saw his coaching as a valuable part of teaching, this column conductor understood this engaged, wonderful, man knew the benefits of sports participation: Discipline, advancement, learning, joy. Fans vary from casual to overly-dedicated. Perception of the value of sports vary. Some see sports as frivolous and a waste of time. It truly is in the eye of the beholder. Some athletes advanced enough in achievement to be a professional may see sports as much or more as a career, a job, than as joy, fun, relaxation. We must make sports valued.
• High school sports begin to move into critical stages when February arrives.
• Joliet West and Oswego High Schools were one-two in the Southwest Prairie Conference girls bowling tournament Saturday, Jan. 28 at Echo Lanes in Morris. Next will be State regional and sectional tournaments and the State girls tournament at Cherry Lanes in Rockford. The regional tournament will Friday, Feb. 3 or Saturday, Feb. 4 and sectional tournaments will be Saturday, Feb. 11.
Thank you to Oswego bowling coach Dan Okoren who has submitted competition results. From his sending in information who know Oswego bowlers who earned all-Conference honors: Lani Breedlove, second place; Hailey Jourdan, sixth; Katelyn Watson, 10th; and Amber Lymenstull, 12th.
• High school boys basketball standings are on page 9 with half of our teams alternating each week. Boys basketball games on the Friday/weekend Feb. 3-4 horizon include many rivals: Batavia-Geneva; St. Charles North-St. Charles South; Wheaton North-Wheaton Warrenville; Naperville North-Naperville Central.
• Super Bowl, 5:30 p.m. kickoff, Sunday, Feb. 12, Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs should be a competitive game. Yes, each team is capable.
• The Little Ten Conference boys basketball tournament top seeds are Serena and Hinckley-Big Rock.