Sportsmanship is the right thing to proudly display

Sportsmanship is, in fact, not only the right thing to display but doing the right and proper thing always results in a win at some level. The Concord lacrosse coach Julia Overly sent the following email to Cape athletics director Bob Cilento after the Raiders visited Cape on Saturday, May 15.

“I just wanted to take a minute to recognize the Cape Henlopen girl’s lacrosse team and coaching staff. This past weekend, we traveled to play a Saturday game and I was so impressed by the warm welcome that the coaches and trainers extended in our direction. Besides Coach Lingo personally getting cold water for my girls, and the ‘welcome bag’ of candy treats from the team, the coaches, PJ and Jen, were incredibly accommodating with offering up their showers and locker room so that my girls could clean up for a day at the beach. Pretty much anything we needed, they were more than willing to provide for us. Certainly, number-one seeded Cape is a force to be reckoned with on the lacrosse field, but as for playing with class and respect for developing teams, they are truly the best team we have played. Often, too many coaches are too focused on the win and see every other team as nothing more than ‘the opposition,’ but Cape’s players and coaching staff truly appreciate sportsmanship and that we are all here to give young lacrosse players a positive experience that will help lacrosse grow in Delaware. I look forward to playing them again next year.”

KEEP ON KEEVAN ON! - Coach John Keevan has no ups - only an up side - and he can’t get any air without four quarters and a rubber hose I am sure of that. But he is the rock of pole vaulters. Big John can just flat-out coach the event, and he’s a great guy.

He is shown here before the Wednesday, May 19, meet of champions between Delmarva Christian athletes Kayla Burd on his right and Mallorie Parsons on his left. Parsons won the District II pole vault Saturday, May 15, at 9-6 while Burd was second at 9-0. Keevan previously coached state champions Brandon Krause of Sussex Tech and Justine Savini of Delmarva Christian.

PRETTY MAN TWINS - The girls eight-team lacrosse tournament begins Saturday, May 22, with St. Mark’s as a definite strong contender. Shown here, left to right, are triple threat twins Kasey and Lindsay Prettyman who play field hockey and lacrosse and double down each season as distance runners. Kasey led off Wednesday in the 4 X 800 relay in 2:21 and her sister Lindsay threw down a 2:13 split on the third leg as the Spartans won the event in a school record time of 9:14.2. Kasey plans to play field hockey in college while Lindsay will pursue a running career.

LAME EXCUSES - I find in my life as a traveling sports reporter that there is no suitable excuse in answer to these questions: “Where were you? How come you weren’t there? We thought for sure you would show up for such an important event”? I either go all Gary Coleman: “What chu talking ‘bout, boy?” or simply respond in all honesty: “I don’t know where I was other than someplace else?”

Here’s where I am going. I logged some long hours over the last two weeks, watching Cape track athletes represent their school proudly. If you are a Cape administrator and didn’t show up, you don’t need an excuse or an explanation and the kids don’t notice you’re not there. They only notice when you are “in the house!” Guaranteed I’ll see everyone at this Saturday’s home double-header state tournament lacrosse jamboree which is way cool but the track athletes do notice that they don’t seem to elicit the same love from the Cape crowd.

SNIPPETS - Configuring a Cape cadre of proven football coaches and teachers, beginning with Bill Collick (former head coach at Delaware State and Sussex Tech) is not easy because as jobs are being lost and positions eliminated a school district is hardly postured to give them away. Collick may be Cape’s designated football guy but Bill knows what he needs - he can see it like all successful people - and I don’t believe he’ll jump at the job without a pair of trusted coordinators. Maybe one of them can run plays. I understand there’s a clear space.