True sportsmanship is just the essence of some athletes

DIAA awards a sportsmanship trophy to member schools that comply with certain criteria with documentation, but the pursuit of a sportsmanship trophy to make you look good is the reverse of how it works. True sportsmanship is just the essence of some athletes, like honesty - you either have it or you don’t.

Last Monday night as soon as the heart-thumping semifinal Cape 9-8 win over St. Mark’s in the girls lacrosse tournament was over, the Spartans’ Courtney Schweizer - the state’s best player - raced to the front of her team’s handshake line then hugged goalie Leigh Ann Redefer and wished her luck against St. Andrew’s. I emailed Courtney - I know her dad - congratulating her on an outstanding career and her demonstration of true sportsmanship. This is what she wrote back:

“I’m so happy that you recognized our sportsmanship because to have fun, make memories and to be good sports were three of our team’s goals before the game started. Both us and Cape pride ourselves with our sportsmanship.”

TYLER TEARS IT UP - Yes, I keep track of former Cape great Tyler Townsend, now a junior slugger at Florida International University, because he used to be my teacher’s aide and when he gets chosen in the June baseball draft I am going to talk noise because, like all of you, it is all about me. Tyler has 42 career home runs as in “no doubt, put a stewardess on that baby” bombs!

According to the Miami Herald, Townsend has an outside chance of being the highest drafted player in FIU history surpassing pitcher Josh Banks, who was selected in the second round by the Toronto Blue Jays in 2003.

Tyler is all over the place when the experts begin projecting draft picks, but his high school coach Ben Evick believes Tyler will go no lower than round three. He will then make a decision to leave school or stay and play his senior year.

MORE MIAMI – Cape-connected alumni certainly remember the case of, “Three Cape and University of Delaware grads walk into a trendy Miami bar” and are subsequently attacked by a gang of bouncers.

The story made the famous page six of the New York Daily News.

The trio of athletes, bruised and battered after seeing their young lives flash before their eyes, have been adjudicated and vindicated as this case has been resolved in civil court and there was a financial settlement and not a paltry or poultry sum. I tumbled down the highway in a runaway 4-Runner in 1999 for much less money, but at least I wasn’t being slapped around on videotape.

SNIPPETS - Hold on to your flying buttress and peep this: Lewes architectural designer Brenda Jones shot a hole-in-one on the 12th hole at Shamrock Farms Saturday, May 16. I assume that’s a golf course.

The U18 girls soccer team CDSA Power is seeking U17/U18 players for the spring season. Girls born before 8-01-91 who may be interested in playing soccer in college will have the opportunity to be seen at several college showcase tournaments, state cup playoffs and possibly Region I playoffs.

Tryouts will be held at Schutte Park in Dover at 6:15 p.m., Thursday, June 4 and Tuesday, June 9. CDSA Power has been Delaware State Cup champions since 2003. Taiwan and Princess Savage are beginning the groundwork to hold a Henlopen Conference Alumni Outdoor Track and Field meet in the fall of 2009. “We believe that this event will be the first of its kind in the state of Delaware and are excited to offer this event to track and field alumni athletes, legacies and coaches across Kent and Sussex counties,” Princess said. “We would like to host this prestigious event at Cape Henlopen High School.” Having it on the track would be the best idea because those new hallways are slippery.

Forget the platitudes of patriotism, “we all support the troops,” and don’t forget on this Memorial Day weekend to honor the memories of all fallen Americans who gave it up for the team, perhaps a moment of reverence or share a memory, listen to a story from a veteran of foreign wars and just do something special that doesn’t involved beef and beer.