Road trips are supposed to be part of the experience of high school athletics.
High school teams don’t just remember the games they play. They also remember the roads taken to get to those games.
There is the figurative road — all the weight training, practices, sacrifices to excel.
Then there is the literal road — I-5 northbound. Maybe stop for a bite to eat or to stretch the legs. Enjoy a few more bonding moments with teammates.
Once the athletes arrive at the venue, it means a little more to them if they notice some of their peers have made the trip, too.
The Class 4A bi-district basketball tournament can be a grind for teams in Southwest Washington. It is possible, for example, for a team in Clark County to play in the Puget Sound area five times in nine days. Teams that survive bi-district have another trip to regionals. Then, if they get past regionals, it is one more trek — this time to the Tacoma Dome for the state tournament.
So here is my salute to the nine Battle Ground students who dressed up in orange and black and made the trip to Tacoma for a loser-out game Saturday. They were rewarded when their boys basketball team won and advanced.
And here is my salute to the half-dozen or so Evergreen students who dressed in green and made the trip to Tacoma for a loser-out game Saturday night. Their team did not win, but I bet the players appreciated the passion on display that night.
Remember, this is not the state tournament. This is far from the state tournament. Each of those teams, going into Saturday in the loser’s bracket, would have to win four games — all on the road — to make it to state.
So it would have been easier for those fans to just wait a round or two, just to see if their team was getting closer.
But the beauty of this is those students understand it is not all about winning and losing. It is about the joy — and pain — of being a fan. The Battle Ground and Evergreen students knew there was a chance their teams could lose, and that their seasons could come to an end. There were probably dozens of other things closer to home they could have done on a Saturday.
They chose to go on a road trip, to support their friends.
I so admire them for that.
• • •
Of course, the fan experience is not always positive. I watched two full games Saturday and caught the end of a third. There was one adult at one game who clearly decided he was only there to complain about the officiating.
Less than two minutes into the first quarter, he started yelling at the refs. “Super Fan” didn’t shut up the entire game.
At one point, a late call came about in his team’s favor. It was the right decision, even if the official hesitated a half-second before making the call. This was a Deadly Sin to Super Fan, too. Oh, the call was correct, but it was not on Super Fan’s precious time schedule. That’s a nano-second he won’t get back in his life, you know.
The officials could not win with this guy.
All associated with sports understand there will be outbursts, from time to time, from athletes, coaches, and fans. Emotions run high. But to scream and cry and pout for all four quarters really is just embarrassing.
Doesn’t it get exhausting to demean someone all day long? Why travel two-plus hours just to yell at three people who do not care who wins the game when you could just support the team you are following?
Furthermore, if you believe the officials truly are out to get your team, why go to the games at all?
My guess is traffic was really bad on the road that day and Super Fan was in a foul mood.
• • •
Anyway, sometimes the adults can take a lesson from the students.
It is supposed to be about the team, the game, the school. It is supposed to be a positive experience, even in defeat.
