Get to know Chillicothe area high school athletes
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — In a day that has an abundance of media, you would think it would be impossible for athletes to get overlooked within the roles they play for their team or even their sport itself. With newspapers, magazines, and too many websites and streaming services to mention, it would seem that there are plenty of headlines, plenty of pictures, and plenty of articles to go around to cover a little bit of everything. There is a side of this discussion that does show more kids, more teams, and more special 海角社区 being told with the growth in media, but there is another side that can hide certain athletes and certain sports throughout the year. When it comes to reporting sports, the statistics can often guide the 海角社区, and when it comes to athletic budgets (or media sponsorship for that matter), certain sports are going to drive the financial bus and others appear to be a financial strain.聽
A great example of this in local basketball comes from a pair of Paint Valley teammates in Kendall Dye and Bella Stauffer. These two Lady Bearcats are key components to a senior class which is going to graduate as Paint Valley鈥檚 winningest class for girls鈥� basketball in the last quarter century at Paint Valley.聽
鈥淚t feels really great to experience the success our team has had the last couple of seasons,鈥� said Dye. 鈥淚t was really rewarding to see all of our hard work pay off and to come together as a family throughout these years.鈥�
Teammate Averi McFadden, who has played in more wins than any other Lady Bearcat since the late 1990s, can sometimes fall into this category. However, her ability to stuff the stat sheet has begun to give her some long overdue credit this season. As for Dye and Stauffer, they are capable of producing some points, rebounds, assists, and steals, but their areas of stardom go way beyond a stat sheet. They are both two of the top individual and team defenders in the area. The difference in basketball in comparison to some of the other major sports is the fact that defense plays a very small role in individual recognition. In football, we name kids All-Ohio for their performance specifically on the defensive side of the ball, but in basketball, a player is rarely honored for their defensive impact.聽
鈥淚鈥檝e always loved being a part of something bigger than myself,鈥� said Dye. She anchors a defense that for the second year in a row is towards the top of the area in terms of fewest points allowed. 鈥淕etting to watch my teammates and our team experience success has been such a great feeling. I enjoy playing my part, and I always want my teammates to know that I will have their backs no matter what. I will always do my best to put our team in the best position to succeed.鈥�
Stauffer shared some of the same thoughts about contributing to team success. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an honor to say that I am a part of such a great basketball team and program,鈥� said Stauffer. 鈥淔rom my teammates who have had my back since Day One to my coaches who have always loved and supported me, it鈥檚 not surprising the things we have accomplished together. It makes me happy to know that all of our hard work has paid off.鈥�
This passion shows up in Bella鈥檚 unselfishness and willingness to do whatever it takes to win. 鈥淚 would like to say I take pride in the little things,鈥� said Stauffer. 鈥淚 would rather leave the gym knowing for myself that I gave it my best than have all the public praise. Don鈥檛 get me wrong, it’s nice when people notice your accomplishments, but sometimes the things that go unnoticed are more important. Things like being a good teammate and a hard worker are what make or break a team. If doing the little things is what it takes to lift up my team and support them, then I am happy to do that.鈥�
A great example of this on the boys鈥� side is Southeastern鈥檚 R.J. Cartwright. The senior is a high energy guy who does many little things that go unnoticed. In talking to him about this, it becomes obvious that his attitude makes it easy for him to play this role.
鈥淚 get satisfaction in being a small piece of a big puzzle,鈥� said Cartwright. 鈥淚 know that every piece has to be in the right spot in order to complete the puzzle. Even when we don’t win, I know that I have given my best effort.鈥�
Another side of this comes with the dollar signs in terms of which sports bring revenue to both athletic departments and media sources. This can sometimes hurt a sport like bowling. With financial discussion aside, athletes like Zane Trace鈥檚 Julianna and Jacob Lemaster put in an incredible amount of time and effort to prepare to perform at a high level.聽
鈥淵es, coverage would be amazing,鈥� said Julie when asked about the want for more coverage for bowling in the area. 鈥淗igh school bowling has blown up in the past five years. Our local bowling alley in Chillicothe houses seven different schools. Our bowling tournament rolls in hundreds of spectators because there are anywhere from 20 to 40 teams participating. Matches are not anything you would expect. There is lots and lots of noise from the teams yelling and chatting to parents clapping and yelling. There are even some teams that livestream and get coverage over their local radio stations.鈥�
In talking to Jacob, he shared the same desire for bowling to get more exposure. 鈥淵es, more coverage would be great,鈥� Jacob said in agreement with his sister. 鈥淎s part of being a multi-sport athlete playing football and baseball, these sports are not just covered but celebrated during the season. During my bowling season, my friends and family have no way to find out any of my high school scores.鈥�
In continuing my conversation with Julie and Jacob, they have a great appreciation for what bowling is doing for them now and in the future.
鈥淭he amount of sportsmanship in this sport is astounding,鈥� said Jacob. 鈥淥ur home alley is shared by seven teams and we all practice beside each other. I have become close with not just teammates but also other teams. Bowling is one of the only sports I have been around that is an individual sport as well as a team sport. In match play, the first two games are bowled individually, but the last three are shared with the team. In tournament play, you bowl for the highest team score, but you can also be recognized on an individual basis. It is a growing high school sport, and there are lots of college scholarships opportunities. My sister and I have both recently signed with the University of Rio Grande to continue our bowling careers.鈥�
The opportunity to further education and athletics goes a little bit further for Julie as she is excited about the opportunity to be a multi-sport athlete at Rio Grande. 鈥淭he best part about bowling in most colleges is that they make it easy to be a two-sport athlete in college,鈥� explained Julie. 鈥淚 am also golfing while bowling at Rio.鈥�
Another example of an underappreciated sport which also lacks coverage from the entire media is wrestling. Chillicothe鈥檚 Trevor Banks, who is one of the area’s top wrestlers this year, truly believes his sport deserves better.
鈥淚 feel it is a true tragedy that wrestling does not get the same coverage,鈥� said Banks. 鈥淚n my opinion, the dedication required for this sport is unrivaled. The wrestlers in our area definitely deserve better. They are earning it every minute of every day.鈥�
All totaled, I realize money drives a lot of this. Media only has so many bodies and so many resources to stretch. Be it a well-covered sport like football, basketball, or volleyball, there are still athletes who fly under the radar in terms of how they impact winning. In other sports, such as bowling and wrestling highlighted in this article, the area may know the names, but there certainly can be more details and storylines that can unfold to help us better appreciate these young student-athletes. This is something I appreciate about Great Seal Sports. There is truly an awareness of all the different sports throughout our seven Ross County schools, and I appreciate all our student-athletes, the effort they put into their sports, and the valuable lessons they can all learn from the process.
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