Rod's Tuesday Thoughts

I was just thinking about the number of Pierre Riggs High alumnus that are playing collegiatly. Just a few. Michael Tveidt, basketball at North Dakota State. Sam Willard, basketball at Pacific (had 17 points and 8 rebounds last night). Steph Paluch and Katie Lingle, basketball at South Dakota State. Gina Geffre is on the Black Hills State volleyball team still playing in the NAIA playoffs. Kylee Lamb, a Sully Buttes grad is also on that team. Josh Breske was just named all conference for the BHSU football team. So was Andy Smith. And Stanley County grad Sam Ostarello looks like she may have a bright future at Purdue. And that is just a handful. There are others competing in golf, track and field, cross country, soccer and a smattering of other sports. This is not a whos who in college sports from Pierre but it is an example that competitive sports can be accomplished for anyone who wants to put the work in after they leave high school and more importantly beginning well before they graduate. But Put the Work In is the key phrase. And that begins with the individual. Not the coach, not mom and dad and how much they can spend, but the individual. After just finishing the high school football season we have to face the fact that it will be very tough to compete with the Sioux Falls Schools who have programs built up that are like College 101. It makes it a daunting task for the Pierre's and Huron's and Mitchell's and even Brookings' of the world trying to even get to a LEVEL playing field let alone get on one higher. Basketball has not reached the Sioux Falls dominance that football has but it is headed in that direction. The smaller schools still are on an even playing field in sports like Track and Field and golf and to some extent cross country. But tennis? That has been a Sioux Falls and Rapid City sport for more than the last decade and the only sport that Rapid City can even compete in against the Sioux Falls schools. And you can see it turning in Sioux Falls direction in soccer also. It is a daunting task for our up and coming high school athletes in Pierre. Hopefully we have those willing to take on the task and willing to do what it takes. One of my favorite quotes is from TV preacher Robert Schuller. He even wrote a book on it. "Tough Times Never Last. But Tough People Do!"