ETB Advertising Banner Header Terrie 1
Better View Tree Trimming Header Ad
Hess Lawn Mower Header
ETB Advertising Banner Header Terrie 2
Hess Gravely Sales Event Header
Sandlin Header 2022
Cypress Basin Hospice 2023 Header

From The Sports Director’s Desk: Positivity In A Negative Situation

By Greg Higgins
(Follow on Twitter: @greghiggins457)

It’s easily one of the weirdest times we’ve ever been a part of as a society. Businesses forced to close their doors for some time. Restaurants only allowed to provide takeout and delivery—sports on a complete hiatus with no end in sight.

Yes. It’s easy to say we are in unprecedented times. With Covid-19 news all around us, it seems like everything is doom and gloom. Even locally, we’ve had to watch softball, baseball, soccer, and track close their doors on the 2020 season.

The North Lamar Pantherettes were 18–1 when the season ended. The Prairiland Lady Patriots were enjoying a 16–2–1 record while the Rivercrest Lady Rebels were 10–5, and the Paris Lady Cats were showing signs of improvement over last season.

Add in the baseball teams, and it’s easy to see how upset people are over the cancellation of these events. People are posting Facebook tributes for seniors who have had their season ripped out from underneath them. Unlike an injury, this intrusion has caused the entire team to stop playing.

There is a bright spot through all of this. Local athletes continue to push forward. Underclassman is using social media to workout and get information from their coaches. Not the most ideal of situations, they have decided to use what they can. Coaches are using text messaging, videos, and social media to check on students and to make sure they’re getting their workouts in as well as their school work.

Seniors continue to prepare for the next level—many of them for college and some for athletics. Students like Trevon Dennis (Paris High), Cole Carson (Rivercrest), and Connor Sessums (Prairiland) all signed within the last two weeks to play college ball. Many other students have signed over the past year or two to continue their sports careers.

Photo by Tony Corso (tonycorsoimages.com)

Then, there’s the story of Jordan Williams, the former Paris High football standout who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Atlanta Falcons. Williams left Paris High and played linebacker for the Baylor Bears. He was a big reason as to why Baylor played Oklahoma for the Big 12 championship this season. He even had an interception in the ball game. When you start seeing the stories of these athletes and others, you begin to realize that not everything is terrible during the pandemic. We’ve all had to adjust our lives based on what’s happened. Instead of looking at the negative, though, let’s try to focus on the positives. We don’t have to look very far before we see it.