Players score points with sportsmanship

Today's story about sportsmanship was written by Al Losey, sportswriter for the Star-Gazette and former girls basketball coach at Williamson High School.

http://www.stargazette.com/article/20090405/SPORTS05/904050366/1119

Players score points with sportsmanship

Not all high school basketball players flash a smile and are helpful to the referees. Many prefer to be flashy, and some argue when they're caught in violation of the rules.

So, here's a breath of fresh air that blew through our usually stuffy gymnasiums this season: The Southern New York Basketball Officials Association picked Elmira Free Academy's Liz Wick and Odessa-Montour's John Blaha as their 2008-09 Sportsmanship Award winners.

The award goes to players who were judged to be fair and played by the rules and who were good winners and good losers. Wick and Blaha are both seniors, and during the season they both exhibited qualities that basketball officials appreciated.

"To us, the positive attitude and sportsmanship is always what we're looking at," said Southern New York Basketball Officials Association President Tom Owen. "The award winners have always been seniors, and they are the kids that are having fun. We, as officials, are always pleased when the players have a good time. We all tend to lose our perspective about high school sports sometimes, but the last thing I always say to the players before the game starts is, 'Smile out there.'"

Wick, who is a Star-Gazette All-Twin Tiers first-team selection, credits her father, in part, for her playing philosophy.

"I like to play hard," Wick said. "But I always keep in mind that it's a game and not to take it too seriously. My dad has always told me that if it's not fun, it's time to do something else. So, I do have fun and I try to take a leadership role when it comes to sportsmanship. It's the little things you can do that add up, like picking up a ball and handing it to the official or not complaining about the calls. That's all you have to do."

Blaha, a point guard, was instrumental in the Indians' postseason run but never changed his court demeanor, even when the pressure was turned up.

"John is the ultimate competitor," Odessa-Montour coach Brad Clark said. "But regardless of the outcome, he's always the epitome of what we try to get out of all the kids. He's the first to shake hands after the game and, out on the court, he is always thinking about what is the right thing to do. He's a good student and just an all-around great kid."


Blaha says there's so much going on during a basketball game that he can't think about trash-talking or getting distracted by officials' calls.

"A lot of kids trash-talk, but I just let my game do the talking," said Blaha, who was an All-Twin Tiers second-team selection. "As the point guard, I've got too much to think about for the good of the team to let something personal get inside my head. Then I wouldn't be doing my best.

"After the game, some guys don't like shaking hands, but I want to go shake hands; I try to be the first in line. And if somebody had a good game against us, I tell them so."

Certainly, there were many other players who exhibited these types of qualities through the course of the season. Other girls nominated for the officials' award were Emma Pautz and Caley Manuel of Notre Dame, Brittany Evans of Odessa-Montour, and Stephanie Bond of Watkins Glen. Other boys nominees were Star-Gazette All-Twin Tiers Player of the Year Mike Backer of Southside and Chris Matthews of Notre Dame.

This is a time when a lot of young players learn how to act on the basketball court by watching spoiled, tantrum-prone NBA players. It certainly is refreshing to be reminded that a lot of local high school players play the game the way it's meant to be played.

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