Kvelve's Comments: Giving it their all

There are a lot of good things in sports, and admittedly some not so good things.

Participating in activities that require human body kinetic action is, in my mind, always a good thing. 

Winning is also a good thing, no matter how often we hear “it’s not whether you win or lose but how you play the game” a quote attributed to legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice. 

Scoring more points in most sports is the goal of the game, therefore accumulating more points than the other guys or girls must be a good thing.  It’s the basis for participation trophy mentality. 

But despite the natural instinct in most folks, be it a good thing or a bad thing, losing can be a good thing. 

Say what? 

Not the actual act of losing but being part of the game itself.  Now, I’m not advocating that everyone gets a participation trophy.  You can store participation in your memory for the rest of your life, far outlasting the tiny trophy on the dusty bookshelf. 

One of the good things about losing is that if administered properly it can teach humility and bring out true sportsmanship. 

Or not. 

Everyone would rather be on the winning team. But there is a band of high schoolers who find victories rare at this time of the journey and keep donning the uniform of their school and giving it their all. 

I’m talking about the Alberton Panthers and Lady Panthers. 

This is not a “diss” as the vernacular of today’s youth may imply. It takes strength, courage and determination to stay with losing. 

And it also takes love of the sport. 

Which of those qualities is a bad one? 

As relative newcomers to the competitive jungle that is high school varsity sports, the kids in Alberton are as tough, courageous and dedicated as they come. 

They have some outstanding players, including the entire Fredette family, junior Shea, who leads the boys’ basketball, football and track teams in multiple categories. He demonstrated the other night against what may be one of the top two or three teams in this neck of the woods that he can play and play well with anyone.  He has a pair of sisters who could also win spots and key roles on area rosters. 

And he has two sisters, Georgia, a senior on multiple sports teams, and eighth-grader Marley, one of those under, underclassmen that make you muse “she’s an eighth grader, not a junior?” 

They are the epitome of sticking to it. Poster children for keep going, it will be better, and, in the meantime, you are getting physically stronger to go with a well-rounded education in life. 

Georgia, who is currently sidelined with an apparent wrist injury, and Shea, have suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous misfortune since the school waded into Montana varsity sports a few years ago after a co-op relationship with Superior was no longer deemed necessary in terms of school enrollments. 

They play for a school with Class C enrollments, which almost always means (unless a family of good players is present) that you have far less chance for multiple good players. 

And Alberton has that family. 

They will be better in the years ahead.  One day, when the growth spilling over from Missoula, just 30 miles east on Interstate 90, reaches their town en-masse as more and more people flee large cities. 

Depth will come with that growth. 

And Alberton, thanks to the spirit shown by this group of student athletes, will climb the ladder and claim more and more victories. 

They are already winners in my mind.