Lady Railer ramblings

A team is born?

By Rick L. Hobler

[September 15, 2008]  I have been watching and waiting and ... not writing.

After all these years of writing about the Lady Railers volleyball team, I have now let almost a month of the season go by without a word.

Some may wish I would keep it that way.

Others have asked me, "Why?"

I chose not to write about this year's version of the Lady Railers team until I was reasonably sure in my own mind that this year's group was actually going to BE A TEAM. As you know, just because a group of individuals wears the same uniform does NOT mean they are a team. So, every year when a group of individuals is selected by the coaching staff to play a sport together, it must later be determined if, in fact, they actually ever become a team. There are no guarantees.

This year's version of the Lady Railers was no exception. And, as late as this past week, even head coach Dawn Crawford reflected that this year's team had "not yet jelled." That is secret coach code language for "We are not yet playing as a team." I agreed.

So why start writing now? Because I sense a change has occurred with most of this group. It occurred somewhere between Thursday and Saturday last week. It was a good thing. IF it continues, I see a TEAM coming to play volleyball for LCHS. That will be a good thing for the Lady Railers' season. That will be an even better thing for the young women who have the privilege of wearing the Railer red, green and black. After all, the main purpose of high school sports is not to teach about SPORTS, but to teach young people about REAL LIFE after sports.

Thursday night was a disaster for the Lady Railers at Normal West High School. The Lady Railers played like they had literally never played before: serves in the net, balls hit almost everywhere but over the net, passes dropping to the floor with no one even trying to get to them. And I could go on, but that would depress you, me and the Lady Railers. It goes without saying that the Lady Railers lost the match and fell to 4-5 overall. The only good thing about the loss was that it started the "team" soul-searching to begin. I give the players and the coaches all the credit for beginning this process.

Then came Saturday's tournament at St. Francis Borgia High School in Washington, Mo. I expected a very, very long day. What I got instead was a pleasant surprise. No, the sky did not open with all the answers, and no, the Lady Railers did not come out the tournament champions. What I did see was a team in its infancy beginning to develop. And for anyone who has read my articles for any length of time, you know that there is nothing more beautiful to me in sports than TEAM.

At Borgia, the Lady Railers won only one match, tied another and lost two to end up in sixth place. The competition was stiff with such Missouri volleyball powers as Mater Dei, Borgia, Oakville, Parkway West and Francis Howell North present. And the Railers, while not winning more than one, played competitively with each team they played. They played their last three matches straight through without a break of any kind. A daunting task for any team. They played highly respected Borgia to a tie (25-22 and 19-25). In the fifth-place game, they played on fumes, but still battled perennial state champion Francis Howell North to the end, losing by a final score of 18-25, 23-25. The Railers' record now stands at 5-7-1.

But all of that was of lesser importance than what took place on the Lady Railer side of the net. What took place was players talking to each other to make each next play work better than the last. What took place was players encouraging each other from the court and from the bench. What took place was a sense of renewed energy, determination and playing together. What took place was more smiling and more effort than I have yet seen from this entire group. What took place was -- well, you guessed it -- team. A team in its infancy, but still a team.

The Lady Railers will be faced with some severe tests over the next two weeks as the season continues. Much-improved Springfield High School will be the next foe for the Railers. The Railers, 1-0 in CS8 conference play, will need to bring their A-plus game to beat this team on their court. SHS has already defeated Normal Community High School and almost pulled off a win against highly touted Bloomington High School last week. That translates into "They are good" this year. A week from Tuesday, a date the Railers have had circled on their calendars for a year, SHG will come to town for this year's version of "heated rivalry night." Next week ends with a long bus ride to face an excellent Quincy team on their home court.

So, while it is yet to be seen what the Lady Railers will do this season, three things are certain. If they continue to grow as a team, they will be successful. If they continue to understand WHY team is important, they will learn about life. And, if they continue to play like a team, I will do my best to give them all the good press my aging brain can muster.

GO, RAILERS!!

___

LCHS at Borgia, Mo., tournament:

Scores:

• LCHS vs. Oakville 23-25, 16-25 (loss)

• LCHS vs. Whitfield 25-18, 25-16 (win)

• LCHS vs. St. Francis Borgia 25-22, 19-25 (tie)

• Fifth-place match: LCHS vs. Francis Howell North 18-25, 23-25 (loss; LCHS sixth place)

Team-leading statistics:

• Kills: E. Anderson 32, Hobler 26, H. Sheley 14

• Digs: Lowman 25, Goodrich 21, McShane 20

• Blocks: E. Sheley 8, Aughenbaugh 7, Hobler 6

• Assists: Goodrich 80

• Service points: Goodrich 14, McShane 14, Riggs 14

[By RICK L. HOBLER]

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