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A Service of The Arrow Monday March 27, 2000 8:56 PM
A Service of The Arrow Monday March 27, 2000 8:56 PM |
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It
is now or never By: Andy Frey ARROW STAFF For most athletes, high school is a time to go out and play sports and have a lot of fun doing them. But for some senior athletes, this is the last time most of them will ever play competitively for their school team again, in high school or college. "I’m really looking forward to it — it will be a great year," said senior Natalie Dachs of he senior year in softball. "But it is kind of disappointing because it is the last year." Dachs plans to attend
college at MSU-Bozeman, but she will not play softball
for the school. "I’ll still play," she said. "I’ll try to get into a (extracurricular) league." Senior Pete Shull added: "I just try to savor the year — I had a good time in football and basketball." Shull was the quarterback for the football team, and he was one of two seniors on the basketball team. Shull wasn’t sure where he was going to attend college, but Letourneau College in Longview, Tex., where he could play basketball, was a possibility. "I’m going to miss the team competition," he said. "But I’m also ready to move on and try lesser known sports like rock climbing and kayaking." High school athletics are more than just a mere game to most athletes who participate in them — they represent something greater, a way to compete, or a way to prove to themselves that they can go out and achieve their goal. "It’s very exciting knowing that you have gone that far," said Jenn Grace of her last year in basketball. "You hope to finish with a perfect record, but it doesn’t always end up that way." Grace plans to attend either MSU-Bozeman, or a college in Canada next year. The Canadian school has offerred her a chance to play basketball, but if her torn ACL is not healed in time, she will most likely attend Montana State. For a select number of athletes, high school sports means more than a way to compete. For them it is a crucial preparation period before making the leap to intercollegiate athletics. "It has always been a dream of mine to play soccer and go there," Rauk said of her plans to play soccer for the University of Montana. "It is a dream come true." Josh Bradley also has plans to pursue sports in college, but he is still unsure of the college he wants to attend or even the sport that he wants to play — football or baseball. "I haven’t decided between football and baseball," he said. "It will be the first time I’ve had to choose. For football, Bradley is looking towards Montana Tech, because he likes the coaches and the program, and they could offer him a scholarship. For baseball, he is looking into various junior colleges in Washington to start at, then hopefully move up to a major college. "Football wise, after my back injury, I’ve got something to prove to myself," he said. "It could have been different if I had played my last year here." The leap from high school athletics to collegiate athletics is a great one, and it is a difficult one to make. "(College sports) are year round and more of a commitment," said Shull. "There would be more work and less play, and the weight lifting would be mandatory." |
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