It takes a lot of support to put on a tournament. As a non-athletic high school student, I never realized how much effort it takes.
As an editor/writer/ photographer/fan, I’ve seen it first-hand for several years including the past week. As I snapped pics of the Dublin Volleyball Tournament Thursday and Friday, there were Booster club members running around to help, coaches keeping score and assisting visiting teams, students running flags for games and many parents/students/ school staff in the stands to support the teams.
The loudest cheer section during the varsity game I watched was a crowd of dozens of boys in athletics. All of a sudden there was a loud and rhythmic clapping for the Lady Lions in between plays. I looked up to see them filling several rows on the visitors side with Coach Wes Grisham clapping alongside them.
As the server prepared to punch the ball over the net, Grisham extended his arms in a gesture for silence while play resumed. Following the game, the boys rushed across the court followed by their coach. When I complimented him on his cheerleading, he joked about it keeping them out of practicing but also said he was trying to get the kids to come to more volleyball games to support their classmates.
I see a lot of our students already displaying this camaraderie and hope they hold on to these lessons as they move out into the world. This excitement to share in each other’s triumphs and losses is what leads to a strong community. It’s what leads someone to help a family in need. It’s what brings someone to support a neighbor who takes a risk and opens a small business, providing something unique and growing local sales tax collections. It’s what drives someone to donate time or money to build something that will benefit those around them and future generations.
Dublin has many people leading by example, and it’s a lesson that can pay back in small favors or huge results.
— Paul Gaudette is the Managing Editor of The Dublin Citizen and can be reached via email at publisher@ dublincitizen. com.