Goal Setting

I think a good follow up to last week’s column about the state tournament is to talk a little more about state tournaments in general.

Every year that I attend the state tournament I see people that played there a long time ago. I played there 47 years ago and I still remember some of the conversations I had with people throughout those four days.

I remember fouling out of the last game I played with about two minutes left and I remember the look on the refs face when he called that foul. It was probably the easiest call he made all night which means I admit my guilt.

I remember some of those former players attending this year’s tournament and I can visualize several of the games they played in.

On Thursday I was watching one of the teams warming up and I looked to my right and there was Alan Field.

Alan is a freshman attending Community Colleges of Spokane and he is on the track team. We saw each other and said hi and Alan came over and sat with me.

Of course the topic of discussion was last year’s team that made their great run to the state tournament. It was at times improbable but it was proof that if a team works hard and plays tough defense and rebounds well anything can happen.

We talked about some of those great games that defined last year’s Bronco team and allowed them to play for a trophy on Saturday one year ago. Having been to so many games it was great talking about those experiences.

One of those games was when the Broncos eliminated a solid Liberty Lancer team to advance in the tournament. Another was when the Broncos eliminated Warden at Mt. Spokane in a very tough match up with a hot shooting guard in the very first game of the state playoffs.

Sometimes surviving a difficult game like that defines a team’s heart and soul.

A game of this nature meant that everyone on the team needed to step up and contribute. Otherwise, there was a good chance the Broncos would have been spectators and not players at the arena.

Alan had some real fond memories of playing at the arena and he should. I enjoy talking about those memories because they are what make up the state tournaments.

Happiness, sadness and heartbreaking moments happen every year. But if your goal is not to play at the state tournament then you need to question what you feel is important.

Not everyone will be able to get there with their teams but the goal should remain each and every year.

I had the opportunity to relive a few moments with Alan and the one that is similar is that our team also eliminated a very good Liberty team. The more things change the more they stay the same.

Over the years I’ve been able to meet people that are fans like me. One of those acquaintances, Ed told me a story about a former ‘B’ tournament participant and their chance meeting.

A few years back Mel Stottlemyre, Sr. was the pitching coach for the Seattle Mariners.

In 1959 Stottlemyre was a pretty good basketball player for the Mabton Vikings. Ed and his wife went to Seattle to see a Mariners game. He took the official program for the 1959 State ‘B’ Tournament with him.

Stottlemyre was in the bullpen in left field prior to the game working with the pitchers. Ed shouted out Stottlemyre’s name and he got his attention.

He said, “Would you sign this program from the 1959 State ‘B’ Tournament?” Stottlemyre said “I’ll meet you before the game starts.”

Now the coaches have a lot to do before the game begins and Ed thought that the former Viking would forget about his promise.

But he said that as the lineups were being announced he came over and said, “Let’s see the program.”

He opened it to the page that had the Mabton Vikings and he signed it. Ed asked him, “So what memories do you have of that tournament?” Stottlemyre said, “It was the best experience of my life!”

This is a guy who pitched for the New York Yankees, and was the pitching coach for the Yankees when they were winning World Series championships and he still has great memories of the State ‘B’ Tournament.

For anyone that has played there you know that Stottlemyre’s great memories of the tournament will last a lifetime.