Appreciating teams that generate excitement

They say you get more appreciative of things in old age, and this weekend I experienced a tinge of that.

It occurred in two different settings — the Hy-Vee Hawkeye Showcase Saturday evening in Wells Fargo Arena; and the Creston football banquet Sunday afternoon in the school commons.

Deb and I had tickets for the Hawkeye men’s and women’s basketball games Saturday and enjoyed both games. But, as we arrived and walked through the concourse to our seating area, it was apparent that hometown girl Caitlin Clark was the star of this show.

First, as a longtime basketball coach and specifically for the last 13 years, a junior high girls basketball coach, it was heartwarming to see so many young kids walking around wearing shirts depicting No. 22 and Clark’s name on the back. They squealed in delight as she was introduced, and as she tossed in three 3-pointers in the first period.

That was so good to see, because not so long ago I felt like we were losing numbers in basketball in the winter in favor of girls committing to the off-season club volleyball tournament circuit. When I would talk to good athletes in the school who weren’t out for our team, often the response was, “I don’t like basketball.”

I suspected some of it was that we did more running than volleyball or softball, because you’re always on the move up and down the court in a cardio sport. But, that can also be the beauty of it. It’s fun to watch the Iowa women play their fast-break style with Clark’s incredible passing skills.

Caitlin and the Hawkeyes have ignited a new energy among Iowa’s youth toward basketball, and not just girls. Even my 7-year-old grandson who plays basketball in Davenport watched the Hawkeye women in NCAA tournament games last year and was crestfallen when LSU beat them in the championship game.

The enthusiasm for basketball in Wells Fargo Arena Saturday alleviated some of my concerns about waning popularity of the sport among our younger kids. The popularity of this team was wonderful to see in person.

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Then on Sunday, as I looked around the crowd in the school commons at the Creston football banquet, I saw several parents of this year’s players who I covered during their high school careers. Like the Willie Nelson song as his 90th birthday was celebrated on CBS Sunday night, “Funny How Time Slips Away.”

I’m more aware than ever how time is slipping away from me, so I tried to enjoy every moment of this incredible football season by the 11-1 Panthers, which ended in a mass migration to the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

I know they pack a lot into the banquet agenda and there wasn’t really time for folks like me and Chad Rieck of KSIB to say anything, but if we had the opportunity I know he would join me in saying something like this:

“Guys, you had the community jammed into every available seat at the home playoff games to watch your fun, entertaining style of football. Hundreds more with Creston ties watched online live streams around the world. You gave so many of us lasting memories, and you inspired the next generation of young Panthers to grow up and be like you. Cheyenne, John and I were honored to play a part in preserving some of that history in our local publication.

“And, in every interview situation I came away impressed at the quality of person you were. You didn’t carry yourselves as big shots too cool to talk to an old man reporter. You had good parents supporting you along the way. Your futures are bright. Thanks for making the fall of 2023 special in Creston.”

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Contact the writer:

Email: malachy.lp@gmail.com

Twitter: @larrypeterson