Defining a winner

This season, I had the privilege of covering the Encampment Lady Tigers volleyball team. I call it a privilege because they were an amazing group of girls to watch.

I have covered volleyball off and on for the last several years when the sports reporter had more than one game to cover.

Because I live halfway between Saratoga and Encampment, I volunteered to cover Encampment.

Little did I know I would develop friendships while covering the Encampment girls.

Next to my desk, on the wall, is a poster I received from the Encampment volleyball team thanking me for my photos and articles.

This year, the Encampment volleyball team had a very successful season and I was lucky enough to cover nearly every home game.

It is hard to put into words what I witnessed on the court this season, but I will do my best.

Class

These girls are a class act, on the court and off. When they are on the bench they are rooting for their teammates and paying attention to the game. On the court, these girls work as a team.

These girls gathered together and prayed on the court before and after every game. When they formed a circle to help themselves refocus, genuine compassion was witnessed. These girls didn’t just form a circle —they held each other up with arms wrapped around their teammates, many times with the fingers intertwined.

Respect

When I interviewed the girls, they were always respectful. I am sure the last thing they wanted to do was talk to a reporter about their game. They wanted to rejoice in their win with their families, shower and go home, but they took time to visit with me.

The girls always thanked me for being there too.

They respected their coaches and each other. If they made a mistake on the court, their eyes were directed to their coach, Robin O’Leary.

Every time I interviewed Robin, her comments where about how the girls worked as a team and were considerate of each other. She was always grateful for the team, not the win.

Athleticism

Most of the girls participate in other sports during the school year and it shows on the volleyball court. I imagine every member of Encampment’s varsity team would still be on a varsity squad in a bigger school where they have to try out to be on the team.

In Encampment, you show up, you are on the team, but you still have to earn your spot as a varsity player.

Drive

The Encampment Lady Tigers were a team that were driven to win. They were hard on themselves and constantly working to improve their game. I noticed they did not always celebrate a point on the court like other teams did. Robin said she wished they did, because they played better. It seemed to me, they were saving the energy they used to celebrate for the next kill.

Dedication

The Encampment Lady Tigers were dedicated – to their team, their coaches, their parents and their fans.

Even when these girls were tired after three days of playing at state last weekend, they were still playing hard. As they waited for the other teams to finish, they sat near the court – heartbroken because they placed fourth at state.

Their coach was smiling and telling them they had placed and that was something to be proud of, but these girls obviously wanted more.

When you take time to look at who took the top three spots in the state, you know the girls had their work cut out for them. They beat Cokeville twice through the season. But Cokeville shined in regionals and at state, taking their fourth straight title. Little Snake River is always a tough team to play. Both of these teams have had long-standing reputations as outstanding teams. I had to chuckle when Ann Wille told me she wished her team did have to play Encampment, “because they are tough”.

Ann is the Little Snake River coach. The reason I thought it was funny is because Encampment feels the same way.

Something I noticed with Encampment is they have a huge fan base, and I think that makes a difference.

It is important for our young people to know that their community is backing them up. We have a small break before winter sports starts. If you have time this winter, take a night to go and watch the basketball players in Saratoga or Encampment, depending on who you support and cheer them on.

It will mean the world to these kids.