LETTER: Women’s team worth your time

To the Telegram:

I’m sitting in my living room, watching the Packers slice and dice the Vikings in a playoff game. As much as the result of this game matters to me, I find myself thinking as much about basketball; in particular, the UWS women’s team. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been a big supporter of the men’s program for a long time and will always be interested in their success. This year, more than I can remember, I’m intrigued with our women’s team. They are very good. Their chemistry is extraordinary. They are fun to watch. The question that keeps bothering me is: “how many more out there know what I know?”

Apart from the player’s parents, coaches and a few students, does anyone else in this community know what we know? Perhaps more important, does anyone care? On Saturdays when both men and women play, I’ve noticed a very disconcerting pattern. As I look around during the men’s game I notice a crowd that is sparse enough to begin with. Let me be clear. I appreciate the small but devoted handful of fans that are always there for the men’s games. But when the men’s game is over, here’s my question for those fans: “Where are you going?” Don’t you know the show isn’t over? Don’t you know our women’s team has established itself as a feisty, fundamentally sound group who never give up? All of our athletic programs at UWS must overcome many more obstacles than any other school in our conference. Coach Don Mulhern has patiently and diligently worked to overcome enough obstacles to produce a basketball product worthy of this community’s support.

UWS is a commuter school, which has the smallest enrollment in the conference. Students do a fair job of showing up for mid-week games (they could do better). Many of these students go home for the weekend. Some may say, but we are a small community. Really? Five cities in our conference have smaller populations than Superior.

It’s terribly frustrating, if not heartbreaking; to see our young athletes work hard, putting out a first rate effort and regularly receiving second-rate support. For those fans that bother show up, I implore you to stick around and discover for yourself that women’s basketball has arrived. Your support will always enhance the experience of our student-athletes and just maybe some night that support will make the difference in the game’s outcome. For those of you too busy to stop by each and every night, I would ask: Why? You don’t know what you are missing.

Jeff Engstrom,

Superior

Tags: opinion, letters