By Staff
Forget about the fact that the Dowagiac varsity basketball team finished 2-19 this past season.
The focus needs to remain on the fact that we are trying to build a program.
Building a sports program takes time. It takes patience. And most importantly, it takes support.
Dowagiac is not just trying to build a boys' basketball program under the direction of coach Greg Blomgren.
It is in the process of building several sports programs.
Some have made significant strides while others are still struggling.
I believe that Dowagiac has put in place some good young coaches who are working extremely hard to create programs that this community can be proud of.
Dowagiac loves winners and they are willing to support those teams whole heartedly.
Unfortunately, there are times when this community does not get behind teams which are struggling and will them to be great like I have seen in other communities.
It is easy to back a winning program with a rich tradition.
It is another thing all together to get behind a struggling team and make those kids feel special and give them the desire to win.
Apathy can kill a sports program.
Now is the time for each and every one of us, myself included, to look deep down inside of our hearts and make a concious decision to help motivate our young people to aspire to greater things.
Dowagiac will be joining the Wolverine Conference in another year and I would love to see all of our sports teams be successful right off the bat.
But let's not fool ourselves. It is going to take a lot of work to be competitive in the Wolverine Conference.
Anyone who thinks we are going to walk into that league and just dominate because we are Dowagiac, has another thing coming.
There are a lot of good athletic teams in each and every sport in the Wolverine Conference.
It will be a challenge, just like it has been in the Big 16 to win championships.
I believe we can do it, but we will not if we take the attitude that we only need to show up to win.
Those days my friends are over. It is time to get behind our sports programs and support them no matter what happens.