Some thoughts on the resignation of WCHS football coach Chris Tracy

Reprinted from my Feb. 18 SlapShots column

Coaches come and coaches go.

That’s just part of the life of every sports program. But that doesn’t make it any easier for those left behind when a coach makes the decision to move on.

The Woodford County High School football team lost a good one when head football coach Chris Tracy made the decision to step down and accept the coaching position at Franklin County High School.

The move is understandable. Heading to Franklin County represents a homecoming for Tracy, and he sees the change a great opportunity for him and his family. So I don’t fault him for pursuing the Flyers position.

But I’ll be honest, I’m going to miss Chris. I’ve not only grown to respect Tracy as a coach and an educator, he’s become a friend.

And to make matters worse, I now face the prospect of having to train a brand new Yellow Jacket skipper.

Coaches are notoriously hard to train.

Chris Tracy was the first Woodford guy I met when I took over as the Woodford Sun sports editor. I’d been on the job exactly one day when I covered my first Yellow Jacket football game, a 49-34 win over Bardstown. Tracy made the transition from big city news guy to small town sports editor a lot easier through his kindness and respect.

Chris was easy to work with, and believe me, when it comes to coaches that’s not always the case. Win or lose, he always answered my questions. He never seemed put off, never bristled and never refused to answer the tough ones. In fact, Tracy would often bring up controversial issues on his own accord. I always appreciated the fact that he never made excuses. He refused to use referees, field conditions or outside circumstances as scapegoats for a bad performance.

But what truly sets Christ Tracy apart is his love for his kids.

You can criticize Chris’ choice of offensive systems. You can question his play calling. You can say he ran the ball too much, or didn’t run it enough. But nobody can legitimately say that he didn’t care about his players.

In fact, Chris Tracy cares more about the kids on his team than he cares about football.

And once again, in the world of high school sports, that’s not always the case.

Don’t get me wrong; Chris wants to win. He harbors a deep and intense competitive streak. But he always emphasized learning. He always seemed more concerned about making sure his players grew up into good citizens as opposed to great football players. He always looked at the big picture.

Chris emphasized academics. He taught life lessons. He never neglected the spiritual. More than once, I’ve seen the coach put his arm around a kid’s shoulder, pull him close just to share a few encouraging words.

Tracy leaves Woodford County with a 36-39 record, but that’s not his legacy. His legacy resides in the hearts and minds of the kids he coached over the last seven years. Lessons learned. Character built. Boys grown into men.

Yes Chris. We will miss you.

Good luck at Franklin County – until that Friday nigh you play Woodford.

Quick Shots
The University of Kentucky put the fan in fanatic. The Wildcat faithful proved once again that when it comes to basketball passion, no place on earth comes close. More than 22,000 fans packed Rupp Arena for a TV show on Feb. 13. Not for a game. Not even for practice. They came just to watch ESPN broadcast its GameDay program the morning before the UK – Tennessee match-up. Talk about over-the-top. “We’ve never seen anything like this,” GameDay host Rece Davis said. “This place is so special.” Special – or downright insane.

The kickoff of the 2010 NASCAR season had some bumps in the road – literally. Chunks of pavement came loose, forcing officials to delay the Daytona 500 twice for patch jobs. It seemed as if city road crews were doing the repairs. You know, one guy working and a whole gaggle watching. After more two hours worth of delays, Jamie McMurray won the storied race. Fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. made all the waiting worthwhile, charging from 10th place to second in the span of one lap to challenge for the win. At least that part was exciting, because if you think watching care drive in circles for hours is boring, you should try watching them sit parked.

That said, the guys at FOX did a pretty good job of keeping things interesting during the delays. Thank the NASCAR gods that this didn’t happen during TNT’s coverage.

The Woodford County High School basketball teams are both peaking at just the right times. With the post season less than two weeks away, both Jacket squads earned big wins. The girls’ team upset Anderson County 50-49. And it didn’t look like a fluke. The Lady Jackets went toe-to-toe with the top team in the 8th Region. Not to be outdone, the boys’ team beat West Jessamine, a Sweet 16 final four team last season and then turned around and took out 15-win Boyle County. It looks like the Jackets are poised to make some noise in the postseason. Wins at the end of the year can make up for a lot of early season frustration.

Is it just me, or have the Olympic opening ceremonies gotten kind of creepy?

Quote of the Week
“That car has no idea how old I am.” – Mark Martin, 51-year-old NASCAR driver

Puck to the Head
This week’s puck flies at the head of the International Luge Federation officials. They claim the death of Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili during a training run before the start of the Vancouver Olympics had nothing to do with “deficiencies in the track.” But they built a big wooden wall to cover the steel beams that Kumaritashvili hit at over 90 mph, and placed padding on other exposed beams. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like that might have been a better plan before the crash.

Should they stay or should they go?

A repost of my Jan. 28 SlapShots column

University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari rarely engages in “coach-speak.” I appreciate that about him.

Every sports fan has heard “coach-speak” before – those virtually meaningless clichés rolled out when the coach doesn’t want to say what he actually thinks. For instance, when asked about a player leaving school early for the pros, 99 out of 100 coaches will rattle off some mundane statement about the athlete doing whatever he thinks best for himself and his family. And after a lot of verbiage, fans and media remain with only the vaguest notion what the coach really thinks.

But oh no, not Cal. No sir. We know exactly what he thinks. The Wildcat skipper embraces the exodus.

When asked if John Wall might possibly return next season, Cal all but showed his superstar point guard the door.

“He had better not be,” Calipari said during an appearance on the Dan Patrick radio show. “I am saying that if he came to me and he was the No. 1 pick in the draft and he said that he wanted to come back, we would probably be wrestling around on the floor. Because there is no reason other than me trying to win more games that he should come back.”

Ahh – honesty.

Agree or disagree, Calipari has an agenda, and part of that agenda involves sending players on to the NBA. And he would gladly see others depart the Bluegrass State along with Wall.

“If we do something unique and special, we’ll lose a bunch of guys. Will you be happy? I’ll be happy.”

Granted, Cal’s optimism stems from the fact that he has no plans to face next season with an empty chamber.

“If something unique and special happens, its reload. Let’s go. Who’s next? And I’d be happy.”

Yes, Calipari makes no bones about turning UK into a farm system for the NBA. He’s not a dumb man. The players may not stay around for more than one or two seasons, but he knows that if he develops a reputation for sending his boys on to the main stage, he will always have a long line of kids waiting to step in for their shot. And Cal also knows that a steady stream of NBA prospects means winning teams and championships.

That’s what he wants. That’s what the university wants. And that’s what the fans want.

This attitude doubtlessly disturbs the purists among us – the idealists who cling tenaciously to the pristine concept of the student-athlete.

And I will admit, there is a part of me that would like to see every player on every team earn their degrees. A little yearning deep inside to see college sports more about the college than the sport. But as I’ve reflected on Calipari’s words over the last few days, I’ve come to realize that I’m nothing but a hypocrite.

I spent four-and-a-half years earning my first college degree, followed up by two more years roaming the hallowed halls of academia pursuing a second degree. Why? So I could move into the work world and earn a good living. So I would possess the tools I need to succeed in my chosen field. And if I could have accomplished all of that in one year, would I given up those other five years of schooling?

You bet your hockey stick I would.

So why is the standard any different for John Wall? If one year playing at UK proves enough to earn him the No. 1 NBA draft pick – the pinnacle of his chosen field – why should he hang around Kentucky? We go to college to prepare for our career. If he’s ready to go – God bless him.

There will be plenty of role players working their way through the Wildcat program. They will contribute to the team and earn four-year degrees. Every now and again, we’ll see a Patrick Patterson. He will likely leave the Cats after his junior year – with his degree. And we will rightly praise their hard work and hold up their academic achievements.

But these players rank no better or no worse than the Walls of the world. Each player – each individual – must chart her or his own path through life.

As for Calipari, he’s about winning games. And he seems to think that recruiting the best with the promise of helping them achieve their dream of going pro is the best way to get that done. Believe me, if Coach Cal brings a winning tradition back to UK, the fans won’t complain. And neither will the administration. The ex-UK players making millions in the NBA surely won’t complain. Seems to me everybody wins.

And for those who really want to embrace academic rigors as a student-athlete, there’s always Vandy.

Quick Shots
It looks like NASCAR plans to go old school. There’s a saying in stock car racing. “If you ain’t rubbin’ you ain’t racin’.” Looks like there’s gonna be some racin’! NASCAR announced last week that it will lift its ban on bump drafting at the Daytona 500. They will also up the horsepower in the season’s opening race with the largest restrictor plate since 1989. NASCAR said it plans to encourage drivers to show more aggression and emotion in the upcoming season. As a Kyle Busch fan, lets just say I can’t wait to see how this works out.

One fairytale had to trump the other. In two equally compelling storylines, the Saints kicked a field goal in overtime to beat the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 and punch their ticket to the Super Bowl. In one storybook, you had the 40-year-old Bret Favre showing guts and determination, repeatedly picking himself up off the turf as the New Orleans Saints defense pummeled him play after play. Not even an ankle injury could knock him out of the game. You can’t help respect the toughness and tenacity of the old bird. In the other storybook, you have the Saints, hailing from the Big Easy, still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. The Saints had never made it to the Super Bowl and their triumph symbolizes the resurgence of the city itself. You can’t help but share a little joy with the people of New Orleans. It’s just a shame both fairytales couldn’t have happily ever after endings.

I can admit when I’m wrong. I never expected Kentucky’s freshman laden squad to be this good. And after watching the Wildcats dismantle Arkansas, it appears they really are this good. The pollsters agree, making UK the unanimous No. 1. No doubt, there remain plenty of opportunities to slip, but this team has the potential to win it all.

And then UK traveled down to South Carolina. No. 1 - Wow, that didn’t last long.

Quote of the Week
“I keep hearing about this time out. People I’m closest to are going to demand I take some time off, but I tried that already. I tried a day and a half, and it didn’t work.” – Florida Gator football coach Urban Meyer.

Puck to the Head
This week’s puck flies at the head of former major league baseball player Jose Offerman for attempting to punch an umpire in the head during a Dominican Winter Baseball League playoff game. Offerman, serving as interim manager for the Licey Tigers, took a swing at the first base umpire while arguing a call. Offerman played 15 years in the majors. In 2007, he was arrested for assaulting an opposing pitcher and catcher with a bat while playing in the minors. On second thought, a puck to the head might not faze this guy.

Coaches - should they stay or should they go?

A reprint of my Jan. 21 SlapShots column published in the Woodford Sun

Calvin and Hobbes ranks as my all time favorite comic strip. Calvin and company seldom failed to illicit at least a chuckle, while at the same time providing some pretty insightful commentary on the world we live in.

In one strip, Calvin finds himself in a neo-cubist world, a perspective revealing every side of every object in his room.

“It all started when Calvin engaged his dad in a minor debate. Soon Calvin could see both sides of the issue. Then poor Calvin began to see both sides of everything. The traditional single viewpoint had been abandoned. Perspective has been fractured.”

I felt a little bit like Calvin, suddenly transported into a neo-cubist world, as I followed the saga of Lane Kiffin’s sudden departure from the University of Tennessee football program to take the helm at USC.

On the one hand, I can’t blame a man for wanting to move up the career ladder. To better his position. To grab opportunities as they come along that will ultimately benefit himself and his family.

Kiffin has deep ties to USC and Southern California. He served as an assistant coach for the Trojans from 2001 to 2006, first as a wide receivers coach and later as offensive coordinator under Pete Carroll. He played his college football at Fresno State University. It really shouldn’t surprise anyone that Kiffin would jump at the opportunity to head home and coach one of the premier football programs in the country. I mean really, can you blame him? Can you honestly say you wouldn’t do the same thing in his position?

And fans should know by now – the college football coaching carousel does nothing to foster loyalty. After a couple of losing seasons, the same Volunteer fans and school administrators piously pontificating on Kiffin’s lack of character and fidelity would have picked up the former Vol coach and buried him under the turf of Neyland Stadium faster than the Tennessee band launches into Rocky Top after a Volunteer touchdown.

But come on, Lane. One season? Fourteen months was all you could give? Kiffin didn’t even stay long enough for the orange ink to dry on his letterhead. And that brings us to the other side of the coin. What about the players?

They are the ones who bear the brunt of the ever-shifting coaching landscape of college football. Perhaps players should expect it. But should they? Is it unreasonable to ask that a coach show some loyalty to the kids he recruited. Some sense of commitment to the promises he made?

Coaching football isn’t just about climbing the career ladder. It’s about educating and molding boys into men. What do we teach them about commitment and integrity when we make promises and sign contracts, only to bolt at the first next-best opportunity? Shouldn’t the almighty me become subservient to a greater principle at some point?

But do we expect a coach to stay in the same place forever?

Welcome to my neo-cubist world.

“The multiple views provide too much information. It’s impossible to move. Calvin quickly tries to eliminate all but one perspective.”

So deep in the subplot of this story I find a character who helps snap things into focus and who reminds me that there remains at least a shred of integrity in the world of big-time college football - Duke coach David Cutliffe.

Cutliffe was an offensive coordinator at Tennessee. He also served as head coach at Ole Miss back in 1998. He’s an SEC guy. He took the reigns of the struggling Duke program two years ago. The Blue Devils compiled a 9-15 record over the past two seasons under Cutliffe. As you might guess, Duke isn’t exactly a “destination” position.

But Cutliffe decided to stay, turning down the opportunity to coach a big time program in a big time conference. He said that he wanted to finish what he started at Duke.

“After much thought and consideration, Karen and I reached the decision that Duke is the place for our family,” Cutliffe said in a statement. “We have the best coaching staff in the country, and are convinced that we will continue to build a successful football program that both the Duke and Durham communities will be proud of.”

Cutliffe had a message for those thinking he was sure to take the Tennessee job.

“People that think that was automatic just don’t know me very well.”

There are all kinds of reasons Cutliffe might have turned down the UT job. But I’d like to think that it’s simply because Cutliffe possesses a measure of personal integrity. A desire to see something through to the end. A measure of respect for the kids he coaches and a sense of obligation to his promises.

As Calvin struggles to eliminate all but one perspective, his room snaps back to normal.

“It works. The world falls into recognizable order. ‘You’re still wrong, Dad,’ Calvin says.”

So yeah, I can see Kiffin’s side of things. But you’re still wrong Lane.

Quick Shots
Whew! Another close one for the Wildcats. Kentucky narrowly escaped Auburn with a 5-point win after blowing a 19-point lead. As one publication put it, the Cats have just about used up their nine lives.

I’m no Minnesota Vikings fan, but I can’t help but pull for Brett Favre. As an almost 43-year-old man, I find his youthful exuberance while playing a young man’s game inspiring.

Quote of the Week
“College coaches lie. How do these guys sleep at night? It’s unfair, of course, to include all coaches in the Liars Club, but it’s an odious and ever-expanding group. Put Lane Kiffin in a room with Jeff Jagodzinski, John Calipari, and Rick Pitino and you could make a polygraph machine explode.” - Dan Shaughnessy, Globe columnist

Puck to the Head
This week’s puck flies at the head of Massachusetts Democrat senatorial candidate Martha Coakley for calling former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling a Yankee fan. Schilling summed up how ridiculous the statement was in his blog. “I’ve been called a lot of things. But never, and I mean never, could anyone ever make the mistake of calling me a Yankee fan. Well, check that, if you didn’t know what the hell is going on in your own state, maybe you could.”

WCHS athletic trainer gets the axe

Winner of the 2009 Kentucky Press Association Best Sports Story - Class 3 Weekly (circulation over 4,600.) Originally published July 9, 2009

The Bluegrass Community Hospital announced last week that it has eliminated the athletic training position at Woodford County High School, leaving the future of Walker Terhune’s job unclear. The announcement left school officials scrambling to find alternative funding with the start of football, soccer, cross country and volleyball practices only weeks away.

Terhune served as the Yellow Jacket athletic trainer for three years, providing on the field medical care and rehabilitation services to athletes in every sports program at the school. Bluegrass Community Hospital employed Terhune and contracted his services to the WCHS.

Bluegrass Community CEO Kathy Love said eliminating the position, along with the athletic trainer at Midway College, will save the hospital about $100,000 per year.

“We always have to preserve our core hospital services,” she said. “It was a painful decision.”

The hospital did not eliminate any other positions, and Love emphasized that the organization remains financially sound.

“We’re not in any sort of crisis,” she said. “We are tightening our belts.”

Love cited a drop in donations, as well as cost pressures with driving the decision to eliminate the athletic trainer positions. A rise in uncompensated care has strained the hospital’s budget, and uncertainties in the health care industry regarding the possibility of healthcare reform have administrators taking proactive measures. Love said that regardless of what form healthcare reform takes, she expects future cuts in provider reimbursements.

Woodford County High School assistant principal and athletic director Bob Gibson said that the school has already started looking for other healthcare organizations to partner with in order to keep an athletic trainer at WCHS – preferably Terhune. He said that school officials have meetings scheduled for later in the week.

“We may be able to get everything back on board,” he said. “Obviously, we would want to maintain not only the position, but the individual.”

Neither state law or the Kentucky High School Athletics Association require Kentucky schools to have a trainer on staff, but Gibson said that he recognizes the importance of the athletic trainer for health and safety of Jacket athletes.

“It’s of vital importance to our program.”

Gibson said that he understands the hospitals decision and that he doesn’t want people to perceive Bluegrass Community as the bad guy.

“They’ve been a big sponsor of our programs,” he said.

It remains unclear whether the Woodford County School Board will provide any funding for an athletic trainer if the school cannot find another healthcare organization to foot the bill.

“Obviously, we just found out last week,” Superintendent Scott Hawkins said. “We’re trying to explore all of our options. If we can keep an athletic trainer, we certainly want to do that.”

But dollars will factor into the decision.

“We don’t know what costs we’re looking at. We’ll see what kind of expenses we might be looking at. We want to provide quality service at a price that we can afford,” Hawkins said. “We’ll have a much clearer picture once we have some of these meetings and see what our options are.”

Yellow Jacket football coach Chris Tracy expressed concern about the possibility of going into late summer practices without an athletic trainer on the sideline. Last summer, Pleasure Ridge Park football player Max Gilpin died after collapsing during practice on a hot August evening. Prosecutors charged PRP coach Jason Stinson with negligent homicide. There was no athletic trainer at the practice when Gilpin succumbed to the heat.

“After what happened in Louisville, I don’t know that I want to be out there doing what we do without a trainer,” Tracy said.

Several WCHS athletes reacted to the news of the possible elimination of the athletic training position with dismay.

“I don’t really know what to say right now. I’m kind of in shock,” Yellow Jacket soccer player Katrina Ott said.

Terhune helped Ott rehab several injuries and she credits daily sessions with him for getting herself healed and back on the field faster. She said that she probably took his presence on the sidelines for granted.

“It’s really important to have a trainer at your convenience,” she said. “Sometimes when you’re hurt, coaches are not as qualified and don’t know.”

Terhune not only heals the body, he serves as a mentor and trusted adult figure in the lives of many Woodford County athletes.

Senior Jay Tackett, a soccer and football player, posted his feelings on the Woodford Sun Sports Facebook page.

“This is terrible. Woodford’s losing an awesome sports trainer. Walker’s been a great friend of mine through all my years of high school and he would be greatly missed.”

They said what??

A reprint of my Jan. 7 Slapshots column from the Woodford Sun

For the most part, I thoroughly enjoyed my New Year’s Day trip to football Nirvana.

I managed to spend the bulk of the day firmly planted on the couch. It all started at 11 a.m. with the Outback Bowl and continued past midnight as I celebrated the Gators’ 54-24 thumping of the Cincinnati Bearcats. And with a little channel surfing, I also managed to catch parts of the NHL Outdoor Classic between the Boston Bruins and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Yeah, hockey in Fenway Park was pretty cool.

I followed up on Saturday watching my USF Bulls win the meaningless International Bowl over Northern Illinois and then caught the UK-U of L basketball game.

But with all of that time absorbed in sports, there was bound to be a downside. And no, I do not consider eating an entire bag of Tostitos and a container of salsa in one afternoon a low point.

No, that involved some of the TV commentators.

Is it just me, or do some of these guys need to learn the value of silence?

I think the low point came during the Kentucky-Louisville game when Clark Kellogg repeatedly used the word “spurtability.” Really Clark? On network TV?

And other announcers managed to make themselves sound like idiots using real live words – from the English language.

So I thought it would be fun to start the year by sharing some of the more asinine comments out of the mouths’ of TV analysts.

“Neither one of these defenses want to give up the big play.”

As if somewhere a defensive coordinator is sitting in his darkened office scheming ways to give up the big play - hopefully leading to points.

“That is just a pure football player.”

As opposed to all of the diluted football players on the field? Or perhaps some hybrid players.

“The game’s changed a little, you’ve got to make plays.”

I vaguely remember football back in the early ’70s. They didn’t have to make plays back in those days. Refs arbitrarily awarded points.

“I think Jimbo (Jimbo Fisher, offensive coordinator for Florida State) would love to make first downs.”

After watching the Seminoles play the Gators a few weeks ago, I could debate that notion.

“And Florida State makes this a football game.”

I’m not sure what they were playing before. Perhaps badminton?

“They each have a touchdown, so they both know how to get into the end zone”

If they need help, they can always purchase one of those fancy GPS contraptions.

“Not quite as straight, but they all count if they go through the uprights.”

Woohoo! Thank you obvious man!

And finally, my personal favorite…

“Good feet. He needs those feet.”

I guess I won’t ask to borrow them then.

Happy New Year, sports fans.

Quick Shots
University of Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks announced his retirement on Monday, Jan. 4. He said that he felt like it was just time to step aside.

“This is the end of the road of the old man’s coaching career,” Brooks said.

Some inside sources say that frustration with the university partly drove his decision – frustration stemming from UK’s reluctance to pour money into the football program, particularly facilities and assistant coaches salaries. Brooks is too classy to come out and blast the program, but the fact that he mentioned facilities upgrades on his laundry list of things he’d like to see Kentucky do in the future makes me wonder if there isn’t some truth to the rumors. Basketball will always reign as king in Kentucky. Perhaps Brooks got tired of playing in the backup band.

Analysts have raised a number of valid questions regarding Tim Tebow’s future as an NFL quarterback. It was almost as if he set out to erase those question marks in the Sugar Bowl. The Gator senior completed 31 of 35 passes for 482 yards and three touchdowns. Some may suspect his throwing mechanics. They may question his ability to read pro defenses. But I sure wouldn’t bet against the heart and desire of this kid.

Broadcasters praised UK big-man DeMarcus Cousins for maintaining his cool despite the intensity of the Kentucky-Louisville game. After watching several replays of his elbow to the head of Jared Swopshire, I’d hate to see what would have happened if he HAD lost his cool.

Quote of the Week
“I’d like to start like I always do with the injury report. I’m walking and well, so that’s the injury report.” –Former University of Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks opening up the press conference announcing his retirement.

Puck to the Head
This week’s pucks fly at the heads of the four University of Tennessee basketball players for getting themselves arrested after a traffic stop in Knoxville. Tyler Smith, Melvin Goins, Brian Williams and Cameron Tatum were arrested after police say they found a handgun with an altered serial number, marijuana and an open container of alcohol in the car. Police initially pulled the car over for speeding. Mixing guns, alcohol and drugs. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. * Insert strains of Rocky Top here *

Ice in her veins

Originally published in the Woodford Sun - Nov. 19, 2009

For the briefest moment, the puck seems suspended in midair, as if dangling on a string between the two opposing players. Then in the blink of an eye, the fluttering eight ounces of vulcanized rubber shoots backward, propelled by a curved stick held in the gloved hands of a Lafayette High School hockey player. The red white and blue clad center leans heavily into the opposing faceoff man, tying up his stick and impeding any possible progress. A teammate streaks up the ice and picks up the loose puck as the Lafayette center quickly disengages and follows, blond ponytail fluttering around the number 20 emblazoned on her back.

As she sits in the hallway at Woodford County High School on a Tuesday afternoon, a casual observer wouldn’t recognize Adriane Downey as the hard skating center who scored a goal and an assist against Henry Clay the weekend before. She’s not a stocky girl. She’s soft spoken. Her long blond hair brushes below her shoulders and she’s quick to flash a smile.

A cheerleader? Perhaps. A basketball player? Maybe. But a hockey player? No way.

“Everybody always tells me I don’t look like a hockey player.”

But looks can deceive. Downey rolls up her pant leg and shows off an ugly purple bruise on her calf. She points at it with pride.

“Most people think I’m abused because of all the bruises,” she jokes.

Yes, Adriane Downey is most certainly a hockey player.

***

As a little blond headed seven-year-old girl growing up in Versailles, Downey was the most unlikely of hockey of players. She admits that she doesn’t like being cold. Nobody in her family ever played the game. And the first time she was ever on ice skates, at a cousin’s birthday party, she came home with a big knot on her head.

“She couldn’t even stand up on skates,” her mother, Karen Downey, recalls.

But from the moment she saw her first Kentucky Thoroughblades game, she knew she wanted to play.

“It just looked fun – and it was different.”

Mom wasn’t so sure. One evening, not long after that first hockey spectator experience, Adriane tried to talk her mom into taking them to a Thoroughblade game.

“Mom, you gotta go.”

“I told her, ‘I’m not getting into this,’” the elder Downey said with a chuckle.

Little did she know.

Within months, Karen Downey had become a hockey mom. Adriane started out in the house developmental league at the Lexington Ice Center and quickly worked her way up. Athletically inclined, those awkward herky-jerky movements on the ice quickly developed into a smooth skating stride. At age 10 she made it onto an elite travel team.

She was the only girl.

For the last several years, Downey has played for an all-female team based in Louisville, but throughout most of her hockey career she’s competed with the boys. This season, she jumped at the opportunity to play for Lafayette High School in Lexington. Since high school hockey is a club sport in Kentucky, and Woodford does not field a team, she is able to play for another school. She finds herself in a familiar setting, surrounded by guys. Downey said that competing against the faster, stronger boys makes her a better player.

“The girls aren’t really competitive, so I like playing with the boys better,” she said. “I think it makes me try harder. I want to prove something. I like proving to the guys I can keep up with them. I like seeing the look on their faces – seeing the shock.”

***

Number 20 churns up the ice. She’s not the fastest skater, but she moves with purpose. Downey turns toward the boards and picks up a loose puck. She takes a couple of strides toward the opponents net and feathers a perfect pass to Adam Stickney, who rifles the puck passed the Blue Devil keeper for a goal.

Later in the period, Downey scores one of her own. She drives toward the net and picks up a rebound, flipping the puck past the Henry Clay net minder.

“She’s such a smart hockey player,” Lafayette coach Gordon Summers said. “She’s a smart player with the puck and she’s a smart player without the puck.”

And those hockey smarts more than compensate for whatever she may give up in size and speed. She knows where to position herself on the ice when she does not have possession of the puck and creates scoring chances with her smart play. She’s not afraid to do the dirty work, going in front of the net to pick up passes and rebounds.

“If you’re in the right place at the right time, you have more opportunities,” Downey said. “On a breakaway the goalie can still stop you, but if you are wide open in front of the net you have a better chance of scoring.”

Downey plays third line center for the Generals on varsity and sees extensive playing time on the JV squad. The Lafayette coach also relies on her to take crucial faceoffs, saying she rarely loses.

Her coach describes her as, “Fearless.”

“Keep your feet moving,” Summers yells from the bench.

The Lafayette skipper expects his players to work hard for an entire shift – every second on the ice. And he doesn’t coach Downey any differently because she’s a girl.

“I don’t let that be a part of it,” he said. “I don’t want you lazy out there, and I let her know.”

As for her teammates? They treat her like one of the boys.

“She fits in so well with this group of guys,” Summers said. “She’s respected on the ice.”

Downey earns that respect with a team oriented attitude. She said that it makes her just as happy to earn an assist as to score a goal.

“Goals don’t mean everything. An assist is the same number of points on the board,” she said. “I just go out there and try to win.”

***

Downey drives to the net. A collision. Number 20 cartwheels through the air and lands on in a heap on the ice. Up she springs like a jack-in-the-box.

Mom admits the physicality involved when her daughter competes against boys makes her a little nervous.

“I do worry.”

She said that it was even harder when Adriane was little and the team did hitting drills in practice. Karen remembers thinking, “I don’t know if I can deal with this.”

But over the years, she’s learned to cope with the worry.

“I usually walk (during games). I hardly sit down,” Karen said. “But she knows how to take a lick. That’s part of it I guess you have to adjust to.”

Adriane said that the physical aspect of the game, even playing against guys much bigger and stronger, doesn’t intimidate her.

“I’ve gotten hit a few times,” she says with a shrug.

But she knows her limits and doesn’t go out of her way to engage in the rough stuff.

“I don’t want to get hit back, so I avoid that.”

But her mom says that she exhibits the toughness typical of hockey players. After a recent injury, Adriane was reluctant to admit she was hurting as bad as she was.

“She doesn’t want people to think she’s not tough enough – that she’s not as tough as the boys,” Karen said.

Off the ice, Adriane lives the life of a typical teenage girl. A senior at WCHS, she played golf for the Yellow Jackets and works with Walker Terhune as a student trainer. But hockey consumes the bulk of her free time.

“I’m pretty much twenty-four seven at the ice rink,” she said. “I don’t have a life other than school, work and hockey.”

And she says she is okay with that. In fact, the ice serves as a sort of a refuge.

“I don’t have like – school drama. I don’t think about that stuff. It’s like a cooling down spot for me.”

Downey said that she would like to go on to play hockey in college and eventually work as an athletic trainer.

***

The final horn sounds. The Generals win the game 7-2. Lafayette players gather at center ice. Number 20 gets lost in a mass of red, white and blue jerseys as the team celebrates its win. High-fives. Pats on the back.

A Yellow Jacket at heart, she finds it a little odd chanting “Generals.”

“I think it would be more fun if I played for my own school. I think it would be more meaningful.”

As she comes off the ice, she pulls off her scuffed black helmet and flashes a shy smile. The blonde ponytail flops freely around the number 20 on emblazoned on her back.

Yes, Adriane Downey is most certainly a hockey player.

Eliminating risk - ruining competition

A reprint of my Nov. 5 SlapShots column.

Members of governing bodies of major sport leagues operate a lot like politicians. They seem to develop messiah complexes, believing they can create rules and regulations that will eliminate every risk from the games they oversee.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how the National Football League is creating a sissy league through over-enforcement of roughing rules. I’ve seen a similar evolution in ice hockey with rules designed to curb fighting.

And this past weekend, NASCAR got into the act, enforcing a “no bump-drafting in the turns” regulation at Talladega. "We want to see sunshine between the cars," NASCAR president Mike Helton told drivers before the Amp Energy 500 on Nov. 1.

The purpose? To reduce the likelihood of big crashes such as the wreck Carl Edwards was involved in at the spring race at Talladega. Brad Keselowski got into the back of the 99 on the final lap and sent Edwards airborne into trackside fencing, sending debris into the grandstand injuring eight spectators.

For you non-NASCAR fans, bump-drafting amounts to nothing more than giving the car in front of you a little push. Drivers utilize the technique at super speedways like Talladega and Daytona because cars race with restrictor plates at those tracks. NASCAR instituted restrictor plate racing at Daytona and Talladega to slow down speeds after a 1987 crash involving Bobby Allison. A cut tire resulted in Allison’s car going airborne into trackside fencing sending debris into the grandstand, injuring spectators.

And yes, the two crashes were as similar as described. For those not schooled in literary devices – that’s irony.

So this year, NASCAR officials decided they needed to tinker more. We got the “no bump-drafting in the turns” edict.

The result? A really boring race and two big crashes sending cars airborne during the final laps.

Ryan Newman was involved in the first wreck. Newman got caught in traffic and was bumped by Marcos Ambrose. The number 39 skidded in front of Kevin Harvick, spun backward and went airborne, landing on Harvick’s hood upside down. Newman’s car slid several hundred yards on its roof, whacking a wall along the way.

Remarkably, Newman was uninjured, a testament to the safety innovations NASCAR has applied to its racecars. But while unhurt, Newman was also unhappy about the way the race played out. With the strict policing of bump drafting, drivers went the conservative route, spending large portions of the race going around-and-around nose-to-tail in single file.

“It's not even a good race for the fans – that's the bottom line – that's who we're trying to service is the fans. They can stand up and cheer when there's three to go with a green-white-checkered, but that's not racing. You're supposed to be racing all day long. And I think we've lost a little bit of that luster," Newman said.

He blamed NASCAR rulemaking.

“It's just a product of this racing and what NASCAR's put us in, in this box with these types of cars, with the yellow line, with no bump-drafting, no passing. Drivers used to be able to respect each other and race around each other – Richard Petty, David Pearson, Bobby Allison, all those guys have always done that. I guess they don't think much of us anymore."

And while turning most of the race into a borefest, NASCAR didn’t even accomplish its goal. There were still wrecks. Mark Martin also went airborne in a multi-car crash on the final lap. Brian Vickers said that he had no idea what the “no bump-drafting” in the corners was meant to accomplish.

"If the intent was to prevent a crash, obviously it's not going to do that," he said. "We crash as much in the straightaway here as we do in the corner."

And therein lies the problem. When you drive cars inches apart at close to 200 miles-per-hour, you are going to have wrecks. When you play a game involving violently hitting the opponent, guys are going to get hurt. When you chase a black rubber disk around a slippery surface with blades strapped on your feet and sticks in your hands, you’re going to have some fights and people are going to get hurt. That’s sports.

All of the rulemaking and enforcement in the world cannot eliminate risk. Risk is inherent in life. This obsession with making sports completely safe through ever-increasing layers of rules not only fails to accomplish its goal, it ruins the game in the process. If we’re going to strive for risk-free sport, we might as well not play at all.

Newman summed it up nicely.

"It was a boring race for the fans," Newman said. "That's not something anybody wants to see, at least I hope not. If they do, go home because you don't belong here."

Quick Shots

The Woodford County High School football team proved once and for all that it has heart. After trailing 33-14, the Jackets stormed back and made a game of it. The comeback fell short as Woodford lost 33-26, but they put themselves in a position to win the game at the end. It was the second week in a row that the Yellow Jackets have displayed a no-quit attitude. Now if they can just put that kind of effort together for four quarters, they may just be able to hand a little upset surprise to Covington Catholic in their opening playoff game.

This week I’m really not going to devote column space to the Bengals. Last week was their bye-week…

Preseason hoops polls are out. The University of Kentucky basketball team is ranked fifth in the USA Today/coaches’ poll and fourth in the AP poll. I think the rankings are a little high for a team with a new coach, a new system, and a lot of youth and inexperience.

Quote of the Week

“This team is going to be more me teaching how to win mentally, how to prepare – how to think than it’s going to be ‘here’s a drill’ and ‘here’s a play.’ We’re just so young, and they don’t know. You’re teaching everything. How to act in this situation. How to approach practice every day.” –University of Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari.

Puck to the head

This week’s puck flies at the head of the officiating crew at the Woodford County – Tates Creek football game for what broadcast color analyst Darrin Douglass called a “phantom” equipment penalty in the closing minutes. Woodford held Tates Creek on a third down running play, but officials called a dead ball penalty on the Commodores for a player not having his chinstrap fastened. The officials never blew the whistle and let the play run its course, then assessed the penalty and gave Creek the play over. They should have either whistled the play dead from the get-go or given Woodford the option of declining the penalty after the fact. Tates Creek got the first on the repeated third down,