The Sports Buzz
August 29, 2008
by Jim Nottingham
Ready, but waiting, for the season to start
After a kick-off dinner with players and parents, the varsity football team was off to Camp Taconic in Hinsdale, Massachusetts, where it prepared for its season opener against Ossining on Saturday, September 6. Closer to home, the junior varsity prepares on the Greeley field for its first scrimmage on Tuesday. As a matter of fact, all the sports at Greeley are underway with two notable exceptions: freshman football and volleyball get going next week.
But ninth graders who are trying out for JV teams in all other sports have been busy at pre-season tryouts and camps since this past Friday, August 20. Thus field hockey, volleyball, girls tennis and swimming, as well as boys and girls soccer at all levels, have been prepping for their upcoming seasons. The cross county team has been training at the Green Mountain Running Camp in Lyndonville, Vermont.
Most coaches are carefully examining their talent pool and are starting to make preliminary selections for placement and positioning on the teams. They are trying to get a clear picture of who and what type of team they will have for the coming season, but it is too early to tell just yet.
Head junior varsity football coach Art Bonifati stated: “I’ll know a great deal more about what type of team I will have after next Tuesday’s scrimmage. I know I have some kids who are ‘players,’ but there are others that I just won’t know about until then.” Last week when I spoke to Bob Oddo, head coach of boys soccer, he echoed Bonifati’s comments about it being too early to tell.
My guess is, the other coaches must feel the same way. So we fans will have to wait until the writing on the wall gets a little bit clearer with time. It won’t be long now.
Behind the scenes
Pam Mitchell in her situation room
While we wait we should give Pam Mitchell, administrative assistant to Athletic Director Steve Young, a round of applause for the great job she does processing the necessary medical forms and all the other administrative work she does to make the various sports seasons possible. She is currently wading through the numerous medical permission forms that arrived well after the August 1 deadline to ensure that those athletes will make it onto the field despite their tardy forms.
Young considers Mitchell “a great asset to the program. She often stays late to make sure the paperwork get done. [Her] job doesn’t end with the start of the season, it continues year-round. We are lucky to have someone with her dedication.” So kudos to Pam, while we wait for the teams to start play.
Jim Nottingham, ready and waiting
A collegiate athlete, Jim Nottingham was signed by the San Francisco 49ers after graduating from Yale in 1973, where his punting records still stand. Unsuccessful at his attempt to play professional football, he worked for NBC Sports in several capacities until 1990. A graduate from Columbia Law School in 1983, he is currently a marketing consultant. A former high school and recreational sports coach, he lives in New Castle with his son, Jamie.
Click here for a printable view of this article.
Click here to read more Schools articles.Click here to read more Sports articles.
Click here to send a copy of this article via email.
We're interested in your opinion. Click here to submit a comment on this article, or any other.
