Athletic program continues to teach more than sports
Issue date: 4/17/09 Section: Opinion
Two years after bringing home the national championship, the Midland College men's basketball team got within a few points of doing it again.
After a season of winning streaks and only three losses they headed to the National Junior College Athletic Association in Hutchinson, Kan., as the Western Junior College Athletic Conference champs.
After the heart-breaking loss to last year's second-finishing team, Salt Lake (Utah) Community College, the Chaps headed home disappointed but second in the nation isn't so bad for any team.
What has been most impressive is the way the team and coaches took the loss. There was no placing blame on the other team, the referees or anyone else. Coach Grant McCasland said he was as proud of this team as he was of the one that won the championship in 2007.
For those who may not know, McCasland is the type of coach who leads by example … no cussing, no tantrums … just hard work. He teaches more than basketball. He leads and counsels young men to be better people, not just better basketball players.
In Sunday's Midland Reporter-Telegram, McCasland said the biggest satisfaction he got out of the 2008-09 season came during the final team meeting of the year last Monday, March 23.
On that day, still disappointed from a 67-60 loss to Salt Lake in the title game, McCasland said each player stood up and said how they were more disappointed they didn't get to win a national championship for their teammates than they were for themselves. It seems that they had all learned the importance of teamwork.
The Chaps were national runners-up and finished with a 33-4 record, which was the 10th 30-win season in the 34-year history of the program.
Last May, in their 21st consecutive appearance in the NJCAA national tournament the Chap golf team won their fourth national championship under Coach Delnor Poss. During this 21-year period the Chaps have been second four times and third four times, and have finished 6th or better in this event seventeen times. This consistency has produced 37 All-Americans, six runner-up medalists and one National Medalist Champion, David Thomas in 2008. National Medalist runner-ups have been Dean Robertson and Andrew Coltart (Ryder Cup) of the European Tour, Grant Thomson, Ernie Rose and Derrick Pursley. All these players but Thomson played on the various pro tours around the world.
After a season of winning streaks and only three losses they headed to the National Junior College Athletic Association in Hutchinson, Kan., as the Western Junior College Athletic Conference champs.
After the heart-breaking loss to last year's second-finishing team, Salt Lake (Utah) Community College, the Chaps headed home disappointed but second in the nation isn't so bad for any team.
What has been most impressive is the way the team and coaches took the loss. There was no placing blame on the other team, the referees or anyone else. Coach Grant McCasland said he was as proud of this team as he was of the one that won the championship in 2007.
For those who may not know, McCasland is the type of coach who leads by example … no cussing, no tantrums … just hard work. He teaches more than basketball. He leads and counsels young men to be better people, not just better basketball players.
In Sunday's Midland Reporter-Telegram, McCasland said the biggest satisfaction he got out of the 2008-09 season came during the final team meeting of the year last Monday, March 23.
On that day, still disappointed from a 67-60 loss to Salt Lake in the title game, McCasland said each player stood up and said how they were more disappointed they didn't get to win a national championship for their teammates than they were for themselves. It seems that they had all learned the importance of teamwork.
The Chaps were national runners-up and finished with a 33-4 record, which was the 10th 30-win season in the 34-year history of the program.
Last May, in their 21st consecutive appearance in the NJCAA national tournament the Chap golf team won their fourth national championship under Coach Delnor Poss. During this 21-year period the Chaps have been second four times and third four times, and have finished 6th or better in this event seventeen times. This consistency has produced 37 All-Americans, six runner-up medalists and one National Medalist Champion, David Thomas in 2008. National Medalist runner-ups have been Dean Robertson and Andrew Coltart (Ryder Cup) of the European Tour, Grant Thomson, Ernie Rose and Derrick Pursley. All these players but Thomson played on the various pro tours around the world.
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