By Allison Graham

My Dad used to write a column called “Almost Instant Replays”. He loved writing his thoughts about how things were going, and I don’t think he will mind that I am borrowing his title.

Over the past five years I have had the pleasure of following student athletes through their high school careers. I’ve gotten a front row seat to some truly incredible moments including the girls basketball team’s first trip to state since 2012, watching Isaac Judge make history at South Tama by being the first ever Trojan to win two state wrestling titles and watching Keith Keahna earn his state high jump title in 2018. There are many more memories that come to mind. Some of them great and some of them really tough. One tough night (for a lot of us) was the night the Trojans football team brought an 11-1 record and hopes of a return to the UNI-dome 80 miles south into a foggy pit of a football field in Albia, Iowa. Departing the field after that 17-6 season-ending loss back in 2015 felt like a gut punch. I can’t imagine how the players and coaches felt.

We at South Tama have had our ups and downs and I count myself fortunate to have been connected with our high school sports programs in one way or another for about as far back as I can remember. I don’t want to go on too long about myself here because what I really want to talk about is where we are at now as the book is about to close on another decade.

Even with all the leftover candy canes and holiday goodies around the house, I can’t find a way to sugar coat this next statement. We are struggling. We just finished our second football season without a win and in nine short months there will be a full class of senior football players who will be entering their final season having never experienced the taste of victory in a varsity football contest. As I write this, we are in the middle of two basketball seasons for the boys and girls teams that are hitting some familiar notes. The boys are dealing with a 29-game losing streak and through a little more than a third of this season, the boys and girls varsity teams have combined for zero wins and 15 losses with an average margin of defeat of around 45 points. We are getting beat really badly night after night and project to be the underdog in every remaining game. Other varsity team programs have seen some wins in recent seasons but winning records and conference wins are becoming increasingly rare. South Tama’s volleyball and baseball teams have not posted a winning season since 2013 when South Tama competed in the NICL Conference. For STC’s girls soccer and softball teams, there haven’t been winning seasons in at least 15 years, possibly longer.

Charley Townsley's Almost Instant Replay column from 2008

I took some length to point out these details, not to pile on our players and coaches who have to feel the full weight of these losses on the field of play and not to point fingers at any one program or any one person. As you can see, the issues are of a more comprehensive nature. And it’s not like we haven’t been in similar situations before. Around 2008-2009 many of the varsity team programs struggled as they are now. The football team finished 0-9 and the volleyball, baseball, softball, girls basketball, and boys basketball teams all finished under .500 and with win totals in the single digits.

Some people really want to blame the coaches. I’ve seen the comments on Facebook. I hear how people talk. You may not agree with me but this is not the coaches fault. This, where we are right now with our sports programs, has been a long time coming and may continue on.

So what do we do?

I’m not going to pretend to have the magic answer because there just isn’t one. Economically, our district is below average but are large enough in population to be situated amongst suburban schools and more affluent rural districts in competition. While I believe these factors have played some role in the outcomes of our varsity sports contests, I also believe they are unlikely to change in the near future and I certainly won’t pretend to be a rural economist by making any suggestions regarding them either.

Maybe I should say what we shouldn’t do. We as a community shouldn’t choose to ignore these issues. We shouldn’t run to our circles at the first glance of adversity and begin to blame this person or that person. We shouldn’t take steps away from these extra-curricular activities if they fail to achieve a win, but instead take steps closer.

WE HAVE TO SHOW UP. When times are tough (and they are tough) we have to be there. Be present. Even if your kid says I don’t want you to come. That’s a mistake. I know I’m not a parent so I don’t know what it’s like, but I remember being a student here at South Tama and can tell you first hand how much of a difference it makes to have someone you love waiting for you in the hallway outside of a gym or auditorium to celebrate an accomplishment or help pick up the pieces after a defeat. I definitely appreciate it more now than I ever did while I was in school. That’s okay. I have perspective now that I didn’t then. Parents, if you can be there to stand with and for your child in these tough moments, I promise you it will be worth it.

STC staff. I get it. You have long days with the students and your jobs are not easy and not always rewarding. You are tired and burned out. I see that sentiment on Facebook as well. But please consider the impact you can have on the hearts and minds of our students by your regular attendance at extra-curricular activities. I argue the impact is great and may even be immeasurable. I know that some of you commute in from other communities to work at South Tama and that presents some challenges. I would encourage you, at least some of the time, to find ways around those challenges and show up for our kids in the gym and on the field in a similar way as you do in your classrooms.

To those community members who may no longer be tied to South Tama activities with a young family member still in school; I would also encourage you to consider showing up and showing out for our students in person as we all do on paper in the taxes we pay each month. In rural communities like ours, the school system is a vital organ in the body of the community. A strong public school helps foster and build civic pride and is often at the core of the decision making process for young families that may consider Tama-Toledo as a place to live and work. And it’s just fun being around our young people as they learn and grow. Supporting our South Tama activities will likely look different for everyone as we all have lives outside of South Tama. I just urge you to consider increasing that support a notch or two above where it is now. We don’t attend a high school event to be entertained in the same ways we do for college and professional sports. We show up because we want our young people to know that being of and from Tama-Toledo is not only a good thing, but the best thing. We show up and continue to show up even in the face of a 50-game losing streak because these are our kids and they deserve to feel the community behind them win or lose. In 2020 we need all hands on deck.

I want to close out by sharing some words from a man I really admire, my Dad. Unbeknownst to me when I set out to write this column, in 2008 he wrote about some of these same issues. He shared that while he could take or leave New Years Resolutions he did set one for himself. His resolution was to be even more obnoxious (his words) about encouraging everyone to show up to STC events.

I’d like to echo his call to action from 2008. “My goal is to see our gym packed again, and not just because it’s a special promo night by the Activity Boosters. We need to pack the gym for ALL events. Our kids are our finest resources, we need to help them grow through our encouragement.”