Archive: Opinions

EditorialThis has been a remarkable season for Lansing's varsity athletes.  Lansing now has a two-time State golf champion in senior John Duthie, only the third two-time golf winner in New York's history.  And Kyle Dake became Lansing's first State Wrestling champion.  Lansing's baseball team had a magnificent season, only missing the State championship by one run.  And senior Andy Lockwood took second place in Shot Put and Discuss for small schools, and third for the Federation medals.  Junior Ryann Cretney managed to win second place in the 2000m steeplechase despite a fall.

And that is only the tip of the iceberg.  Lansing is blessed with amazing coaches and hard working athletes who clearly love to win, but just as clearly love the challenge of competitive sports.  Lansing kids are as much about teamwork as they are about individual achievements, a philosophy that starts with Athletic Director Ed Redmond, and goes all the way through the program to the Varsity, Junior Varsity and modified teams.  Each athlete competes against him or herself, trying to top their own best times, and slowly inching toward new records.

This expectation of hard work, team work, and setting goals, exceeding them and then setting new ones serve kids well as they graduate from Lansing and go out into the world.  And that attitude is mirrored in the Music department and academic departments throughout the Lansing schools.  The result seems to be a group of kids who are largely well balanced, well prepared, and genuinely interested in what they are doing.

Some of us learned this lesson in school -- if you were actually interested in a subject the good grades naturally followed.  And you used failures to learn how to succeed the next time.

Our local athletes embody this healthy approach.  As a small school district Lansing is a David to the Goliaths around the state, and manages to acquit itself honorably in state competitions year after year.  While the winning is a wonderful accomplishment, doing so with hard work and a love of the sports is something to really be proud of.

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