- May 3, 2024
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How lucky am I?
I ask myself this question constantly, as I think most people who get to write about sports for a living should. It is a privilege to bring the East County Observer readers the stories of our community’s athletes and athletic events.
The past year, 2023, in particular was filled with things I never thought I would see, or get to cover, which made it all the more special. In what has now become an annual tradition, I’d like to look back at a handful of things that I loved witnessing, and explain why.
The year started on a cool note — or should I say, it started on the right foot. The U.S. Men’s Deaf National Soccer Team held a training camp at Premier Sports Campus, and I talked with team captain Will Frentz about his journey to the pitch.
Frentz wears a cochlear implant in day-to-day life, but not while playing international soccer: Implants were banned in international play after being deemed an unfair advantage. Listening to Frentz talk about how he and his teammates overcome this challenge every game was enlightening. The conversation was a reminder to myself: Always chat with people holding such different perspectives on the world when possible. You always learn something.
By the way: Frentz and Team USA finished eighth at the 2023 Men’s World Deaf Football Championship in Malaysia in October, and their Women’s National Team counterparts won the whole thing, taking down Turkey 3-0 in the championship game.
Speaking of championship wins — a theme for much of the year — the East County area had an alumna accomplish massive things on the college hardwood. Former Lakewood Ranch High girls basketball star LaDazhia Williams played her senior season at Louisiana State University after transferring from the University of Missouri. Under the tutelage of legendary coach Kim Mulkey, Williams finally unlocked the potential she showcased as a Mustang in high school.
Williams, a 6-foot-4 forward, started all 34 games she played (missing two with injury) and averaged 9.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, helping the Tigers to a 34-2 record. In the NCAA Championship game against the University of Iowa on April 2, Williams had 20 points, five rebounds and three steals in a 102-85 win.
To watch a player I covered in my first year on the beat blossoming like that was a surreal feeling. Her performance in the national championship game was a statement: Iowa could not stop her. The column I wrote on her performance was one of my favorites of the year. It did not include any quotes from her. It didn’t need them. Her play did plenty of talking on its own.
In May, I reconnected with former Lakewood Ranch High softball pitcher Payton Kinney, then a junior at the University of Connecticut. Going into the conversation, I thought I would be asking Kinney about overcoming an injury that caused her to miss the 2022 season. I did ask about that, but the conversation quickly became about Kinney's internal struggles, not her physical ones.
It was the most open I can remember an athlete being with me in 2023. Kinney freely discussed the mental struggles she experienced while not being able to travel with her team, and the constant panic attacks she faced upon her return to the field. Anxiety is something many athletes face but few talk about, and Kinney said she wants to be a part of the movement to change that.
Kudos to Kinney for her courage in talking about it, and also for her play on the softball diamond: Kinney overcame her challenges to post a 2.99 ERA in 2023, earning a spot on the All-Big East First Team.
In September, I was invited to get a glimpse of Dick Vitale's last vocal cord cancer radiation treatment at the Sarasota Memorial Radiation Oncology Center. Vitale, a Lakewood Ranch resident, has been through a lot of cancer treatment in the last few years, yet he still continues to fight as hard as he can — while raising money for pediatric cancer patients through The V Foundation for Cancer Research.
While watching Vitale going through treatment was sobering, this moment is going on my "favorite moments" list because it was his final treatment. Vitale is still on the road back to calling games on ESPN, but he's proven that he's got a lot of fight left in him.
The year ended on another unique note for both myself and the area, as the PGA Tour Champions brought the first-ever World Champions Cup to The Concession Country Club Dec. 7-10. The event saw three teams — USA, Europe and International — go head-to-head, and brought well-known and fan favorite names like Justin Leonard, Ernie Els and Jim Furyk, though Furyk ultimately could not play because of a back injury.
It was a well-run and well-played event, and getting to ask questions of athletes of this caliber is always a thrill. Plus, seeing Team USA celebrate on the No. 9 green with American flags draped around their necks, popping champagne? That's the good stuff.
Could this be just the beginning of The Concession bringing big-time golf events to the area? Let’s see what the new year (and beyond) has in store.
See you all in 2024.
