Ability. Quickness. Speed. Agility. Strength.
Sportswriters around the country throw these words around when describing athletes like Joey Harrington as he slings his passes. They’re sometimes easily used, but more often that not, they’re misplaced.
Courage. Love of the game. Heart.
These terms, and many more, are less commonplace in today’s athletic world than a win was for the Seattle Mariners in the American League Championship Series. But often times, these terms are the most important ones.
Sure, Oregon volleyball is winless in Pacific-10 Conference play, and yeah, they haven’t won since Sept. 8. But Oregon fans looking for a squad who plays with more heart and sincerity need look no further than the women who call McArthur Court home.
Lindsay Closs fills the arena with a scream every single time Oregon wins a point, and when they don’t, she doesn’t come close to hanging her head. Stephanie Martin wears a scowl on the court that many can’t match, and she plays with the ability of a 6-foot-9 center in basketball. But it is her ability to give everything she has that makes her special.
And even Monique Tobbagi plays with a stone-cold demeanor, but it turns soft and smiling when the Ducks step off the hardcourt.
And every player on that team, whether they play the entire match or sit on the bench, has character that would make anyone proud.
“We play this sport with as much energy and emotion as the football team,” head coach Carl Ferreira said. “Every single person in that room wants to succeed, or they wouldn’t be here. Everyone’s talented enough.”
Apparently, the Ducks are not talented enough to succeed in the Pac-10, but only because the conference is loaded. Despite their poor play to date, the Oregon women have not forgotten the little people.
They are not like some professional athletes who shun reporters after a game or refuse to sign autographs for adoring fans.
Granted, had they a winning record, this all might be a moot point. Athletes, when their teams are down, are less likely to discuss what happened and be in a jovial mood. But there are those, such as the Rashad Baumans and the Tony Gwynns, who are willing to speak about what’s on their mind, no matter what has happened. These special athletes are accessible and have the ability to speak up for what they believe.
Tobbagi talks and isn’t afraid to say what she thinks. Closs also isn’t afraid, and even Lauren Westendorf, a freshman who has probably never been in this position before, is vocal about the team.
But it takes courage for athletes to chat after a loss, especially when they gave everything they had on the court. It takes a special athlete to play with heart and then do the same off the court. And even though the Oregon women haven’t been able to make it work on the court, they’ve still been successful. They’ve given it all, and in the long run, that’s what is truly important and what people will remember the most.