If the Lafayette swim team wins the State championship and no one sees it, did it actually happen?
The answer is yes, of course. But for Lafayette students, it might as well have taken place in a foreign country.
Without attending the meet, I was told that the event was one for the ages. The Lady Lancers fell behind in the standings after seven races, but mounted an incredible comeback to claim their 10th State championship
We may never understand the intensity of that final 400-yard relay when .35 seconds separated first and second place, but it was probably one of the greatest sporting events in school history.
Most likely, it was breaking news when Activities Director Steve Berry made the announcement at lunch. The Lady Lancers may have been lucky to get scattered applause and it would be a surprise if the victory is ever celebrated by average fans.
For most high school kids, traveling to St. Peters to watch swimming on a Saturday just isn’t a priority, even if it is for State. And they weren’t exactly motivated by anyone to go either.
There couldn’t have been less hype around such a big event. There were no posters, no announcements and certainly no pep assemblies to rally the school around this incredibly decorated team.
It’s a shame because this should have been the swim team’s party. The Lancers dominated every meet this year and showed us that teamwork is still critical in sports. Instead, a perfect season was, for the most part, ignored. We as a school failed to honor them properly.
Unfortunately, there’s no real solution for increasing the exposure of State meets and tournaments. Not surprisingly, these events include teams from, well, the entire state. It’s simply impossible to allow one school to play host while everyone else travels hundreds of miles to compete.
And it wouldn’t be fair either. Lafayette may have been the favorite this year and every other year, but giving one school home-pool advantage wouldn’t make sense with so many other deserving opponents.
But what if Conference and District meets were held at the school of the participating team with the most wins? This could raise morale for all sports, not just swimming.
Obviously, this wouldn’t benefit the Lafayette faithful in basketball this year, as Washington enters Wednesday’s basketball playoff game with a better record.
Next season, however, could be the opposite. Imagine the atmosphere in our Front Gym as the Lancers earned home-court advantage and put their season on the line for the whole school to see.
Not only would people finally get fired up about the regular season, but it would create an incredible buildup for postseason play.
Maybe then the Superfans won’t be alone as they follow the Lancers to wherever the playoff road leads. What true sports fan could resist making that trip?
