Brian Out Loud Archive

In my days as a Boy Scout, our go-to fundraiser was selling candy bars. And unlike a bad team’s plans to win a championship, it never failed us.

Summer flew by like a cross-country runner sprinting hard to the finish line. That means only one thing. It’s time for another season of high school sports.

After next season, the Gulf South Conference is going to look different. It won’t quite have been gutted to the degree the Pac-12 has in recent weeks, but the Pac-12 can relate to the pain the GSC is enduring. Shorter and North Greenville are headed to Conference Carolinas. That means only six will remain, including the University of West Florida, the 2019 NCAA Division champion in football.

We are just going to take it one game at a time. We have to work hard and give the best effort possible. We can’t let the same mistake beat us twice. Oh sorry. I was working on my coach speak. I’ve been promoted to coach in case you haven’t heard. Social media gave me the gig. And we all know that everything on social media is true.

Miracles aren’t just something reserved for religion. They are a real thing in sports, whether you choose to believe that or not. We might not be talking miracles on the level of Jesus turning water into wine or raising Lazarus from the dead, but miracles are as real as this column in the sports world.

So much is made of being the best athlete. Of being the best scorer, the best quarterback, the best hitter, the best golfer. And look, sports stars are great. They are entertaining to watch because of what they can do in their particular sport.

High school coaches don’t have it easy. Most of them try to do the best job that they can, but often, they are in a no-win situation. I’m not saying coaches are perfect. They get things wrong. We all do. It’s called being human.

There is something special going on when it comes to athletes in this area. And often, those athletes will find their way to the pro level.

I made a trip home to Illinois last month. My baggage from the airplane didn’t, kind of like the way the Dallas Cowboys never seem to make the Super Bowl anymore. But that’s a column for another day.

I really could have written this column with one emoji. You know the one where the person has the hand slapping the face. That really would have covered all you need to know about the district set up for cross-country for the teams in this area.