COMMENTARY: Malone and Walsh athletes provide hope for young women

 COMMENTARY: Malone and Walsh athletes provide hope for young women

By Keno Sultan

Stark County Prep Press writer

www.starkcountypreppress.blogspot.com

NORTH CANTON--Coaches always refer to any athlete in high school or college as a student-athlete. That is infused into any athlete as early as when they are in junior high or middle school.

Let me take it another step. 

Athletes are not to me student-athletes. You may be wondering why I just said that. Let me spread my reasoning like a bird opening up its wings. To me, any athlete is a student-community-athlete. Noticeably, they are a student first. Then they are a member of the community they represent. And finally, they are an athlete. Student first, member of the community second, and finally an athlete. Now you see why it makes sense.

No one knows that better than the women who competed in Saturday's battle of Route 43. It's always a battle whenever Malone University and Walsh University face off in any sport. Inside the Timken Physical Education center on the campus of Walsh University, it was the Cavaliers obtaining a clean sweep of their rivals in the form of a straight set triumph by scores of 25-14, 25-16, 25-20.

Eight women from Stark County suited up for their programs, five from Malone and three from Walsh. Malone's Kassidy Gorsuch and Macy McCauley (both from North Canton Hoover), Jayne Barber (Lake Center Christian), Annabelle Kegley (Fairless) and Emma Weirich (Perry) represented the Pioneers while Walsh was represented by Addie Burick (Louisville), Olivia Hayes (Jackson) and Elizabeth Bauer (Lake). They know the meaning of what it means to be a student-community-athlete dating back to being leaders of their high school teams.

They are all a reason why Malone's Rafael Gonzalez and Walsh's Brett Holt were able to land these commits. And it only reinforces the meaning of the student-community-athlete.

"This is the area why I took this job a year ago. This is a great area in Northeast Ohio and there are a lot of good volleyball players and we love the whole family atmosphere here and that is what we preach about the culture and it's nice to have these kids and their families in the stands," Holt, the winning head coach said.

FUTURE ATHLETES. Canton City middle school volleyball athletes receive autographs from the Walsh University volleyball team after the Cavaliers straight set win over Malone Saturday night at the Timken Physical Education Center. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

Canton City middle school volleyball players had a chance to partake in today's contest. Most of them are either in the seventh or eighth grade with aspirations of playing volleyball at the collegiate level after their high school days have concluded. 

I remember what late Walsh basketball coach Steve Loy said when I was a young camper at the McLeod basketball camp 29 years ago: "Work for the highest grade point average possible."

Young girls in the Canton City School district have a high hope for the future. Malone and Walsh presented that to them in collegiate competition. They too will understand what it means to be a student-community-athlete. They have parents who have instilled that into them as early as the day they came into this world and will be reinforced by educators and administrators till the day their playing careers cease. Some of them may even become coaches and pass on what was taught to them to other young girls with hopes of competing in collegiate athletics.

For Gonzalez, it has been a trying year for Malone volleyball based by their 3-9 record. But what Gonzalez cares about most is not the wins and losses but what Malone stands for. The motto for Malone is "Christ's Kingdom First." Academics and faith are also integral to the success of a future Pioneer, something Gonzalez looks for in a recruit.

"Academically, our team is awesome. Everyone has a 4.0 average. Everyone gets good grades. Academics is the first thing we look for in an athlete when they come to Malone and volleyball is second," he said. "We want them to be successful professionals when they leave Malone."

Not just me but when anyone was going to school, there were always assemblies where high school athletes would talk to students whether it was elementary or middle school about getting good grades and making the right decisions. The girls who took part in today's contest also got a feel for what college volleyball will be like when they compete at that level.

It all starts in the classroom. You can't be a successful athlete and not be an adequate student or member of the community. You can't be a successful person in the community and not be an adequate student or athlete. Everything must be in sync. If you are a successful student, a successful member of the community, you will be a successful athlete thus my reasoning of the student-community-athlete.

TOP PIONEER. Malone head coach Rafael Gonzalez observes the action during Saturday's contest at Walsh. The Pioneers dropped a straight set decision to the host Cavaliers. (Keno Sultan/Stark County Prep Press)

There is hope for young women and it just doesn't evolve around Canton. There is hope for women everywhere and a reason why most are getting into sports today. The women who they see in competition are those who inspire them and who they want to emulate. Malone and Walsh provided that today and showed that if a person works hard at their craft in both the athletic realm and the academic realm, they will have a career waiting for them.

To see the sight of young women attending this game pleased me. Many times I always hear the words "girls can't." Let me make this clear: girls can. Girls can achieve. Girls can succeed. Girls can accomplish what they want to do regardless of whoever attempts to put that barrier in their way.

The Canton City middle school girls team learned a valuable lesson today. And eight Stark County natives represented the county gracefully with their respective programs they competed for. 

Here's to the classes of 2029 and 2030 and the girls in attendance. You can do it. You can be that excellent student-community-athlete. You have my full support and one day, I hope to see you competing whether it be a Pioneer, a Cavalier, or a Purple Raider (my collegiate alma mater) or wherever your path takes you. Just remember: student first, member of the community second, and athlete third.

It's not student-athlete. It's student-community-athlete. Remember that.

Keno Sultan is a writer for Stark County Prep Press. He can be reached at 330-445-4575 or email at KenoSultan@hotmail.com.