Megan Trowbridge has moved north a few miles and changed her colors from black and red to blue and gold. This graduate of Darby is now the new head volleyball coach for Victor.

Trowbridge excelled at basketball, volleyball and track while attending Darby. She then went to University of Montana-Western where she obtained a degree in education. She has been at Victor the last two years where she works as a para-professional. During that time, she was the junior high boys basketball coach for two years and the junior high girls basketball and volleyball coach for one year.

Trowbridge takes over from Gayle MacLean who led the Lady Pirates for the last two years. She inherited a strong senior class with nine returning seniors and 10 returning lettermen. Seniors Katie McCormack and Tiffany Zundel will be strong on the court with McCormack and sophomore Emilee Smith doing the setting.

New transfer Jenna Krahn is also expected be a strong force on the court and at the net. The home-schooled senior has played on a strong team over the past three years and will be a real asset, according to Trowbridge.

With the experience of 10 lettermen, Victor should be strong in the conference but there are a few other teams to watch out for. Philipsburg only lost one senior last year and should be tough. The same can be said for Charlo and Twin Bridges who both bring experienced teams to the court.

But Trowbridge said her Lady Pirates are working hard and have played a lot this summer at open gym and tournaments. Teamwork is crucial and that is Trowbridge’s number one goal for her team. Then the wins will follow.

Sports Talk

It’s over. It seems like it was just yesterday that I was writing about the state track meets and the state softball championships and now, it’s time for football, soccer and volleyball. I don’t know where the summer went but I suspect it was in a cloud of smoke.

This has not been an easy summer. The death of a loved one early in June changed the feel and the shape of this summer of 2007. When I would normally have been following the Bitterroot Bucs and Red Sox, I was trying to get caught up from the unwanted time off.

I made it to the Montana State High School Rodeo Finals one day but didn’t get to go and enjoy them the several days I had planned. I had a few feature stories lined up but once again, I was trying to catch up on other job projects and didn’t get around to the features. These weren’t earth-changing type stories but ones that give a face to the names you read here in the Bitterroot Star. I regret that I didn’t get to those stories, but I know there will be other stories.

But, life goes on. As the incoming crop of freshmen learn the ins and outs of high school and high school athletics, their parents, siblings, and grandparents will form entirely new friendships and circles of friends with the other parents, siblings and grandparents. Sometimes these friendships last a lifetime but in other cases, the families move on after four years and the friendships are lost, just as they sometimes are with the athletes.

Freshmen, during these next four years you will experience so many changes. They won’t be just on the playing field or the court but in life. You will go from depending on mom and dad for everything from a ride home after the bus gets back to town to having mom come and sign the permission slip so you can get on the bus. Hopefully, by the end of these next four years, you will have progressed to having the self confidence to make the right decisions both on and off the field.

Parents, use this time. Be there for your athlete and their teams, not only at the freshman game but on up through the varsity game. Learn the traditions associated with your schools and introduce yourselves to the other parents. Because all of the schools and the towns here in the valley are so small, everyone really does get to know everyone else.

These four years go by quickly and then, if you want to, you can go back to your own life of television watching, bowling or what have you. But the years you spend following your athlete around are just like the credit card commercial says - "priceless."

Through the years, you will be exposed to a lot of different emotions. It’s difficult to see someone else disciplining your child but it happens. It’s even more difficult to see your child blamed for a foul you know they just couldn’t have possibly committed – after all, the ref was blind – but it happens. And, as was the case with my daughter and I, I wanted the head of a player on a plate after seeing the bruises she put on my daughter’s ribs. I didn’t even yell at their next meeting when my daughter was called for a foul. The other girl had it coming, as far as I was concerned.

The seasons of high school athletics are just one small part of life. There are more passion and more thrills and tears throughout the rest of life than just in high school. But few are remembered quite so fondly as these high school years. And, when your freshman looks back at his or her high school career, it will be nice if mom and dad are in the picture too. See you on the bleachers!

Slingsby signs with Dickinson State

Girls

Dickinson State University has announced the signing of Bryan Slingsby of Florence. As a prep, Bryan was all-state in both track and field (throws) and football. He now comes to DSU with the opportunity to excel in both track and field and football for the Blue Hawks.

Of this year's recruiting class, Head Coach Pete Stanton comments, "We are very excited about the 24 individuals we have signed to join our track programs. We feel they will give us a lot more depth in a few areas, and meet some needs for us in some areas, especially in the throwing events. They join a team that has a lot of returning athletes back, so we are obviously excited about our 2008 season.

"Our women are getting very close at the conference level and have now made some breakthrough at the national level as well with our first top 20 finish in 2007.

"The men that have signed will help add to our men's team that has many returners back, and will fill in a few needed areas in the throws. Recruiting is a never ending process so we expect to sign several more athletes by the time school starts in August. We should have from 6-10 athletes added to this 2008 class."

Dickinson State's men's team won the NAIA National Championship in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and was the runner-up school in 2003 and 2007.

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