Dateline Normal: Four Sport Athletes the Norm in Normal

Well it was a long weekend getaway for me last weekend----I took Friday off and headed up to Normal to enjoy a little ice fishing. After the second round at the Hideaway Lounge, I started to brag a bit. I went over the fact that in our local high school we have a ton of four sport athletes---something that I never remembered happening much in the big Twin Cities. To be a four sport athlete was a rare thing in my day. That is how I know that Wisconsin is God's country....cause we are blessed with such an abundance of talent.

Finally I could tell that I was getting a bit too enthusiastic cause Herman cut me off.

"Wolfman,(that's what he always called me.) up here in Normal, Mn., ALL our students are FOUR sport athletes. Things have changed since you were a youngin. Now days all our students are four sport athletes. Of course more things are considered sports now, like Debate, Chess, Pep, and Dance. It is a different world."

I was just shocked. I had thought we were the only ones. Who wudda thunk.

Then Herman went on: "It is really nice to have everyone required to be four sport athletes, cause then if someone is suspended, they have a "throwaway sport."

"Huh?", I asked.

"Sure, Wolfman----- it is a little like poker. If a guy got disqualified for an infraction during the football season, he could simply sit on the bench during "Chess" season."

Herman then let out a loud bellylaugh. "Aint't that neat."

"But the football guy probably would not play chess anyway. How does that make sense?," I chimed in.

"Trust me it works up here in Normal, Mn. "

Thank goodness I am back in good old Wisconsin. Where we don't sit on the bench for the "throwaway" sports, where we do NOT have a chess team.....Still....it did sound like it might be a way of getting those athletes involved in at least watching some good chess....something to think about.