Mom pride at courtside

As I write this, I’m preparing to sleep in my own bed for the first time since Wednesday (and it’s Sunday).

Armed with my media pass, new Rocket gear and Erik Gjovik’s Nikon camera, I spent the last three days soaking up all that North Dakota Class B sports has to offer.

As reported in the Nov. 14 edition, this was New Rockford-Sheyenne’s first trip to state for volleyball. Now, I’ve attended state tournaments before, i.e. archery and the Dakota Bowl in 2012, but this was a whole new ball game.

The “court sports” (as I call them) have a completely different energy. To experience them as a fan is one thing, as I have several times. To be a parent of a player, however, is something entirely foreign.

This weekend I saw my daughter’s face both on the Jumbotron and through the glass of a 300 mm lens for the first time. Her skill and athleticism were discussed by TV and radio broadcasters in real time, as I stood courtside capturing every moment. She even made the Bismarck Tribune, as a photo of Lora and Kaiya O’Connor attempting a block vs. Linton H-M-B made both the print and online edition of the newspaper on Friday morning.

We may have lost that one, but we came back swinging. And now the fact that she was there is part of statewide history that will forever be archived at the state historical society.

Making history, that’s what this team is doing. The fifth place finish by the Rockets represents yet another memorable event in Rocket sports history, which is filled with great stories. On the ride home from Bismarck, I connected with Joayne Larson, a player on the very first Rockets volleyball team, who took to the court in the winter of the 1990-91 season. I plan to page through the Transcript archives later this week to find more on the beginnings of volleyball in New Rockford. Watch for that piece in our special Rocket State Volleyball Commemorative Edition of the Transcript, coming soon.

The Rockets record was 2-1 in their first ever state tournament. In the words of Meatloaf, “Two out of three ain’t bad,” and I mean it in the best possible way. This group of girls has grown and matured as a team in extraordinary ways.

They have faced a great deal of adversity this season. And I’m not just referring to tough opponents and questionable calls from officials. I’m talking about new rotations, position changes, injuries and even cancer. The coaching staff – Sara, Dale, Kayahna and Mindy – had a lot to navigate. Now that this season is in the books, it’s a joy to reflect on just how much they’ve accomplished

They learned how to finish games. As was evident from the state tournament, volleyball of the caliber they play often results in marathon five-set matches. To win means to fight for every point, and leave it all on the court.

If you make a mistake, shake it off. What matters is what you do next. In volleyball, it’s taking the next point.

Speaking of taking the point, I learned what the term “sideout” means during the tournament. For those who don’t know volleyball, it means taking the point away from the team with the serve. During the fifth place game, I heard Our Redeemer’s fans yell “sideout” everytime NR-S served, so I looked it up. I’ll be using that one next season.

To get here, they had to knock down what I call the “red wall.” Within the last 25 seasons, Langdon has gone to the state tournament 20 times. Once in a while another team gets under their skin, and this year NR-S earned that win.

Carrington got the rare “W” against them in 2013, when New Rockford and Carrington were in the same region. It was Cardinals vs. Cardinals in the regional championship that year, and the birds from CHS emerged victorious. That was Carrington’s first and only trip to the state volleyball tournament in their program history. This was our first, and I certainly hope it won’t be our last.

Now in Region 3, Carrington has other tough opposition. Case in point: Linton-H-M-B. Both Carrington and NR-S fell to the Lions in tournament play this season. Carrington lost a 3-2 thriller in Napoleon for the region championship, and NR-S drew the two-time defending state champions in the opening round of the state tournament. The Lions eventually fell to Northern Cass in the championship game, but head coach Jamie Richter was named Coach of the Year and outside hitter ShayLee Bosch earned the Senior Athlete of the Year honor.

Throughout it all, I watched every one of those girls in blue grow and mature before our eyes, and I could not be more proud of what they were able to accomplish. They are not only good athletes, they are great humans.

They rallied both on and off the court, and they are all better because of it. The way this team, and the entire community, rallied together and around Bailey Jacobson is amazing. We support each other, and build each other up. This is what life is all about.

Now it’s onto the next season. Just a few hours after they returned home from Bismarck, several volleyball players attended an open gym for basketball, and team pictures were to be taken in the morning. They had seven days to prepare for their first matchup against Napoleon on Monday, Nov. 28. It’s nearly the same group of girls, now conquering another sport together.

I can’t wait to see where this goes.