Last week, I had the chance to meet NFL Pro Bowler Doug Cosbie when I covered the USA Football Heads Up coaches clinic. I looked forward to assignment, not just for the fact he was a Pro Bowler, but also
Last week, I had the chance to meet NFL Pro Bowler Doug Cosbie when I covered the USA Football Heads Up coaches clinic.
I looked forward to assignment, not just for the fact he was a Pro Bowler, but also because he was a pro athlete who hailed from my neck of the woods: the San Francisco Bay Area.
Before balling out for the Dallas Cowboys for nearly a decade, Cosbie played his college years at Santa Clara University. Before then, he played at Saint Francis High School in Mountain View. Both of those campuses are a hop, skip and a jump off the nearby freeway from where I grew up in San Jose, California.
No matter who and no matter what sport, it’s always a thrill to meet someone who made it to the big leagues and is from the area where you grew up. It fills me with pride in my hometown.
I’d imagine any of you who grew up here hold the same reverence for pro athletes who put it down for the Garden Isle. Surfer Andy Irons, former NFL linebacker Jordan Dizon and former MLS midfielder Kyle Nakazawa come to mind. (Dizon and Nakazawa because I’ve had the pleasure of meeting them in person, and Irons because I was fortunate enough to talk with his family and hear stories about the man from those who knew him best).
I’d also bet many of you who have played KIF sports still on occasion bring up old war stories about the big games during your high school days.
One thing has been apparent since I’ve moved here and taken my post at TGI: Kauai loves its local sports. From KIF to community leagues, from ASP to just catching a wave at the beach, from pro to amateur — anything related to sports, the people here are dedicated.
On that Saturday afternoon, I also met Kauai Pop Warner Football League commish Teddy Arroyo. What he said about local sports, I’m sure describes it perfectly: “Kauai is small, but we love sports. Sports is our background on this island,” he said.
It’s not just those on the fields or the courts that pour themselves into it. The supporters in the stands and the sidelines are just a zealous.
So who knows? Perhaps I’ve yet to meet the next hometown hero to be, the next Irons, Dizon or Nakazawa.
With that said, I know the KIF fall season draws near. It’s unfortunate I wasn’t here to watch firsthand Kauai High’s run to the state title game last year, but I cannot wait to see how this season unfolds.
I was, however, here to cover this past winter and spring seasons and it was fun doing so.
From fall to spring, I’m sure each team, in each sport, from each school will be eager to show their A-game. A new year means new beginnings, and with it comes new stories I look forward to writing.
