Message stays the same with Thanksgiving

Turkey, football and crazy folks leaving early to snag the best Christmas deals sum up Thanksgiving every year.

While it’s more than enjoyable to have football on all day after the Thanksgiving Day parade, it seems that the message is losing its touch about the true importance of this November holiday. It’s nothing that should ever be taken lightly, especially when we don’t need a holiday to allow us one day to reflect on what you’re thankful and appreciative for. We have 365 days to this and if we’re waiting until Thanksgiving every year, then something is wrong.

Nevertheless, Thanksgiving does provide an awesome opportunity for us to look back on the year’s ups and downs in our lives, keeping in the back of our mind how much worse things could be. We could be upset you didn’t get that raise, but still grateful that we’re still employed. Our football team may have won only one game so far, but it could be worse; they could be winless.

I’m grateful and appreciative for many things from having a healthy family to being able to cover the Greenwave and Wolf Pack every year. Listed below are three sports-related events I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving.

Watching children participate

My oldest daughter, Kyra, started participating in gymnastics last year and loves it.

She grew tired of the same routine, though, in the toddler/preschool group and was too shy to want to try to challenge up and participate with the older kids. However, she’s grown a new interest for it again and after turning 5 in the fall, she will be able to explore more opportunities in sports, beginning with T-ball in the spring.

It doesn’t get any better than watching my own take up sports ,and my wife and I can’t wait to see what our youngest will want to do next year after turning 2 last month.

Covering history

To people outside Fallon or even Northern Nevada, Greenwave teams don’t have any meaning.

Fallon’s a small school that competes in the state’s second-largest division, but the Greenwave keep writing themselves into the record books every year.

Fallon breeds state champions and more often, student-athletes are exploring the college and professional avenues. And they’re finding success.

Greenwave alums continue to excel past high school with many signing letters of intent earlier this year. On the professional stage, it gets better with Jade Corkill continuing his dominance in rodeo and Josh Mauga starting the entire season for the Chiefs. And add in Trevor de Braga next spring when he competes in the indoor football league.

It’s an amazing feeling getting to relay that information to the general public through the media.

World champs

The San Francisco Giants are one of the least likely teams to win the World Series when fans look at them on paper.

But they have proven three times in the last five years that it takes more than a talented roster to win championships. Team chemistry is near the point of being cliché but without it, the trophies go to someone else. The Giants have rallied together during their championship runs by believing in each other and blocking out the naysayers.

A team can have the best roster in the league but without a sense of unity, all that talent is wasted. The Dodgers were by far the best team in the National League but what they lacked in team chemistry hurt them in the playoffs and benefited their rivals.

I see that with other teams, as well, of course and even in the high school circuit when Fallon’s softball team won state over Fernley last spring.

 This month gives everyone the convenient opportunity to reflect on what they’re thankful for this season. Sandwiched between watching football all day and spending time with family makes Thanksgiving one of the most appreciated holidays of the year.

Thomas Ranson can be contacted at lvnsports@yahoo.com.