From the sidelines: Sports memories hold a special place in many people’s hearts and minds

Memories are something I hold dear in my heart and mind. Many of mine involve sports.

From covering events over the years as a sports editor, to fond memories throughout my life, sports are such a vital part of so many people’s lives.

I’m hoping to hear from you about a fond memory involving sports.

It could be being in the stands during a memorable San Francisco Giants game, or being part of a championship team in high school or college.

With the COVID-19 pandemic delaying high school sports locally and throughout the state until the end of the year and early next year, sports in Siskiyou County are in short supply.  I thought because of this now would be a perfect time to hear from our readers some fond wonderful memories. The power of sports to bring us together is a magical, special thing.

If you have a fond memory I would love to hear from you. Perhaps you have a photo to share as well. My hope is to get enough of these memories to run something in the paper in the next few weeks.

I can already think of several fond memories from my end.

This includes driving to Butte College on a Friday night this past February to watch the Mount Shasta Bears boys basketball team win the Northern Section Division 5 title. And, the next night I went down to Shasta College to see the Weed Cougars earn the D6 section title.

To see the joy on the players’ faces and the wonderful support both schools had from their fans made for a beautiful and memorable experience.

Being able to share moments like this with the community is one of the reasons I love my job so much.

When I was a high school student in Hawaii my school was near the University of Hawaii and they would hold practices for the Pro Bowl each year. 

During lunch breaks me and my friends went to try to see the players. One time we saw a group of a group walking toward us but we could not recognize them. My friends wondered if they were they were NFL players or not. As we passed I turned to one of my friends and went, “I’m not sure, not all of them look big enough to me.” 

One of the people turned their head, gave me a strange look, chuckled, and gave me a smile as he walked by.

At that moment I realized the man was  All-Pro and future  Hall of Fame linebacker, the late great Junior Seau.

One of my fondest memories took place on my 12th birthday when I was on a month-long trip through Canada and Washington state with my mom, little sister, and grandparents.

My grandfather took me to my first pro baseball game when the Seattle Mariners hosted the Boston Red Sox. I remember how exciting it was to see players I loved like Wade Boggs in person.

This is a precious memory for me due to the fact this was the last time he and I would have a day together that was just the both of us.

He passed away a little more than two months later.

Sports Editor Bill Choy is always on the lookout for story ideas. If you have any, email him at bchoy@siskiyoudaily.com.