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Sports
By Patrick Browne
To meet Cade Contreras, a first year basketball coach at West Iron High School, is to be in the presence of the embodiment of hope. He is an upbeat person who naturally sees the glass half full and has an infectious personality which keeps his players motivated in difficult situations. Although his success is not reflected in a winning record, he is imparting life lessons and shaping young men to see the world through a hopeful lens. This is how success should be measured.
As the reporter who has covered the Wykons for the past two years, I recently attended a practice and wanted to know how the coach and players kept showing up and giving it their all and what lessons they would share for those who are struggling to stay motivated in life. What I walked away with, after our meeting, was inspirational and a reminder of the lessons that great coaches instill in their players.
Although the Wykons have only one victory this year against 14 losses, and only had one victory in the previous season, Coach Contreras believes the win on Jan. 23 against the Hancock Bulldogs is a sign of good things to come. His belief is so strong you can’t help but believe he is right. It is clear his energy translates to his players as they too are seeing a positive future.
Junior Elijah Oberlin is the on court leader of the team, the record holder for most points scored in a Wykon game, a regular contributor of 20 or more points and a strong rebounder. Elijah is also a carrier of light and hope.
Asked how he stays motivated Oberlin stated, “I focus on the positives and work on the things that are a struggle. If I could give one piece of advice to everyone it would be to focus on what you do well and keep it fun more than anything. Try to have some fun every day.”
Fellow Wykon Ryan Walker, one of two seniors on the team, is an immediately engaging young man who has a maturity beyond his years. He, like his coach and like Oberlin, carries an enthusiasm about what is possible.
“You have to stay motivated,” Walker stated in response to how the year has progressed. “You have to work on your mistakes and know that negatives are not going to become positives without work. You can’t get down about losses and you can never let up.”
With the addition of Nathan Camps and Jasiah Parker, two freshmen guards who were recently brought up from Junior Varsity to Varsity, the Wykons have a future. The scrappy guards are learning how to play at a more advanced level and buying into their coach’s view.
“After every loss, I just think about the next game and how I can improve,” stated Camps.
Contreras is exactly what the Wykons need and why the community should come out to support the team. “Positivity is my middle name. We just need to continue to get better everyday!”