Attitude makes proud Otters

By Jeff Hage (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Friday, March 7, 2008

All the buzz around town this morning is about the Fergus Falls’ girls basketball team and it’s first trip to the state tournament in school history.

That’s great and I’m pumped for a fun week of basketball hype.

But I’m going to take you back in time a little bit — a week to be exact — when a group of young men made history in a University of Minnesota swimming pool.

Last weekend the Otter swimmers won both the 200 medley relay and the 400 freestyle relay championships on its way to a second-place finish at the state tournament.

And a young freshman swimmer named Mike Hurley turned heads when he brought home the Otters third state championship while established a new Class A record in the 200 individual medley.

The swimmers accomplished some truly amazing feats, but not as amazing as the sense of teamwork that brought that Otter swim team together in the pool last weekend in Minneapolis.

Sunday afternoon as the swim team presented its second-place trophy to Superintendent Jerry Ness in the high school gym you could feel the sense of togetherness this team feels and the bond it has with Coach Tom Uvaas.

It’s that character that earned the Otters the respect of everyone in the high school swimming comm-unity at the University of Minnesota pool.

Fergus Falls High School Activities Director Gary Schuler talked long and hard about the work ethic of these athletes. As a matter of fact, there’s not words to describe the hours of work the swimmers and coaches put in in order to perform at a championship level, Schuler said.

The performance of the swim team was truly a blessing, Uvaas said Sunday afternoon before about 300 people gathered to wish the swimmers and state champion wrestler Drew Ross well.

As Uvaas stood before the Otter faithful with that championship trophy nearby he said something that stood out in my mind.

“These things don’t just happen,” Uvaas said.

The coach couldn’t be more right.

Uvaas and his players accepted the hard work and determination that they showed to reach the state championship. They didn’t see it as a hardship, but instead were thankful for the opportunity to be able to work as hard as they did.

It’s that kind of attitude that builds champions — and it’s that kind of attitude that is found throughout the Fergus Falls community.

It’s an attitude that makes one proud to be an Otter.

There is no doubt that the trophies the Otter swimmers brought home will be the first of many for this young team.

There is no doubt that the accolades for team spirit and character will be the first of many honors, as well.