Calling It
Like I See It
Diving Deeper
TAKING A DIVE: Malott executes a challenging dive during a meet. The junior brightens the squad’s spirits with his energy
that is often contagious for everyone around him. This also is noticeable in the style of Malott’s leadership and personality.
Junior diver Louie Malott acts as a leader on and off of
the board in team’s recent success By Macayla Cramer
Chlorine lingers in the air as junior
Louie Malott struts intently across the
diving board. His teammates follow
his precise choreographed movements
with anticipation, waiting for his dive.
Moments leading up to it, Malott fo-
cuses on nothing and nobody, only vi-
sualizing what he needs to do to best
execute it.
With diving, as with any sport, there
are numerous stereotypes following it’s
athletes. Yet, most divers do not feel
defined by these schemas. There is no
better example of that than Malott.
Malott is all too familiar with the ju-
venile comments and can safely say the
trivial flips and spins are not equivalent
to the mental and physical battle every
diver overcomes.
“It is hard,” Malott said. “It’s one of
the hardest sports I’ve ever played and
I play a lot of sports. It’s mentally chal-
lenging.”
It’s no surprise that Malott has be-
come one of the biggest names cur-
rently on the Grand Haven diving
team, however, becoming a diver was a
surprise to him. Before the sport even
crossed his radar, Malott as had a deep
infatuation with tricks and flips.
Whether it’s been on the trampo-
line or down at the ski bowl, Malott has
loved to push the boundaries of what
he’s capable of doing. So, when a family
friend recruited him to try diving Malott
couldn’t turn away the challenge.
“[The sport] just took things from
there,” Malott said. “So when I’m skiing
and doing flips and stuff it makes it a
www.bucsblade.com, February 22, 2019
How To Do a Forward Two and a Half Dive
1. Start running forwards on the board
2. Jump off
3. Spin your body forward into two front flips
4. Keep rotating
5. Finish by landing on your head
lot easier for me to land things and I’m
a lot more aware of my body because
of [dive].”
Most on the team can unanimously
agree Malott is the “Energizer Bunny”;
he just keeps on going. His hyped na-
ture and humorous personality never
fade through the grueling hours of
training or at the prolong meets.
In fact, Malott is always laughing
with his teammates, giving them con-
stant encouragement to help lessen the
nerves. He also recruits others to share
a sport that as quickly become one of
his passions.
“[Louie is] a great diver and [he pro-
vides] fantastic encouragement,” junior
Carter Jones-Hirr said.
Malott is a complex individual. With
numerous sports in his arsenal, a dash
of questionable decision making, and
a boatload of nerve, Malott is a Grand
Haven modern day Philippe Petit, the
famous French high wire artist..
Addy Wachter THE BUCS’ BLADE
“Everyone should experience Lou-
ie,” junior Jack Stork said. “I notice ev-
eryone is a little more happier when he’s
around. He raises morale.”
With this season closing and states
looming, it leaves Malott’s last season
on the horizon and his future up for
grabs. However, the junior knows he
wants diving to be a hobby he carries
over from high school to college, pref-
erably Northern Michigan University or
another destination.
Yet, it’s safe to say that whatever
Malott decides to do, his love for push-
ing the limits whether that be gravity or
anything else will be in his pocket for
the ride.
“Diving is like a mental battle with
yourself.; you want to perform for oth-
ers around you. You have to overcome
your fear and yourself,” Malott said.
“It’s easier for me to overcome fear
now because I’ve been overcoming it
ever since I started diving.”
Sam Woiteshek
Players play, but haters hate
As I sat and watched the world’s most lifeless affair - Super Bowl LIII - I couldn’t
help but think: Tom Brady is about to get his sixth ring. It seemed unlikely that a medio-
cre quarterback could possibly have a stranglehold on the NFL.
So I thought a little deeper. Brady is the G.O.A.T. of the NFL, but how much of
his success can be attributed to his play alone?
The answer? Maybe only half - at most.
Yes, Brady has six rings, but look at the games he’s played in. One was due
to a game-winning kick by Adam Vinatieri, another a miracle interception at the
goal-line and most recently, an all-star performance by Julian Edelman and the Pats
defense.
Take that away and he’s only slightly better than Eli Manning, in theory. Yikes.
When I looked at the broader spectrum of pro sports, I found this to be true on
all levels. Praise Nick Saban all you want for his job at Alabama, but don’t deny the
fact that he flopped with LSU and the Miami Dolphins.
In the NBA, the Pistons have Blake Griffin, who has to score 50 points for De-
troit to get a win these days. Otherwise, the Pistons lose. However, in LA, Griffin
could have an off night and it wouldn’t matter because the Clippers had Chris Paul.
And of course, Tom Brady. The man has Bill Belichick, a severely underrated
offensive line and finally a run game, the latter being the most impactful to a deep
run in the playoffs. Tom Brady on, say the Buffalo Bills? I don’t think they make
the playoffs.
I know we all love to hate these teams and claim the league is rigged, but I am
here to advise you against that. Don’t hate the game, hate the player.
It’s uncanny the way players polarize sports. At times, they make fans feel an
extreme high, only to be let down in an extreme low. Then, the very same fans turn
to a different aspect, saying “the refs were bad” or “that’s how it goes sometimes”.
No, that’s completely untrue. In sports everything happens because of some-
thing. The littlest of decisions result in monumental results.
Given how much we as humans love to assign blame, I’m surprised us sports-
lovers haven’t been able to discover this sooner. It’s rather startling to think that
certain people, especially the ones listed above, are exempt from scrutiny.
If you need a closer look, I’d suggest watching our boys basketball team. It’s
no secret that much of the offense runs through Casey Constant, Grand Haven’s
senior point guard. Therefore, the margin between winning and losing lies on the
back of number eleven each game.
Yes, it’s completely unfair to the team and it shouldn’t be that way, but it is the
truth, even if nobody wants to admit it.
Conversely, the girls basketball team is a complete unit. Alli Keyser can score
from just about anywhere on the court with her talent and speed, but Esther Bying-
ton’s presence around the basket is equally as dangerous. Add in Jolee Houle’s sharp
perimeter shooting and Dahlia Jerosvek’s stalwart defense and it’s easy to see why
they’re top ten in the state.
The best part about it is that you can’t hate the player, you can only hate the
game.
Nevertheless, the success of sports have and will continue to predicate upon the
faces of their franchises. They sell tickets and jerseys and in large part keep interest
levels high.
And it pays too. Sports is an industry where young stars become millionaires
because they can throw, dunk or hit a ball better than anyone else. When six zeroes
are on the table, it’s natural for everyone to lose sight of the concept.
Yet, history has shown that these same athletes are only as good as the people
surrounding them. You have to learn to appreciate the team in spite of the player,
not the other way around.
There is no “I” in team, but there is one in ignorance.
SPORTS 23