NT_012419

northbrooktower.com Sports
the northbrook tower | January 24, 2019 | 47
From the Sports Editor
Appreciate Northbrook’s winter jewel
Michal Dwojak
m.dwojak@22ndcenturymedia.com
It feels like some
things get lost in the
shuffle during the
winter.
I mean, I don’t blame
many people that things
do get lost during the
most unbearable time of
the year, but still, this is
some really impressive
stuff we’re talking about
over here.
What am I talking
about?
Winter sports.
I’m talking beyond basketball
and hockey. Yes I
know when people think
about winter sports, those
two can warm your heart
more than a day during
the summer at a baseball
game. There’s nothing
more electric for me than
a packed high school gym
or an ice rink in a highstakes
game. The energy
is enough to last you a
lifetime.
But I’m not writing
about those winter sports.
I’m not even writing
about the great wrestling,
girls gymnastics, boys
swimming and boys and
girls bowling programs
Glenbrook North can
boast about. If you
haven’t noticed the last
two weeks, figure skating
has stolen The Tower’s
sports cover. Each story
was spotlighted by impressive,
young athletes
who are competing at the
national figure skating
competition.
While I was familiar
with the North Shore
sports scene as a high
school student, I knew
the basics. I knew about
Jon Scheyer and Chris
Collins. I knew Loyola
Academy football was
dominant. But I didn’t
know about the elite
winter sports, especially
in Northbrook.
Last year, I learned
about the Northbrook
Park District’s Speed
Skating club, its rich history
and the contributions
it made to the United
States national speed
skating teams. I wrote
stories about area Olympians
who trained and
had connections to that
club, while also exploring
more into the different
winter sports that I knew
nothing about.
While many of you
probably knew this, I
learned that Northbrook
is quite the winter city.
With the success of
basketball and hockey,
Northbrook offers a lot
of talent when it comes
to competing on the ice.
Who knows, maybe these
young skaters we recently
learned about will go to
represent Northbrook
around the world — dare
I say Olympic Games?
So what’s the point of
me writing about something
that some of you
already know about?
Well, it’s quite simple.
It’s time to appreciate
the forgotten winter
sports. Figure skating
Northbrook resident Abby Slovin is on of the great
skaters to come from the town. 22nd Century Media File
Photos
doesn’t stop when the
Olympics aren’t on your
televisions every four
years. I’m not telling you
to become a diehard when
it comes to skating, but it
wouldn’t hurt to venture
out to that same ice rink
you saw the epic hockey
game to go see a competition
of the best figure
skaters in the area.
Heck, why not try it
yourself? I’m not telling
you to start doing flips
and spins and end up in
the hospital, which would
likely happen to me if I
Joe Klein is currently competing at the figure skating
nationals.
attempted a figure skating
career, but get out there
and skate. There are a lot
of fun rinks in the area
and why not become a
part of the rich tradition
of Northbrook?
This isn’t a column
meant to down the other
winter sports; they’re all
great and deserve your
support. But don’t forget
about the sports that
Northbrook has made a
major impact on throughout
their histories. Why
not become a part of the
strong tradition?
Don’t let it get lost in
the shuffle.