Just win, baby!

If you’ve been with me for a while you’re probably aware of an

item which means a lot to me ... a level playing field.

You play the hand you’re dealt with, you play by the rules, and,

if you’re lucky, you play in an arena with a level field.

It’s not something you always get, but you always hope, regardless

of other edges that emerge, you’ll get to start with the basics of

what sports and competition are all about.

There’s a balance in these pages that you hope for, as well, but

when it comes to the champions, it’s pretty hard to justify looking

past them in order to find true balance.

That’s been a problem of sorts for a long time here, but with

Costa Mesa and Estancia joining the Golden West League, especially in

sports such as girls volleyball and tennis and boys water polo,

champions are surfacing, and more may be on the way.

For Estancia High’s cross country pair of Humberto Rojas and Diana

Rosete, it’s not much of an issue, these two would flourish anywhere.

But for Costa Mesa’s girls tennis team, unbeaten champions of the

Golden West League, and Costa Mesa’s girls volleyball team, unbeaten

champions of the Golden West League, it makes all the difference in

the world, and the Pilot’s cup runneth over.

Whenever we talk balance something clicks and I recall a

conversation I had with a Costa Mesa booster a couple-three years ago

at a family gathering.

He was a friend of one of my sons, and he just sort of dropped in

to my surprise. We were introduced and his first and only remark was

a question, put rather bluntly: “Why does Newport Harbor and Corona

del Mar get more attention in the Daily Pilot than Costa Mesa?

It was sort of a haymaker right out of the blue, but I had a

knockout answer and he faded from the scene rather quickly.

I told him of our customary issue of championship team photos for

our schools, how we get each champion to dress out for a color

presentation, which we try to do with the flourish they deserve.

“This past fall we had a total of 13 championship teams from our

four schools (Corona del Mar, Costa Mesa, Estancia and Newport

Harbor) from sports such as boys and girls cross country, girls

volleyball, girls tennis, boys water polo and field hockey, as well

as football,” I said.

“Eleven of those champions are from Corona and Newport,” and I

ticked them off with my fingers, one by one. “Now,” I continued,

“suppose you tell me how do I come up with balance? They’re winning,

big time, and I’m going to forget them and run around and take photos

and give personal coverage to those who aren’t even on the same map

in terms of accomplishment?”

He had a great response: “Oh,” he said, before disappearing.

Fortunately, now, there is a far better picture of balance with

the arrival of Costa Mesa’s success in the Golden West League,

although the presence of Sharon Day (volleyball) and Hilary Havens

(tennis) certainly helped the equation.

Mesa’s football team is not doing too badly, either, as it girds

for the CIF Playoffs as the league’s No. 1 representative and most

likely as the undisputed champion of the Golden West League.

In the past there have been many other quality Costa Mesa and

Estancia teams which were overshadowed when leagued with Corona del

Mar’s nationally-known tennis, volleyball and water polo teams, as

well as the great cross country reputation of CdM.

So if it appears Mesa, in particular, has had more attention paid

to it this fall ... well, I’m happy to say, you’re right.