Mother's Day is Sunday, and it's not too late to think up the perfect gift.

Just what does Mother's Day have to do with a sports column? If you have to ask, you've never been to a local high school athletic event or seen some of the emails I receive.

Moms are the first to question my coverage and the first to thank me for a job well done. As one mom recently told me when graciously apologizing for a previous email, she was just being a mom — which I completely understand.

As a rule, moms are their sons and daughters’ biggest fans and supporters. Dads roll with the punches that are a part of sports, but moms want to know why something happened as they protect their young with a tenacity and love unfound anywhere else.

Of course, sometimes in their enthusiasm moms can show some of their, should I say, lack of sports knowledge.

My own mom, Joan Dickson, is a prime example.

I recall the spring of 1966, when I was playing my first year of organized baseball in a Memphis, Tenn., church league. I am, by birth, right-handed in everything I do except when it comes to swinging a baseball bat.

Mom didn't know I was a left-handed hitter. So that first game, as I took my place in the batter's box, she stands up and yells, "You're standing in the wrong place."

The coach turned to her and replied, "He bats left-handed."

Looking back on my baseball career, I might have been better to listen to Mom and take my place on the other side of the plate.

Moms take their kids to practice and pick them up when practice ends. Moms clean the scrapes and cuts and apply a gentle kiss before bandaging the skinned knee or elbow.

Many dads are their son's or daughter's sports hero, but almost every mom is that same son or daughter's guardian angel who heals the emotional and physical hurts of sports and life.

I know that from many years of watching and listening to moms.

And I was blessed to have such a mom in Joan Dickson, who at age 80 remains my biggest fan.

To all of you women who proudly carry the name Mom, Mother, Ma or Mama, and any other I left out, thanks for all you do.

Happy Mother’s Day.

Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: Here's to all the moms

Usually I'd be writing a column today about the start of spring football practice.

Yes, new Crestview High School head football coach Tim Hatten will lead the Bulldogs onto the practice field at 2:30 p.m. for the first official practice of his regime.

Up the road, at Baker School, Matt Brunson begins his third year at the Gators’ helm.

I'll be at both schools today to look at how things are taking shape on the gridiron, but football won't be my priority.

Spring football, at least for today, will take a back seat to the Crestview High School baseball team.

The Bulldogs, who won the District 2-6A championship Thursday, host Tate tonight at 7 p.m. in the region quarterfinals.

I've been covering Crestview baseball since I arrived in the area in 2001. I've been covering the Bulldogs closely since 2005 or 2006.

It's hard to compare teams from different years. Players and competition change, but good baseball doesn't.

There is no doubt that Crestview has a very good baseball team.

The Bulldogs finished regular season district play with a 4-4 record. Crestview was 8-4 after losing to Fort Walton Beach on March 15. Since losing to the Vikings, the Bulldogs have won 13 of their last 14 games.

Crestview has won in every way imaginable. Some games, the Bulldogs have made it look easy, scoring early and often. And there have been games when they came from behind to claim victory when defeat seemed almost certain.

If you like pitching, the Bulldogs have that. If you like hitting, they've got you covered. And if defense is your thing, this is probably the best defensive team I've seen at Crestview.

The most impressive things I've witnessed about this team are the genuine team unity and the team’s will to find a way to win.

A different player seems to step up every night.

Tate Sweatt and Roman Donofro answered the call in the 6-0 district semifinal win over Niceville. Sweatt had a pair of two-run doubles and Donofro threw a complete game shutout.

Davis Champion and Dakota Dean were big in the 3-2 district championship win over Mosley. Although giving up 11 hits, Champion wouldn't be denied as he picked up the win on the mound.

Dean was 2-for-3 with a triple and run scored. Dean wasn't the lone Bulldog hitter to step up in clutch time. Sweatt, Donofro and Corey Armstrong also came up big at the plate when the game was on the line.

Crestview's defense came up big against the Dolphins with a couple of double plays and by throwing a runner out at home as he tried to score on a base hit to right field.

Bulldog right fielder Justin Rebholz fielded the ball cleanly and threw a strike to first baseman Seth Thomason, who made a perfect relay throw to catcher Austin Armstrong for the out.

And those two games are just a sample of how this team has pulled together.

Tyler Henderson has been a beast at the plate and in center field and has come up big on many occasions. Thomason has been a clutch hitter in the cleanup spot as he is tied for the team lead in doubles and had a dramatic game-winning grand slam against Niceville on March 8.

Tonight's game with Tate could turn out to be another classic in a line of classic games for the Bulldogs this year.

With seven state championships to their credit, the Aggies have a baseball tradition that is second-to-none in Northwest Florida. Crestview, nor any other high school baseball team from Okaloosa County, has ever won a state championship.

But the Bulldogs aren't playing the Aggie tradition.

Tate (21-6) won't be sending Hall of Fame pitcher Don Sutton or former Major Leaguers Travis Fryman and Jay Bell into the game against the Bulldogs.

Tradition is a great conversation piece, but players win the games.

Crestview's players have answered every challenge this year, and tonight, the biggest challenge of all awaits them.

I encourage everyone to come out and support the Bulldogs. Take my advice and get there early because it will be a packed house.

I'll see you at the game.

Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: Bulldogs have that special something

Last Monday was a typical busy day for me.

I got to work around noon and knocked out a story about the Old Spanish Trail Rodeo. I then went about some afternoon tasks before heading to the District 2-6A softball tournament for the game between Crestview High School and Choctawhatchee.

Midway through the afternoon, sometime shortly after 3 p.m., I was checking something on espn.com when I saw the news of the bombing at the Boston Marathon.

At that moment a cold chill ran down my spine much in the same it had Sept. 11, 2001. But at the same time it felt all so different.

The Boston Marathon is one of the great sporting events in the nation. It might be, along with the Super Bowl and World Series, the most recognized sporting event in the country. There is no denying it is the most famous running event in the United States.

I can think of few more strategic places for terrorists to hit this country than at a major sporting event. And what better venue to plant homemade bombs than on the streets of a major city where hundreds and thousands of spectators were lining the sidewalks?

We all know the story by now. Two bombs exploded, three people were killed and hundreds wounded.

Two brothers, one of whom is dead, are now being blamed for the act. And none of it makes sense yet.

We go to sporting events to celebrate our team and American spirit. We attend to cheer for our favorite athletes and teams. Nobody goes to a race thinking it will end with a bombing.

Even as the tragic events unfolded, the city of Boston and our nation was coming together. Rival Major League Baseball teams, the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals, honored the town and team by embracing tradition near and dear to the fans of Fenway Park.

The Red Sox returned to Fenway on Saturday in a celebration that is worthy of the great city of Boston and the game of baseball.

The announcement also has been made that the 2014 Boston Marathon will be held as scheduled.

I’ve never run the 26.2 miles of a marathon nor have I ever been to Boston. And it has been 38 years since I ran the 2-mile in high school, but in the last week I’ve felt united with the men and women of the city and the race in the spirit of America.

Last week also was another reminder of who the real heroes in the nation are. Too often we elevate an athlete to hero status because they can run, jump, throw or hit better than the average person. The fact is the law enforcement officers, fire fighters and volunteer medical personnel rushing to the explosions thinking of others rather than themselves are the real heroes.

Sadly, the world of 2013 is much more dangerous than the world I knew 40 years ago as a boy of 14 about to turn 15.

But it is comforting to know the American spirit is alive and well. If you don’t believe me, just ask the people of Boston.

Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: American spirit remains strong

The 24th annual Old Spanish Trail Rodeo is coming Friday and Saturday at the Barnhill Arena on Highway 4 in Baker. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. nightly; action gets underway at 7:30 p.m.

As much as I love covering high school sports, there's something equally special about covering the rodeo. I like to say that the rodeo is the most traditional of non-traditional athletic events that I cover.

I've always been drawn to rodeos, whether on television or in person. Like most little boys, I dreamed of riding my horse across the open plain as I helped drive a herd to market. The rodeo takes fans back to the days when the nation was still young and reaching for America’s unlimited potential.

What boy hasn't wanted to get on a bucking bronco and break the horse, or jump off a horse to wrestle a steer to the ground?

Being a cowboy is right up there with operating chainsaws and sledgehammers on the list of things that represent the power of being a man.

The rodeo was born from many events that were a part of a cowboy’s everyday life. In another time and place, the winning cowboys would be like an NBA player winning the Slam Dunk Contest or a Major League Baseball player winning the Home Run Derby.  

If you think it's tough for an NFL linebacker to bring down a running back, imagine trying to do the same thing while getting off a horse running full speed and trying to tackle a running back that had horns coming out his helmet.

I won't even go into what kind of person gets on the back of a 2,000-plus pound bull and tries to hang on for eight seconds. Yes, it is going to hurt, but cowboys shake off their injuries and head to the next rodeo.

A cowboy’s toughness and his work ethic are parts of our American culture. Cowboys showed us there is a difference between being injured and being hurt, and that we can work or play through the hurt and even some of the injuries that come our way in life.

I believe more than ever now is a time when we need to embrace the virtues of God, country and hard work that the cowboy way represents.

Yes, something about a rodeo touches the heart of us. It’s the heart of America — and I can't wait for Friday night.

Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: The rodeo calls me

I've been thinking a lot about teammates lately. Maybe it has something to do with last week’s story on Dakota Dean and Tyler Henderson (“Dean and Henderson, teammates for life,” March 27). Or perhaps it has something to do with having recently attended a reunion of former Gulf Breeze athletes.

I'm sure the main reason is I find myself needing the strength of teammates as my dad's health is rapidly declining and he's not expected to be with us too much longer.

Last week, I received phone calls from two of the guys I played ball with in high school. Paul Davidson and Ken Hardy are not only former teammates, but also Christian brothers. They called to let me know they are there for me.

I've had other guys I played ball with drop me a message on Facebook offering their support and prayers.

I hope that 40 years from now, Dakota Dean, Tyler Henderson and all of the other young men and women I cover will still be close to many of the friends and teammates shaping their lives today.

I assure you that long after the games are forgotten, we still need our teammates to help us through the tough times.

Throughout this process of Dad's illness, I've realized that teammates come in many shapes and forms. We often think of teammates as the people on our sports teams, but I believe there are many kinds of teammates.

Teammates can be the people we go to church with, those we work with, or friends we've made along the way. I've also come to think of the coaches, players and fans who make up the News Bulletin’s readership as being teammates of sorts.

I'm constantly amazed and blessed by the kind words of support and prayer so many of you have offered in recent weeks as I've entered this difficult period.

Many of you have made this old Gulf Breeze Dolphin and Tennessee Volunteer feel as if I was born a part of Team Crestview, Team Baker or Team Laurel Hill.

Words can't thank each of you enough for standing in the gap with me at this time.

The 17th century British poet John Donne wrote, "No man is an island entire of itself. Each is a piece of the continent, a part of the main."

I am blessed to be joined to many wonderful teammates, past and present, who have come into my life from countless different paths and who continue to be willing to help pick me up.

Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: Many kinds of teammates

This week, local students have a week off for spring break.

As a sports writer, I haven't been able to enjoy too many spring breaks. It’s a busy time for me, with the job going full throttle, but that's OK because I enjoy this season most.

Eleven years ago, I managed to squeeze in a few days off about this time of year and it was one of the best weeks of my life.

I'm not too old to enjoy local beaches, but I really don't want to contend with college students for a place in the sand. Instead of doing the beach thing, I headed south and took in a couple of spring training baseball games.

I was at my parents' house in DeLand and my dad and I made a trip across the state to Clearwater to see his favorite team, the Philadelphia Phillies, take on the Boston Red Sox in a mid-week game. That Saturday, we headed 60 miles south to the spring training home of the Florida Marlins as they hosted my favorite team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Joining Dad and I for the Marlins-Dodgers game was Stuart, my then 9-year old nephew.

I’ve never had children, so spending that afternoon with Dad and Stuart was one of the favorite days of my life. It was so much fun sitting in the stands with Dad and watching Stuart figure out the best way to approach players for an autograph.

Stuart is 20 and a strapping 235-pound wrestler at the University of North Florida. Earlier this month, he became the school's first All-American in the sport as he placed sixth at the National Collegiate Wrestling Association National Championships.

Dad is 80 and not in good health, so I treasure every moment and memory we share.

If I could turn back the clock to special days, I'd revisit that warm afternoon 11 years ago as Dad, Stuart and I took in a spring training game.

Spring break is a time for making memories with family, friends and teammates. This also is one of the most dangerous times for young people as they stretch their wings and extend the apron strings.

Whether you take in a spring training game or a day at the beach, be careful and enjoy the moment.

And please, come back safely next week.

Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: Spring break memories

It’s been said that you never have a second chance to make a first impression.

If my first impression of new Crestview High School athletic director and head football coach Tim Hatten is on target, the next 10 or 15 years should be eventful for the Bulldogs.

I can only imagine what Hatten's first impression of me was. When I met him at the Okaloosa County School Board meeting March 11, I couldn’t immediately find my recorder for a brief interview.

Compounding matters, I misspelled his name in the story’s headline.

March 11 and 12 weren't my best days.

To Hatten's credit, he was patient as I dug the recorder from deep within my pocket.

When I called to apologize for the headline’s busted spelling — which we caught right after the papers went to press — he laughed it off and told me not to worry about it. So my first impressions of Hatten is he's a gracious man who doesn't sweat the small stuff.

When football season arrives and Hatten makes a questionable or bad call, I hope I will remember his graciousness to me as I stumbled this week.

I also was impressed with Hatten as we briefly discussed his football philosophies. Make no mistake; Tim Hatten is an offensive-minded head coach who will install the kind of high-octane attack many top college and pro teams use.

Hatten said he wants to stretch the field and give the opposing defense match-up problems, but he's willing to run the ball as well. He told Bulldog players they can expect to work hard on the field and in the classroom, and that he will keep the game fun.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about Hatten — at least from my perspective — is his emphasis on education.

Hatten, who was at Pearl River Community College the last 12 years and was head coach at Haines City nine years before that, said he was drawn to Crestview and Okaloosa County because the schools are top notch. He knows his 14- and 9-year-old sons can get an education here that will prepare them for college and their adult lives.

Hatten wants to ensure his sons, and the players he coaches, will have every opportunity to succeed in life with the foundation being a good education.

Hatten said he would be the coach for all the Crestview football players — including the junior varsity and freshman players. He wants to invest in the lives of all the young men who put on pads for the Bulldogs.

Spring practice starts six weeks from today, and Hatten has already started teaching his assistant coaches and players the way he runs things. He plans to have things in place so when spring drills start May 1, the team will know where to go and what to do.

With a career record of 155-59 — which comes to a .724 winning percentage — and a national championship in the junior college ranks to his credit, there's no doubt the guy can coach and knows how to win.

Crestview should prepare for an exciting run.

Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin’s sports editor. Email him at randyd@crestviewbulletin.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: SIDELINE OBSERVATIONS: Hatten leaves good first impression