By Scott Spruill

February 1st, 2008

Yakima Herald Republic

Winning isn't everything.

Maybe you thought that saying had become nothing more than a punch line, the hard edge of contemporary youth sports having no room left for such a battered ideal.

Truth is, it's out there and strong as ever. A powerful and heartwarming example recently came from a 12-year-old wrestler from Ellensburg, Connor Sherwood, who regarded his compassionate deeds as simply "trying to help someone out."

At a three-team competition at Prosser's Housel Middle School, one team had among its members an eighth-grader with cognitive and physical disabilities. The idea for this boy, let's call him Doug, was to take part as a manager and perhaps share some mat time in practice with the team.

Read on...