Alex Chmielewski
This past Thursday, suspended defensive tackle of the Dallas Cowboys, David Irving, announced that he is quitting the NFL. Irving, 25, made the announcement as he filmed himself in a video on Instagram Live, less than a week after the league suspended him indefinitely for violating its substance-abuse policy for the third time. This brings up the controversial topic of marijuana use in pro sports.
Irving went on to talk about how he believes that weed could be beneficial to some players health if used properly. “If I’m gonna be addicted to something, I’d rather be addicted to marijuana, which is medical — it’s a medicine; I do not consider it a drug,”Irving said.
Another point that he brought up is the use of weed in other sports. “How many NBA players you see getting in trouble about this? How many coaches you see getting in trouble about this? How many baseball players? How many UFC players getting in trouble?” Irving said.
Marijuana testing is different in all sports, and so are the penalties that are handed out if a player gets caught. The NFL is the most strict of all professional American sports leagues when it comes to handing out punishments.
Many other professional athletes, as well as Irving, see weed as a type of medicine. Former NFL running back Ricky Williams used it as a pain reliever and mood stabilizer. Former NBA player Chauncey Billups also thought about it that same way. “I honestly played with players — I’m not going to name names; of course I’m not — I wanted them to smoke. They played better like that. Big-time anxiety, a lot of things can be affected — [marijuana] brought ’em down a bit. It helped them focus in a little bit on the game plan,” Billups said.
With laws changing, and more research being done, it could be time for professional sports leagues to look at and reevaluate their stance on the use of medical and recreational marijuana in sports.

Maria Leonino
Senior lacrosse player, Amber Patterson is furthering her athletic and academic career at the University of Findlay in the fall of 2019. She is beginning her fourth and final season of high school lacrosse and is excited to move onto the college level.
Patterson’s journey with lacrosse began in sixth grade when she joined a team. She did not know much about the sport and decided to try it out and ended up loving the game. She plays defense for the high school varsity team.
Over the years, Patterson has improved and learned many different skills. Each year she has become stronger and more accelerated.
“I’m still obviously improving but the biggest change is how aggressive I was and the amount of fouls I got. I rarely get any anymore because I learned how to play the ball properly,” Patterson said.
The University of Findlay is nearly three hours away from Stow, and Patterson has been set on her decision to attend Findlay for a while.
Patterson’s motivation is her love for lacrosse and the joy she feels playing with her best friends. Having a sport that has both friends and something she loves makes lacrosse that much better for Patterson.
“I did a camp at Findlay my sophomore year and I loved the school. They also have my major which is Animal Science/Pre-Vet and that major is not very common,” Patterson said.
The process Patterson went to in order to receive an offer from Findlay was attending many camps, clinics and tournaments where recruiters and coaches have watched her. The coaches then decided they wanted Patterson to play for their university.
In order to prepare for her final lacrosse season, Patterson has been conditioning and lifting during the off-season to strengthen herself.
In addition to training for her upcoming season, Patterson also will be training over the summer at Findlay with her college team. Practicing everyday and following the guidelines and workouts Findlay chooses for Patterson will determine how she prepares.
One difficult aspect Patterson will need to adjust to is the difference between the high school and college level. Practicing for longer periods of time and more commitments are some aspects to the changes.
“I think the biggest challenge will be the pressure in college. It is a lot bigger than just a high school sport so that is what I’m mainly nervous for,” Patterson said.
Patterson will be graduating and heading to Findlay in a few short months, and she is ecstatic to see what the future holds.

Hannah Bartels
This season, a senior’s dream of going to states is finally coming true! Hayley Roberts will compete for Stow in states, bowling alongside her sister, Taylor Roberts.
Hayley first decided that she wanted to bowl when she was younger and bowling with her cousins and grandpa. Her cousins were very talented bowlers and Hayley decided that he wanted to be that good. As soon as Hayley came into high school her freshman year, she immediately started bowling for the bowling team and even made it to varsity.
Bowling is a great sport for everyone because it is a sport that you can participate in all your life. It does not necessarily require someone to be in shape or athletic but it does require skill which is something someone can always practice. “Bowling is the one thing I can always do no matter what is going on in my life,” Hayley says.
Hayley holds many memories from her four years of bowling but her most memorable is winning states during her sophomore year which she calls, “by far the best experience.” She also has made many friends along the way with her team. “I love that my team can pick each other up when another one is down,” Hayley says.
One of her biggest goals for the season is to win states and she believes the girls team has what it takes to, “go all the way.” She is happy with the way her team is currently doing but wishes they could have won the tournament they lost.
As of March 7, the girls are currently on their way to Columbus for the OHSAA State Tournament.. They are hopeful to earn another victory. Winning states for the second time would be a great thing for Hayley and a highlight of her senior year.