Why the forum? Tradition is the answer.

Nine years ago I created the Fremont Ross Forum. At the time it was on another server and has since moved to its current location at yuku.com. Family and friends at the time asked why? Why create, maintain, and moderate a forum dedicated to Ross athletics? The answer is a simple one word response. Tradition. Many folks already know where I am going with this, but for those who don't, let me expand on the answer.


You see, we have an incredible athletic tradition at Fremont Ross. And I am not just talking about football. It is much more than the pigskin. We have state titles in golf, tennis, many state championships in swimming. We have a national championship in swimming. How many programs can claim a national title in any sport? We can be proud of that. There are many great non-football names that have graced our athletic past. Zerman, Reardon, Lewis, Gruse, Voggenthaler, Ziemke, Flower, Farbach, Baumann...and so many more.


And then there is football. Make no mistake about it, Fremont Ross is a traditional football school. Oh I know they'll wave our playoff history in our faces like it's something new they discovered and something we didn't already know. Newflash...we know our playoff record is abysmal. We know and we're working on it. But as I have said a million times before, high school football in Fremont and all around Ohio began in the mid to late 1890's, not in 1972 with the advent of the playoffs. Our overall football record speaks for itself...and it says tradition.


You see, tradition is not just something you can say you have. Tradition is something you build over decades. Decades of wins and yes, losses. Decades of great names and memorable games.


Once a great athletic traditon is built you have to maintain it. While most of that maintenance is done on the fields and courts of athletic competition, some of it must be done by you and I, the fans. We must talk about our great traditions. Talk, means just that, it does not mean embellish. The young people coming up need to be reminded about our tradition. It helps them understand what they are playing for, what they are defending. Tell them about the great games, the great players, the great rivalries. Same thing goes for newcomers to the community. Help them understand why we love the Little Giants so much. Educate them on the great athletic tradition that Fremont Ross has.

So the reason I started the forum was to promote our tradition. You can do the same thing. Remember our traditions, talk about our traditions, never, ever forget our traditions. Make sure our great athletic tradition at Fremont Ross continues for generations to come.

GO ROSS!

Keith