A whole lotta hugging going on

Posted by on Mar 6, 2011 | Comments Off

Emotions run high in high school athletics.

And at two state basketball tournaments just now winding up in Yakima the emotions are  in overdrive as athletes compete against the best in their sport.

As a result, there’s a whole lot of hugging going on.

There’s the coach’s happy hug:

Grandview High School's Christian Schrank hugs coach Roy Garcia after Grandview beat River Ridge High School 54-51 in the Washington state class 2A basketball tournament March 4, 2011 in the Yakima SunDome. (GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic)

On the flip side, there’s the coach’s sad hug:

La Salle High School basketball coach Alyssa Goins comforts Lauren DeGooyer as Lynden Christian players celebrate after La Salle loses 42-39 to Lynden Christian High School in the Washington state class 1A basketball tournament in the Yakima SunDome March 4, 2011. (GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic)

And as a variation, there’s the coach’s happy group hug:

Granger High School basketball coach Andy Affholter hugs players Fantasia Reyes, left, and Italia Mengarelli after Granger stages a come-from-behind 40-37 over Connell High School March 5, 2010 in the state class 1A girls' basketball tournament in the Yakima SunDome. (GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic)

And let’s not forget the teammate hug. The boys:

Granger High School's Andrew Reddout, center, hugs teammate Brandon Castro after Granger beats Chelan High School 58-49 in the state class 1A basketball tournament March 5, 2011 in the Yakima SunDome. (GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republic)

And the girls:

Granger High School's Martay Gunnier hugs teammate Halee Hull after Granger comes from behind to beat Connell High School in the Washington state class 1A girls' basketball tournament March 5, 2011 in the Yakima SunDome. (GORDON KING/Yakima Herald-Republi

It’s pretty predictable there will be some sort of post-game hug, especially following the close games. And while hug photos are kind of cliched, they’re a great visual representation of the outcome of the game.

Happy hugging!

 

–Gordon King