No, my visit was much more glamorous than that; I hung out at the White House with the 2011 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, who were as wide-eyed and open-mouthed as those 7 year olds.

Okay, so I wasn’t exactly hanging out, and the only Cardinal I said a word to was starting pitcher Kyle Lohse. However, President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama both came to speak to the team with the St. Louis higher-ups (and me) in attendance. Before the president As the First Lady said, “Whether you’re a Cardinal or a Cub fan, we can all find a way to give something back.”

Before President Obama gave his short, booming speech about the incredible comeback nature of the 2011 Cardinals, the first lady spoke.

Normally, the first lady doesn’t attend these championship team events, which usually consist of the president congratulating the team and making a bad joke about how he wishes his hometown Chicago (White Sox/Bulls/Blackhawks/Bears) will win the championship next year.

Mrs. Obama came to this particular event to publicly commend the Cardinals on their visiting of military veterans throughout the season. In fact, they visited the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD the morning before their White House visit.

In her speech, the first lady recognized three veterans in the audience: one with bruises all over his face, one who had to wear shades inside the White House due to his sensitivity to light after an enduring an explosion, and one who could not stand to be recognized because he lost his legs in a different explosion.

Not too many people were aware of the Cardinals’ work with military veterans, but, according to Mrs. Obama, that work was a mainstay of the Cards’ comeback season.

Mainstream sports media tends to focus on the atrocities; you hear about quarterbacks who run dogfighting rings or steroid-strengthened sluggers. Because those stories are always in the limelight, we miss out on the inspirational kinds of stories; athletes who sponsor charities or work with disease-ridden children.

We miss out on a story like Patrick Willis, a San Francisco 49ers linebacker, was taken into foster care from his marijuana-addicted father as a child and is now a perennial NFL Pro-Bowler. We miss out on a story like Morgan Ensberg, a former infielder for the Houston Astros, who helped a group escape from a hostage situation in which he had a gun held to his head. We scrutinize athletes like Tim Tebow, who often sits with children with cancer, just talking football.

We miss out on stories like the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals. We all saw their wonderful comeback, but we hardly ever heard about their visits to hospitals of wounded veterans. Yes, their visit to the White House was mainly for their World Series victory. But it was about much, much more.

After quitting gymnastics in fifth grade, Martin was looking for a new outlet for the strength he had built as a gymnast. It was then his physical education teachers at Nipher Middle School pushed him toward weightlifting.

“He’s flexible,” Ed Bielik, Nipher physical education teacher and intro weightlifting coach, said. “He had the strength basis there from gymnastics. [He has] just the perfect body for the sport.”

At Nipher, Bielik runs an intro to Olympic-style weightlifting club for young boys and girls interested in lifting heavy weights using the two Olympic lifts: the snatch and the clean-and-jerk.

After six months, once the lifters develop good technique and strength, they can elect to move on to the select program, coached by Tony Grana, Nipher fitness teacher, where they will travel to regional and even national competitions.

Martin and other weightlifters traveled around the US to places such as Chicago and Columbus, Ohio to compete. Martin has been to Nationals twice: Georgia (2009) and San Francisco (2010).

“There were a lot of people from all around the United States [at Nationals],” Martin said. “I was a little nervous because you have to be focusing the whole time and visualizing.”

Both times Martin went to Nationals, he has placed first, making him a two-time national champion for his age group and 44 kilogram weight class. Martin has also set three records: lifting 55 kilograms in the snatch, 73 kilograms with the clean-and-jerk lift and having a total score of 128.

Bielik said Martin’s success has come from his maturity and focus.

“He’s able to stay focused in highly competitive situations,” Bielik said. “He doesn’t choke. He just takes it one step at a time.”

Currently standing just over 5 feet tall and weighing in at 96 pounds, in eighth grade Martin lifted 55 kilograms (121 pounds) in the snatch lift, and 75 kilograms (165 pounds) with the clean-and-jerk. Many of his friends are surprised he can lift so much due to his size. But he said it is all in the technique.

“You have to work on being flexible enough because you have to squat with the weight,” Martin said. “Weightlifting will help you get strong, but before going to heavy weights you just want to focus on your technique.”

Even with all the success he had in weightlifting, Martin has moved on to something new in high school, wrestling.

“I like wrestling because it’s a real chance to accomplish something and it’s kind of like fighting. I like testing my skills and challenging myself,” Martin said.

Both wrestling and weightlifting involve a great deal of strength and conditioning, but Martin still views them as two very different sports.

“Wrestling is more endurance while weightlifting is more of just a quick movement in lifting the weight,” Martin said. “For wrestling you have to have good cardio. Weightlifting is clear strength.”

Using the flexibility from gymnastics and the extra strength he gained from weightlifting, Martin said his past in the two sports have prepared his body well for wrestling.

“I’m strong enough for it. Physically, I’m pretty good for wrestling. I just need to learn the techniques and get used to it,” Martin said.

Martin plans to wrestle all four years at KHS, and may even pick weightlifting back up in the spring when he has more time.

Like most freshman, Martin is a first-year wrestler, yet he is on the varsity team in the 106 pound weight class. Only two other ninth graders are on the varsity squad. Even though he is not winning as much as he would like, Martin views being on varsity as a good experience for next year.

“Jon is doing very well,” Craig Dickinson, wrestling head coach, said. “He learns things quickly. I’ll teach a move, go around and work with the other freshman. But right away Jon is doing it correctly.”

Dickinson describes Martin as explosive, quick and a good, quiet leader, even when competing against opponents 10 pounds heavier.

“Even with Jon being a first-year kid, he’s really stepping into the varsity role we need,” Dickinson said.

Regardless of Martin’s next step is, whether it is in wrestling or weightlifting, Bielik said he knows one thing is for sure.

“Others look up to him,” Bielik said. “He’s not someone to show off. He has just been great to our program by Jon being Jon.”

“Jared played with heart,” Logan Drake, senior and team captain, said. “He was a skilled player, but his heart outweighed his talent. No matter what game it was, Jared was working his hardest.”

Jared, who graduated in 2011, died in a motorcycle accident early in the morning on Nov. 13. Playing Kirkwood hockey was Jared’s life ever since kindergarten. According to his former teammates, he was a fearless player. He exemplified the kind of attitude head coach Cookie Griffin encourages his players to achieve: do not be afraid of anyone on the ice. Play with everything you have.

To Drake, dedicating the season to Jared’s spirit on and off the ice has brought inspiration for the team and comfort in the stands.

“This isn’t just for us. This is for so many more people,” Drake said. “We’re playing to heal people’s hearts. If we have a good season, if we play well, this can help a lot of people.”

Before the accident, the team was not playing with the competitive edge needed to win. Coming off of a shaky 0-2 start, they did not have the same drive that players like Jared used to bring to each game. Then tragedy struck. Though their old teammate left his life on earth, he rejoined his team on the ice.

“We were really struggling before the tragedy happened,” James Glunt, senior goaltender, said. “A tragedy like this forces you to come together. We all rely on each other as a crutch to lean on.”

In the wake of the Jared’s death, the team did not lose heart, they played like a group inspired, defeating Fort Zumwalt West 5-2 in their first game back. Jason Kuziel, former hockey team captain and one of Jared’s best friends, was in the stands.

“It was awesome,” Kuziel said. “I was extremely proud. You feel so much better when you’re sitting with the people who’ve experienced what you experience. Your old coaches and players are all together and you’re a part of something you know Jared would have appreciated.”

Though the crowd was packed with alumni and fans supporting the team and Lemcke family, the game was only one of a 21-game season. To coach Griffin, who has coached each of the Lemcke brothers throughout the last 20 years, keeping momentum is a daily struggle.

“When you have success, you have to remember how you got it,” Griffin said. “You can’t take a shift off. You have to play consistently.”

Hockey is a game of effort. Games are won by the extra stride heading into the corner for a puck. They are won by taking a shot a half second faster. They are won by knocking a winger off balance just a little harder. The effort Jared gave while he played is remembered by the number 11 jersey he wore throughout his career. That number is stuck to every helmet, patched on every jersey and permanently encased in the boards surrounding the Kirkwood Ice Rink.

“My whole life through hockey and school I’ve been looking up to Jared,” Drake said. “He’s giving us something to play for. He’s making us that much better.”

A senior and four-year starting guard on the varsity girls’ team, Doty is well on her way to fulfilling this dream. She was offered and committed to a full-ride scholarship to play Division I basketball for the University of Missouri, who have had scouts watching her since her sophomore year.

“I had quite a few options,” Doty said. “But once I went there and saw the coaching staff, I really fell in love with everything there and the school in general.”

However, it was not just the basketball program that drew Doty to Mizzou. Academically, she plans on studying engineering or kinesiology (the study of human movement).

“I really love the teachers there, the engineering professors I met. They help out a lot because that’s a hard thing to do when you’re doing a Division I sport, and they really support you in doing both and getting the help you need,” Doty said.

Her love of the coaching staff, style of play and location of campus were also major contributors to her decision. It was also important to her that home games were close enough for family to come and watch her play.

Doty is not the only one who views this as a great fit. Jennifer Putnam, assistant coach for the Mizzou basketball team, was the first at the school to see Doty play. According to Putnam, Doty “fits right in” with Mizzou’s motion offense and fills a needed position.

“We’re impressed with where she is at that age,” Putnam said. “She’s our ideal kind of point guard. Someone we’ve been able to watch over the years. We know she’s going to have a successful career here and be great for our program.”

Brad Sutterer, KHS varsity girls’ basketball team head coach, said Doty is “every coaches’ dream” and shares many of the same views that Putnam does.

“I think Lianna is good for Mizzou,” Sutterer said. “It challenges her to play basketball at a high level. It’s a win-win, a win for Mizzou and a win for Lianna.”

Putnam said Doty’s personality also attracted Mizzou, saying she is a driven player who is unselfish, coachable, determined and has a real passion for the game.

“[She's a] great kid,” Putnam said. “Coming in, she’ll impact on and off the court. She has all the tools to help us right away.”

This passion for basketball in which Putnam stated, started at a young age, according to Doty. Ever since fifth grade, when she played at Mathews-Dickey Boys’ and Girls’ Club, she has been competitive.

In eighth grade, Doty played for Gateway basketball and the Missouri Phenom basketball team. Once in high school, she played for Team Adidas during the off-season.

Other than off-season club basketball, Doty also practices individually.

“Usually each month I have something I want to focus on,” Doty said. “And then I usually make my own workouts depending on what I think I really need to work on. But then I have a key main focus like a pull-up jump or something that I’m working on just that month.”

This thinking and concentration continues throughout the game for Doty..

“I have a next-play mindset, because there are a lot of ups and downs during a game and you can’t get caught up in that moment. You always have to know that there is a next play so you can’t get down on yourself for a mistake because mistakes happen,” Doty said.

Sutterer has a front row seat to watch Doty perform and said she is intense, a leader and smart player on the court. He also said she makes up for her height of 5’6 by making great defensive plays and taking away the opposing players’ strengths.

Doty said her most memorable moment as a basketball player came junior year, when varsity won the district championship. KHS defeated Cor Jesu Academy, 55-30, and Doty racked up 16 points.

“It was just really cool because everyone on our team really stepped up and played really well,” Doty said. “We had lost to the team earlier in the season, and it was just really cool to see how well our team played together. It was probably our best game of the year and to come back and beat the team was really spectacular.”

Doty can see herself playing basketball after college, in her future.

“I would love to play in the WNBA or play overseas after college, but I could definitely see myself coaching. I love the game, so I’ll keep involved somehow,” Doty said.

But for now, Doty is focused on her senior year in basketball. And in one year, she will be living her dream at Mizzou.

“All the pieces just seem to fit together,” Doty said.

“When I make a play and get into open field, the first thing I think about is to score,” McHugh, senior, said. “But that’s a brief thought. Then, as I run toward the endzone, I always smile. I can’t help myself. That’s why I play football; it’s fun to make a good play. There’s no better feeling.”

He’s got reason to be smiling. McHugh’s laundry list of highlight reel plays is almost as impressive as his stats. He has 795 receiving yards; no one else is within 400 (all stats as of press time). He’s also got 12 receiving touchdowns. To put that in perspective, Jeremy Maclin, class of 2006, had 11 in 2005, when he was a first team All-State wide receiver.

Like Maclin, McHugh will play Division I football in college. However, McHugh will play at Northwestern University. A Big Ten school. On a full ride.

“Toward the end of my junior year, [Northwestern] stopped by school during the recruiting period,” McHugh said. “I talked to the receiver coach, and they wanted me to come up to their summer camp for further evaluation. I performed well and got the scholarship.”

According to McHugh, Northwestern did not give him the scholarship solely based on his ability as a wide receiver.

“After the camp, [Northwestern] said one of the reasons they wanted me to come up was they wanted me to play my freshman year,” McHugh said. “They thought I could potentially play more than one position my freshman year besides receiver—maybe defensive back or special teams. They said I’d find a way on the field freshman year.”

Matt Irvin, KHS head football coach, said McHugh’s greatest value at any position is his extraordinary athleticism.

“He’s very explosive and fast with great acceleration. He can get to his full speed very quickly,” Irvin said. “He’ll catch the ball when he’s seemingly stationary and suddenly explode down the field.”

McHugh received a scare when he dislocated his shoulder earlier this season. After the MRI, doctors told him he also had a torn labrum in his left shoulder, an injury that prevents full range of motion for his arm. He has a surgery to repair his labrum scheduled for Dec. 1.

“For a full recovery, it’ll be six months,” McHugh said. “It’s the same surgery that coach [Bill] Gunn got, and he was out of a sling in three to four weeks. But for a full recovery, you need therapy. It’ll be a few months before I can move my arm above my head, let alone lift a weight.”

Although the injury has not affected his playing time this season, McHugh expects it may affect his playing time freshman year at Northwestern.

“They’ll re-evaluate me when I get up there next year and see if I’m good to go,” McHugh said.

As for this year, McHugh is confident that Kirkwood can advance deep into the playoffs.

“If we play like we know we can, I don’t see why we couldn’t win state,” he said. We’ve played well so far, and we just need to keep it going.”

McHugh does not necessarily expect to play in the NFL. However, he realizes it is a distinct possibility.

“One of the best parts about Northwestern is that I’ll receive a great education, so if I don’t get drafted, I’ll still have a backup. But, if I can maximize my potential,” McHugh said with a hint of a smile, “well, I’d certainly hope I could make it.”

Since she was 2 years old, Northern has been participating in gymnastics at All American Gymnastics in St. Louis, the same gymnastic program her mother attended when she was her age.

“She brought me there, and I loved gymnastics,” Northern said. “When I was little, I’d roll around and do forward rolls. I was just always moving.”

Gymnastics gave Northern an output for her extra energy and allowed her to be active.

“I can’t just stand around or sit for very long. I get bored very easily,” Northern said. “In gymnastics you do different stuff. You run in one event, swing in another on bars, in beam you have to balance and be very focused, and floor you have to have fun, be energetic and go all out.”

As Northern grew, gymnastics became her passion, and at age 6, she started competing in meets. These meets, starting in January this year for Northern, normally last four hours.

“Competitions. They’re really nerve-racking, and really scary,” Northern said. “When the judges are ready, you go up and you salute. Then you do your routine that you have been practicing, and then you salute at the end and then go to the next event.”

Northern’s mother, Kim Fuher, said her daughter handles the stress well, focuses, and is in tune with her coaches during these big competitions.

Because she has been doing well in her meets, she has worked her way up to a level 10 gymnast, the highest level achievable. Both Lindenwood University and the University of Nebraska are already looking at Northern to compete on their teams, though she is only a freshman.

According to her coach, Sue Renshaw, much of Northern’s success comes from her personality and work ethic.

“She’s very confident because she works so hard during practice,” Renshaw said. “It’s hard when you spend 20-plus hours in the gym [a week]. But she motivates teammates, she motivates herself. She knows what she needs to do, and she gets it done.”

To prepare for gymnastic meets, Northern practices five days a week for four hours each day. She practices all the events: vault, bars, beam and floor. According to Northern, practice starts with five to ten minutes of running followed by splits, bridges and other stretches to finish warming up. After that, practice progresses to beam. Some days they do acro, which is flips and rolls, while other times practice might include dance, which involves leaps and turns.

Because gymnastics keep Northern so busy, it is hard for her to find time for other activities.

“I wanted to do other sports for Kirkwood, and I can’t hang out with friends as much because [practice] is five days [a week],” Northern said.

Northern praises the opportunities gymnastics have given her. She has traveled to the cities of San Diego, Phoenix, Orlando, Indianapolis, Chicago, Kansas City and Dallas for competitions. Some of those competitions occurred in front of college scouts. This year, she will travel to New Orleans for the first time to compete.

Along with New Orleans, she will compete in state, regionals and westerns (west side of the United States) events this year. As all level 10 gymnasts do, Northern will travel to Florida this year for Nationals. Those who get top 10 in Nationals go to elite, which is a qualifier for the Olympics.

Northern works hard to have a healthy body and mind for gymnastics.

“We’re supposed to eat healthier, but we don’t have a diet plan or anything.” Northern said. “You have to be focused. You have to be ready to do something. You can’t be scared or afraid of heights. You have to be ready to ‘do it’.”

Fuher talks about how much her daughter loves the sport, and how she is touched by it. When she spoke about this on the phone watching her daughter practice, Northern landed a great tumble and delight overcame Fuher’s voice. You could tell how proud she was.

“Her love of gymnastics is one of none other,” Fuher said. “She thinks about it morning, noon and night. It’s the one thing she couldn’t live without. She could crash and burn on a tumble, but she’ll get up and crack up.”

In her gymnastic future, Northern only has one goal in mind.

“I hope to go to Florida [for college],” Northern said. “And since I go there for camp, I know the coaches, I know the campus, and my aunt and uncles and cousins live there.”

Both Renshaw and Fuher recognize Northern’s goal and believe she can get into University of Florida.

“Miki is the top level gymnast we have, even though she’s not the oldest. A lot of young girls look up to her. She’s wonderful with younger and lower gymnasts because she’s a great role model,” Renshaw said. “Barring any injuries she should have a great future in gymnastics and get into a top Division I college.”