There are a lot of ways one could describe the winter sports season for Panorama athletics: phenomenal, amazing, wonderful, but perhaps the best description of all is a word that’s been an expectation for Panorama, and that would be successful.

It has undoubtedly been a successful winter season comprised of a Panther wrestling team breaking school records left and right with 5 state qualifiers and three state place winners. Then you move onto the hardwood and while the boys basketball team did not have the success they’re used to seeing in the wins and losses column, they were successful in coming together as a team despite adversity. Moving on even further, you had the Lady Panther basketball team earn a 21-1 regular season record matched only once in the past ten years.

Success is definitely a great way to sum up Panorama athletics and as Panther activities director Erin Ambrose told Raccoon Valley Radio, it’s almost expected, and that the expectation of success starts with the coaches.

“It’s just an expectation any more of our student athletes to want it and be passionate about it. I think it’s our job as coaches and administrators to be able to give them the tools. You can look at a kid and say I need you to want it, I need you to be motivated, I need you to do this or that and I think that they can channel that feeling and I think that they can definitely push themselves but you also have to give them some practical steps of wanting it looks like this, wanting it looks like early mornings. Wanting it looks like staying after practice and getting more free throws in. I think from our standpoint as adults when you just say you’ve got to want it, I have no doubt the kids can look at me and say I want it; I want to be the best but unless you give them those practical tools and the path to get there it’s hard for us to have higher expectations,” stated Ambrose.

Erin also mentioned how all of that is something she’s going to look for her coaches to focus in on even more during the offseasons.

“That’s something that we’re really trying to focus our coaches in on this next year and in our offseason as we’re finding out it’s not enough for these kids to show up the first day of practice and picking up an basketball and saying I want it, well wanting it happens in the offseason too,” continued Ambrose.

We’ll have more from the Panther activities director in future sports pages.