By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor

Young people can learn a lot about life through organized athletics. One learns how to get along with others through teamwork, that hard work through hours of practice can pay dividends through improvement and success, and how to be a gracious winner and a good loser.

Honesty and integrity are two very important characteristics one can gain through participating in sports. A perfect example of a young man possessing these traits is Kyle Runningen, a member of the Caledonia/Spring Grove boys golf team.

Runningen, who will be a junior this fall at Caledonia Area High School exhibited the supreme example of honesty and sportsmanship during the Section One A Golf Tournament on May 29, which cost him a trip to the state tournament.

While getting ready to putt on the 10 green of the section tournament, Runningen accidently bumped his ball with his putter. None of the other athletes in his group witnessed it. But Runningen knew it was a one-stroke penalty, and after finishing the hole, he assessed himself a one-stroke penalty.

"What Kyle did not do, and should have done, was move the ball back to its original position," Warrior boys golf coach Mitch Mullins explained. "Now we have a breach of the rule, and he should have assessed himself a second penalty stroke.

"Once Kyle was aware he needed to assess himself a second penalty stroke, he went to the rules committee, and explained what happened," Mullins continued. "The problem was, Kyle had finished his round and signed his card before he learned he needed to assess the second penalty stroke. According to the rules, he was disqualified."

Even with the two-stroke penalty, Runningen would have qualified for the state meet with an 83, which was the fourth-best individual score in the section meet.

"It really says a lot for Kyle," Mullins added. "No one saw him bump his ball. It was an accident. But Kyle showed great integrity and honor. Iím very proud of what he did."

According to one of Runningenís teammates, the ball barely moved. But he did bump it just the same. It would have been very easy for Runningen just to step back, take another look at the path his ball needed to take to hit the cup, and make the putt. He would have qualified for the state meet as a sophomore, and gotten the thrill of playing at Izatyís Country Club near Onamia. But in his mind he would have known he did something wrong. He wouldnít have been completely honest.

Golf is nearly as much a mental game as it is physical. Sure, you have to know how to swing the club, how hard to hit the ball to hit a green from 100 yards out, and how to read a green when attempting a 20-foot putt. But thereís also the mental end of the game.

I know, Iíve been playing golf for over 30 years. And there have been times when Iíve walked off a green, counted up my strokes (usually an entire handful), and reported my score. About the time Iím getting ready to tee off on the next hole, a thought creeps into my head: "are you sure you had a five or was it a six?" I used to attempt to put those thoughts out of my head and continue on with my game. The problem however was Iíd lose my concentration, pull my next shot into the trees, and take a double or triple bogey. I found my golf scores improved if I just stepped back, re-counted my score, and indicated I actually had a six, not a five on the previous hole.

Our lives can be much like a round of golf. It might seem easier to try to cover up a mistake or infraction, and go about your business. But sooner or later that little "white lie" catches up with us. And then we can either spin another lie to cover up the first, or "fess up."

Kyle Runningen certainly did the right thing by pointing out his putter bumped his ball. And when he later found out he hadnít handled the situation as the rulebook stated, he came forward and reported it to the rules committee. It took a big man to do what Kyle did. He should be commended for his actions. His parents, family, the athletic department, and the school should be proud of what he did.

While playing golf last Saturday in Harmony, former Fillmore Central athletic director Jim Taulbert told me he heard about Kyleís actions at the Section One meet.

"We hear all this junk about Paris Hilton on TV and in the papers. What that young man from Caledonia did is the kind of stuff we need to read about. That shows you what kids can really learn from high school athletics," Taubert said.

I couldnít agree more.