Forever Pirates -- 2020
COSTA MESA -- This has been a rough season of athletics at Orange Coast College, and I'm not talking about wins and losses. With low participation in some sports, to the death of longtime baseball coach John Altobelli on Jan. 26, to the unprecedented cancelation of all spring sports throughout the CCCAA due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Morale is at an all-time low across the board, from the student-athletes who were denied their ability to finish their season (and for most of them, their athletic careers), to the coaches, staff and administrators who are now dealing with a uncertain situation that they simply don't know much about.
After going through my brother's passing, the one thing that kept me going through all of it was the love and support from my Pirate family and the surrounding community. The outpouring of emotion from everyone around me was my personal life preserver and it kept my head above the water during MY uncertain time.
Well ... now it's time for me to return the favor.
Over the next several weeks, we are going to continue to provide the community coverage of Orange Coast College athletics. No, there aren't any more sporting events this semester, but that doesn't mean there aren't any more stories to be told and memories to be shared.
We all need a distraction from the reality that's going on in our world and it's my goal to hopefully provide that to you.
So, with the help of my Pirate Family, we are going to continue to bring you content in various shapes and sizes. Hopefully, they will give you some insight into the hard work and dedication our student-athletes give to their sport and their college. Hopefully, they'll add a smile to your day. Hopefully they'll give you a fond memory of Pirate successes of the past. Who knows ... they might even cause a tear or two to come down, and that's OK too.
The hard work of these student-athletes will not go unnoticed around here. Please join me in acknowledging their accomplishments.
Among the items you'll be seeing over the next couple of months include ...
- Daily social media posts that include student-athlete spotlights
- occpirateathletics on Instagram
- @OCCAthletics on Twitter
- Orange Coast College Athletics on Facebook
- Stories from Tony's Time Machine, where I get to share my experiences over the past 14 years on the job
- Continued updates on our new facility projects as we continue show the rest of the california community colleges why OCC is one of the top athletics destinations in the state
- Features on those who have made an impact in our sporting world
- And last but certainly not least, some special stories from the Godfather of story-telling ... Former Sports Information Director, Public Information Director and OCC Hall of Famer, Jim Carnett. He will be diving deep into the history of Pirate Athletics once a week and he'll share some of his best experiences during his 36-year tenure at OCC.
With the help of many, we will keep providing you entertaining content from Orange Coast College Athletics. Please continue to support what we do and soon enough, we will all be back watching our Pirates in person. In the meantime, sit back and enjoy a happy break from reality with us.
Forever Pirates ... it's not just a catchy slogan.
We've got this ... now go please wash your hands. :)
Tony Altobelli
Sports Information Director
Orange Coast College
GO PIRATES!
