New Year’s Eve often brings a range of thoughts – the satisfaction of accomplishments, the regrets of expectations unmet, and a tinge of excitement at what the near and long term future holds. For Triton and the other seven members of the Northern State Conference, its student-athletes, coaches, alumni and supporters, the final games mean it’s time to sing “Auld Lang Syne.” The words, at least for the purpose of this column, mean “times gone by.” There’s some sadness in the loss of the conference Triton has called home for more than a generation, and for many that may mean some discomfort. People grew up, and many grew old in the NSC. The last of the NSC sporting events on the Triton campus, a softball game against New Prairie, is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon. “I think there is certainly a feeling of sadness among all of us. The NSC has been a great conference and one that we've been a part of for a little over 30 years,” said Triton Athletic Director Mason McIntyre via e-mail. “Most of our coaches and I have played in the NSC either for Triton or one of the other NSC schools. So to move on from that is difficult. “But we are also excited about what the future holds for us within the Hoosier North Athletic Conference. “We have had a lot of great accomplishments in the NSC. Lots of memories and rivalries have been created within the NSC. It's also comfortable because we know what life is like in the NSC. Moving forward to the HNAC, is a little scary because we don't know how it's going to work out. We hope that we will be able to develop some new rivalries and that it works out great. But until you actually get involved with it you never really know. So there is some uncertainty to go along with the excitement.” McIntyre pointed out this isn’t the first time Triton has changed conferences. The Trojans were once members of the Three Rivers Conference, and still play many of those schools today. The athletic director said TRC championships haven’t been recognized in the recent past, and with the change in signage in the Trojan Trench will come recognition for those champions of the past. “We’ll have a face lift in the gym this summer since that's where all of our signage is displayed.” McIntyre said. “The gym will be repainted in the same colors as it is now; just a new coat to make it look fresh, and the old NSC school logos will be painted over. “We’ll be leaving the Trojan on the north wall, so the painters will just paint around that. As far as the signs go, we are working on some new conference championship signs that will include our time in the TRC, NSC, and now the HNAC. We currently do not formally recognize our TRC championships, and going forward I felt it was important to recognize those as well.” So the Trojans will not only start a new chapter in their history, but refresh itself with significant pieces of its past; parts that will, without a doubt, make people smile. Seems to me the perfect way to move on with the next part of life.
