Vlahovich continues

After reading the prep page in Thursday’s sports section (Sept. 30), I was made to realize this note is long overdue.

Congratulations to Mike Vlahovich on his recent retirement. I guess it is retirement? But I continue to enjoy his reporting.

The recent article (“Mom and Pop volleyball”) Mike wrote in regard to the Mead and Mt. Spokane volleyball coaches is a typical example of his work and his feeling for high school athletes and coaches.

I can’t help but wonder how many former high school athletes and coaches have scrapbooks filled with numerous articles from their great high school days that were so well reported by Mike.

Those of us who have lived in the Spokane Valley in the ’70s and ’80s remember well the old Valley Herald and its sports coverage with Mike reporting on four high schools – CV, EV, U-Hi and WV – with all sports and all schools getting a fair share of the stories. How he was able to report on so many games in so many places is a wonder. And his work continued when he joined The Spokesman-Review.

A few years ago I had the great honor of being inducted in to the Inland Empire Sports Hall of Fame. At that induction affair it was an honor for me to have Mike Vlahovich make my introduction. I would hope in the near future that Mike would be similarly honored. He deserves it.

Jack Spring

Spokane