PUEBLO – You know it’s a big game when the Ignacio High School boys basketball coaches break out the bolo ties.
They wore them for their home opener, the regional championship game and the CHSAA Class 2A Boys Basketball State Championships’ third-place game.
“We’re all Southern Ute. We’re members of the Indian reservation,” IHS alumnus and assistant coach Trae Seibel said. “It shows pride and how we accept our tradition. I believe the reason that we wear them is that it makes us stand out from other coaches.”
Most of the coaching staff members received the ties as gifts. Some of them depict animals such as a buffalo, while others display simpler designs.
Seibel’s grandparents, Betty Box and Eddie Box Jr., also bought the coaching staff pins with bears, buffaloes or eagles to wear at the state tournament this weekend in Pueblo.
“It’s a sense of respect; it’s just a sense of tradition,” Seibel said.
Wearing the ties not only allows the coaching staff to celebrate their heritage but also show their team the importance of diversity.
“The kids have to know to be proud of who you are and where you come from,” IHS head coach Chris Valdez said. “We try to set a good example for our kids, no matter what.”
kgrabowski@durangoherald.com
