By Dixon Bledsoe
There are people who make a grand entrance into a room and command – almost demand – attention. Then there are those who retreat into the confines of their safety zone, be it X-Box or a good book.
Then there is Tug. A 14 year-old freshman at Silverton High School, Tug Loberg lives life to the fullest doing it his way. He played a little basketball, baseball, and flag football earlier, but it just didn’t feel right. Mary Rankin, a high school teacher and advisor, suggested he talk to John Mannion, head varsity football coach, about being the equipment manager. Coach Mannion had not envisioned a freshman coming in to take over equipment responsibilities for the team, but decided to give it a try.
It fit like Fox wide receiver star Logan Munson’s gloves. Perfectly.
“Tug is just a great kid and the team loves having him around. He is funny, hard-working, and you never know when he is going to go from being all quiet to cracking us up,” Mannion explains. “He is usually very serious about his work, and not too talkative, but then all of a sudden he comes up with these one-liners that make us laugh and keeps the mood light. After a particularly hard practice early on when the season was young and the days were hot, I asked him what he thought about the tough, hot practice. His reply? ‘I’m not thinking about practice. I’m just wondering about what’s on the Traeger BBQ when I get home.’ ”
This biscuits-and-gravy, sports fanatic guy has had a tough row to hoe. He has a non-verbal learning disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), some trouble with written communication, and a sensory processing disorder. As his mother, Tami Loberg explains, “It just takes him longer to process everything. He does not like big crowds much, but loves the action on the field because he is not squeezed in by people. He definitely does not like the noise, but loves the fun of a football crowd.”
When asked what his hobbies are, Tug says, “I like doing my chores.” Not something one would expect from a growing teenager!
He also loves shooting .22s with his brother, Craig, 17, and hopes to pass his hunter safety course soon. His sister, Dakota, is 19. He has a bow, but needs some muscle stretching help to pull the bow string back. His mother says, “Tug is growing fast and is now 5’11”, but his muscles hurt because of it.” Tug, who got his moniker from a friend of his dad, Craig, likes the name much better than his given name, Theodore.
He loves the Oregon State Beavers, Baltimore Ravens, Portland Trailblazers, and of course, the Silverton Foxes, ranked either #1 or #2 in Oregon’s Class 5-A polls.
“My favorite thing is getting the guys all worked up on the sidelines. And giving Coach Mannion a lot of guff because he gives it right back. It was really funny once when I called holding on an opponent at the same time Coach did. The referee didn’t see it, but I called it first. Coach looks over at me and yells, ‘Tug, you saw it too, right?’ ”
The best part of his job? “I like being with the guys. Camryn Clokey is really cool and Sam Kuschnick is a good kid. We all tease each other a lot and it is fun, and Coach (Grant) Piros is my favorite along with Coach Mannion.”
He has a sensitive side, too. When the Foxes pummeled Crescent Valley a few weeks ago, he said, “I loved the game and am really happy we won. But I felt really bad for Crescent Valley because it was their Homecoming.”
Being manager of equipment has its perks, “Coach Mannion gives me stuff – hats, shirts, shorts, Fox gear. After the away games, I really like the football burritos and at one game, I ate 10 cookies and five Rice Krispie treats. I couldn’t get another one down and almost got sick.” His mother smiles and confirms, “He does eat a lot.”
Eryn Willow, his 7th and 8th grade teach at Mark Twain, says, “I just love that kid. I think what has always touched my heart when working with Tug is his sincere spirit. In all he does, no matter how small the task, he gives his greatest effort. Tug has the biggest heart and the most unobtrusive sense of humor. His wit sneaks up on you, without you fully realizing it, and before you know it, you’re laughing out loud while Tug sits with a quiet smile. No matter how many times he stumbles along life’s path, he always gets up, dusts himself off, and keeps moving forward. He’s a great role model for everyone on how to live your life: with a smile, an open heart, and your best effort.”
That sentiment is echoed by his mom. “He is a sweet, kind kid who is afraid of letting people down. He doesn’t like that at all.”
Tug reveals, “It is kind of hard for me getting an ‘A’ in classes. I like Mr. Mannion and Mr. Piros as teachers, and my favorite class is Weights with Mr. Ries.” As for grades, his mother and father know how hard he works to get Cs, so as Tami puts it, “We treat that like an A.” But Tug interrupts and says, “I passed math on my first try, with a B.” No easy task for anyone.
For Tug, the job with the Foxes is important to him and deserves his best.
“I treat it like a job. I come early, stay late, and work hard. I get that from my father.” As his mother puts it, “Being with the guys is so important to Tug. If I told him he had to miss practice, it would be the end of the world.” Tug agreed.
