So long Jenks, Sandpoint athletics will miss you

Sandpoint athletics lost its biggest fan last week, and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who would say differently. His name was David Jenkins, but nobody ever called him David or even Dave. Mr. Jenkins, sure. Jenkins, yep. Like many, I called him Jenks.

I first met Jenks more than five years ago, in my first fall sports season as the new sports editor of the Daily Bee. I noticed him sitting on the end of the boys and girls benches during  soccer games, cheering his beloved Bulldogs on with shouts of “Dog on it,” or “go Dogs,” or my personal favorite, “yes, yes, yes.”

One fall Saturday in 2005 I ran into him at a cross country meet in the morning, a swim meet in the afternoon, and finally, a volleyball game that evening. He was bedecked in his Bulldog letterman’s jacket, with Jenkins inscribed across the back.

Rare was a Sandpoint sporting event where Jenks was absent. Even in the dead of winter, with the help of his trusty crutches, he’d slowly make his way from his car to his customary court-side seat, watch both the boys and girls games, before heading back out into the often cold winter night.

Whenever I’d miss the first half of a game, I could always count on Jenks to give me the low down, and it was usually spot on and insightful. We often talked about his other loves through the years as well, namely Penn State football and the Tour de France.

Sandpoint athletic director Tom Albertson saw firsthand the effect Jenks’ support had on the young athletes.

“He always had a positive message to the kids. That’s the number one thing that sticks out,” recalls Albertson, who remembers Jenkins regularly offering encouragement to the basketball players as they went into the locker room at half time. “The first thing that comes to mind is a true fan, never critical. He always had a positive statement that came out of his mouth.”

Right up until the very end, Jenks was there to support the kids. While it took a little longer for him to get to and from the games recently, he still made it, right up until his death last week. He had hoped to make it down to the girls state soccer tournament in Post Falls, and while it didn’t happen physically, he was certainly there in spirit, in the hearts and minds of the Bulldog players.

Former girls coach and current boys head coach Adam Tajan said the first thing that came to mind when he thinks of Jenks was how much he simply enjoyed the games.

“He knew everyone’s name, he knew our strengths and weaknesses from one season to the next,” recalls Tajan, noting Jenks would often drive to Spokane to support the Bulldogs. “Definitely one of the strongest and most positive people I have ever met.”

Senior McKinzi Obaitek, the captain of the girls soccer team, and senior Ariel Moe of the volleyball team both used the same two words when talking about Jenks last week: Inspiration and support.

The girls soccer team paid homage by breaking each huddle with “Dog on it” at the state tournament last week, while the players on the volleyball team each placed a rose on the empty chair where Jenks watched all of their games. “We love you Mr. Jenkins” was written in magic marker on the back of the chair.