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Steve Jefferies (Admin)
Board Administrator
Username: Admin
Post Number: 21
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Friday, January 28, 2005 - 11:30 am: |       |
Posted below is the January 2005 Coaching & Sports Editorial written by Steve Jefferies. What do you think? Several responses are posted below. Add your own thoughts to this discussion.
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RETHINKING SCHOOL SPORTS
This morning, National Public Radio reported on efforts to change the focus of varsity sports in New York City. Turns out that in a city with an estimated 50% overweight school-age population, some have suggested that varsity sports needs to be more inclusive, and focused on getting more kids active.
I continue to be astonished that our thinking about school sports remains so firmly entrenched - stuck - in perpetuating old values and traditions, rather than directed toward how sports could better serve young people in our public schools. Where in school policy, in any American school district, is it written that athletics should be organized primarily for the purpose of winning trophies and championships? Yet in practice, creating winning teams is so often the sole focus of our coaches. As a result, we routinely lose valuable opportunities for achieving those benefits that athletic participation offers for students of ALL ability levels.
Compare the situation of physical educators and coaches - ironically, often the same people. Class sizes in PE are frequently too large, and filled with students who are unskilled and unmotivated. Students are expected to learn in cramped facilities with insufficient equipment. In contrast, coaches enjoy small groups of already motivated and athletically talented students who rarely lack for equipment.
What puzzles me is why more people don't ask 'which of these two programs is most important to the mission of the school?' Should it be the group that is part of the regular curriculum and includes all students, or the group that is an extra to the curriculum and in most schools caters to a small elite of have's rather than have nots?
Lest I am now caste as being opposed to public school athletics, I should hasten to add that I believe athletics can be a truly valuable addition to all schools. As noted elsewhere on this page, athletics offer students opportunities for personal development unavailable in the regular curriculum. But the point that is so often overlooked is that most of these benefits can be experienced by all students interested in participating, and not just the highly skilled.
How absurd is it that schools routinely invite students to participate in athletics - promoting the benefits of being part of a team - and then a few weeks later exclude those very students who stand to gain the most from participation? If athletics are good for students, surely they are good for all students? Why are athletics only good for students when we need more members on our teams, and not good when we have too many members?
Unfortunately, traditional athletic thinking is that there simply is no way to make athletic participation possible for all students who, regardless of ability, might be interested in involvement. A lack of funds fuels complaints and excuses inaction. But, this is just a cop out. It's simply not true. Rather it's a lack of creative thinking.
More than ever today, we need school sports leaders who begin with the fundamental belief that athletics are good for all students, and that one way or another all students can participate. No exclusions. No cuts. No excuses about lack of facilities, equipment, or coaches. Instead we should begin with the premise that our school athletic programs will somehow accommodate all students who are willing to turn out and meet our training expectations.
Of course this won't be easy. Of course more money would help. But let's recognize that we cannot expect a different result if we continue to do things the same way. Schools might need to change the sports they offer. Schools certainly need to come up with creative ways to involve large numbers of students in learning and competitive opportunities.
If not all students can play on the competitive varsity teams, how can we include all students in a quality learning experience? Limited facilities? Then come up with creative scheduling alternatives. Lack of equipment? Do some fundraisers. Sell the value of athletics to parents. Wear t-shirts instead of fancy uniforms. Other schools don't have teams to compete against? Regular inter-squad competition is fine.
Above all let's quit the excuses and find solutions. Creating a positive athletic environment that the entire community of students and parents support is not impossible. No one is saying it will be easy. But with a change in attitude it's certainly not impossible.
Too often athletic program administrators are unwilling to risk change. They perceive challenges as insurmountable obstacles. They believe parents and community will revolt if the focus isn't exclusively on game results. But this is not true. Most parents simply want a good experience for their children. They want the focus to be on students not trophies. Of course we like to win games, but even more we want to see that our children are having a good time, with good people, learning important life skills. When this happens, guess what? Teams are more successful.
What do students learn who are excluded from our athletic programs? That they aren't good enough? That by their early teens it's too late to learn athletic skills? What sort of preparation for life is this? And what nonsense! If this were true, why do we bother putting them in any classes?. Using that logic, we should abandon the entire academic curriculum, save money, and put them all to work!
What despairs me most about this situation is that it perpetuates itself year after year. Young people today, preparing to become tomorrow's coaches, aren't thinking any differently. But why would they? They are products of the programs I've described. They are the former students who excelled in athletics and enjoyed all the benefits. They don't know the negatives. They don't have any empathy for the lesser skilled. They don't know what it's like to be excluded and told they aren't good enough. In most cases they are not overweight or physically inactive. They love athletics and respect their former coaches. In fact they want to be just like them. And unfortunately they will.
In this month's section I've chosen to refocus us on the purpose of interscholastic athletic programs. I believe that we need to think more about why students choose to participate in athletics. Too often we bring our adult perspectives to coaching. We want students to experience what we think they should get from athletics. Instead, we should focus on what they want. The research clearly shows that most participants want to have fun, learn skills, and be with their friends. Winning is lowly rated in terms of importance.
We need to return an educational perspective to interscholastic sports, and avoid being confused by what we see in colleges and professional leagues. Let's make it clear. We are not in the business of community entertainment. Our mission is to prepare young people for life. Athletic programs offer a wonderful opportunity for personal development. Unfortunately, today's public school athletic programs will never fulfill their potential until athletic administrators cast off the traditional thinking that impedes progress. |
Stephen Jefferies (Jefferies)
New member
Username: Jefferies
Post Number: 1
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Monday, January 31, 2005 - 7:15 am: | |
Responses to Editorial on Rethinking School Sports (mailed to the author)
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i just read your article "Rethinking School Sports" on p.e.links 4U. i
had almost made it through the first paragraph when it became apparent
that you have never coached or known a coach. i'm not talking about the
little league, little dribblers, pop warner, soccer coach for the 8-10
yr. olds...i'm talking about the kind of coach whose family depends on
the check he receives every month to put food on the table. that coach
DEPENDS on a winning program because he wants to keep his job. look at
the coaches across the nation that lose their jobs every year...those
coaches get paid huge amounts of money each year. the coaches you are
speaking of don't!!! when one of THOSE coaches loses his/her job...the
WHOLE FAMILY loses the job. yes, in a perfect world, it would be great
to have every student involved in every activity. we don't, however,
live in the perfect world. so until YOUR family depends on whether YOU
win or lose ballgames, think twice before you talk about something you
obviously don't understand.
*****
By reading your article about rethinking school sports
it sounds like you were one of the kids who was unable
to succeed in athletics. Do us all a favor and DO NOT
BREED! Thank you.
*****
I just read your article and I am wandering if you could tell me how many years you have taught in public schools? How many years you have coached in the public school system? One of your last lines really got me "we are trying to prepare young people for life." That is exactly what I do in the classroom and the playing field, prepare them for life. Nobody is cut ever, they all get the same things. Anybody can come out and play if they abide by the rules of the program. We have rules in the classroom that students must obey the athletic field is no different. I don't know what age group you have been researching, but parents (many of them) have their kid out on the court or field so they can live through them. There are alot of great parents in my communities, but look around and read a little, we have laws passed in just about every state today that make it a felony for assaulting a coach or school employee, I believe that goes to show that parents want more than just to have fun. I read an article just the other day the head coach at Lindsay High School in Texas was fired for going 9-2. The comment made by the school board when he asked why he was being fired, "You lost the our rival team." Most schools that I have been apart of want trophies and championships and that comes from the parents and school board. Have you ever been to a school board meeting before. Know what the credentials you have to have to be on school board are. Just one all you have to be able to do is to breathe. I can give you example after example of parents coming to school cause we lost the other night and lets fire the coach. This type of conduct is getting way out of hand. I will agree with you that we in high school arent college and professional leagues but I have coached at just about every level and I do know a few constant variables: 1. students want discipline 2. you have to motivate all players
3. not everyone is going to get to play as much as they want. 4. there will always be people who question your judgement. You can really create a monster in some places. For instance, I have coached at a place where we had 3 freshman teams 3 jv teams and a varsity team. Everyone gets to play during the 3 freshamn and 3 jv teams. When they get older it never fails the comments come:: " my son played alll the time when he was a freshman and jv how come he isnt playing now. Well eveyone played early on but we only have 1 var. team and 80 kids he still plays but not as much. We teach about life: 1. When you are out for a job the best person is gonna get it thats a fact, just like playing a game the best are gonna play more than others. 2. Rules--Every business has them and so do we they have consequences and so do we 3. keep score!!! there are winners and losers, just like in life and in the busniess world better learn them now. 4. character, respect, discipline, teamwork, hardwork, communication, failure and success are all qualities that you better have in life that are taught on the field on play. Probably since you have not dawned the doors of a classroom in years we have to teach objectives and standards and we dont get to have much time for those life skills. The bottom line is this athletics is a priviledge it is not for everyone. Socialism is not a bad concept like what you are describing, but if we do this for athletics then we should do it for all areas of education. Your article is pointing to the wrong people, Coaches arent the problem. We are the reason kids come to school and graduate, then come back and tell us that I made a difference in their lives. Have you interviewed any coaches at all before you wrote this article??? or editorial, where did you get your statistics, really reasoning at all. But then again I have to remember some of my worst teaching were the ones I had in college.
*****
My name is xxxxxxxxx and I am a principal at a middle school in Texas. Before that however, I coached for 14 years. I was a head track coach and an assistant football coach in a large high school. I can tell you that anyone that wanted to participate was welcome to in either sport. We cut no one. We had 5 football teams, 2 freshmen, 1 sophomore, 1 Junior Varsity, 1 Varsity (Our state governing body only allows for 1 varsity per school) and the same in track. We had approximately 350 students come out for football and 180 for track. This is the same in any school in the sate of Texas, not neccessarily the numbers but the philosophy. Students not on the teams chose to not be on the teams. They chose not to come out or decided the workouts were not for them, or for whatever other reason they could come up with.
Yes, in competitive athletics, winning is very important. You say in your article parents just want their kids to be happy. WRONG. They want their kids to be happy WINNERS. Just look at the number of coaches that get fired each year simply because they didn't win. And it is not the school pushing for the firing but the community. You really need to get back to the real world and see what really goes on in the public schools and athletics.
My next question is why you didn't direct any of this toward the band, choir, drill team, debate club, chess club or any other extra-curricular activity. They teach the same things as athletics other than the physical activity. Maybe we should do away with playstation, MTV, and other inside entertainment so students will learn the value of physical activity early. Maybe we should educate parents to the studies on fast food and fatness. To direct your ire at athletics is quite disgusting.
*****
Sir, your article was attached to a coaching site down here in Texas www.theoldcoach.com
I am a resident of Rockwall, Texas and a football coach. I moved to Texas from Canada because of thinking such as yours. With all respect given to your education, nothing, absolutely nothing in your article is credible, realistic or anywhere near the world most of live in. Is America getting fat, you bet! Is it the fault of the middle school or high school P.E. teacher or system... partially, but lets not attack competitive athletics as a crutch for what ails our ever growing waistlines. There would be nothing wrong with upgrading our current P.E. system, but to do it at the expense of competitive athletics would be ridiculous. Competition made this country great, look at our socialist (equalizing) neighbours to the north. They are falling apart at the seems, in their vain attempts to equalize everyone. I'm sure we would both disagree on many topics, I just found your article amusing and very "ivory tower-ish"! Have a great day... and try to get out of the office once in awhile!
*****
I like your article and cannot agree more. I am a former Texas public schools coach and what I saw in my five years of coaching mirrors exactly what you describe regarding the "elite few". I always made it a point to include and play all of my athletes and was successful with a winning percentage of approximately 50%. I must also state that I coached at the middle school level. Unfortunately, at the high school level, coaches jobs are evaluated on their win/loss records. If a true "rethinking" of school sports is to take place, upper management or the administration must make the commitment to do so and take some of the pressure off of the coaches. In my opinion, a truly successful program instills team work, self confidence and willing to give 100% in everything you do. If our youth are taught these three things in their athletic programs, winning or losing will not matter. But, if these three things are accomplished, winning will follow.
Thanks for the article,
*****
I read with interest your article about having more students involved in extracurricular school athletics. Having been a coach in the public schools in Texas for more than twenty years, I agree fully that there is a great deal to be learned about life and the payoff of hard work that can best be learned on the field, court, track, course or diamond. I also agree that the more students that can be included in these activities, the better. I can say in all honesty that I dont know of a coach in Texas that does not want to be able to brag about the numbers they have involved in their athletic program. Its a source of pride for coaches in this state. The ideas you offer sound reasonable on the surface. As it is with so many other things in our society however, its just not that simple. There are two huge problems that you dont address in your argument for greater numbers. First of all, extracurricular athletics, if they are indeed going to teach the above mentioned desired lessons of life, take a lot of hard work and sacrifice. Finding the numbers of kids that are willing to give up their free time and endure the hardships that organized extracurricular sports require is hard. If the expectations of an athletic program are watered down to meet the approval of those that dont want to put in the hard work, guess what you have...a PE class. Do you see the catch 22 here? Secondly, while this may not be true in all states, it is in some and certainly is in Texas. If a coach doesnt win, he will lose his job. Period. It does'nt matter how well he treats the kids or the kind of role model he is (though those qualities are certainly important). Some of the finest men in the state are being let go all over the state at this time of year, every year, not because of poor values or negative influences on our youth, but because they didnt win enough football games. Winning will always be important when ones livelihood hangs in the balance. Is it right for it to be this way? It does'nt matter. As long as kids are raised by parents (who will ALWAYS believe there just CANT be kids from a nearby community that have more talent than THEIR offspring) it will be that way. Yet 99.9 percent of the coaches in Texas still put kids first because thats what is in our hearts and thats why we got into this business. As far as "cutting" kids, very few schools cut kids in major sports for the sake of numbers. Some may be cut for other reasons (poor attitude, inability to abide by team rules, etc.). There will always be sports where, not money, but logistics play a role in trimming team size (you cant have 60 kids on a golf team because a course wont allow it). I appreciate the valid points you make and your concern for the youth of our country. God bless.
***** |
Anonymous
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 02, 2005 - 1:23 pm: | |
The "RETHINKING SCHOOL SPORTS" article
raises some interesting points. However,
some of the responses to it were beyond
irresponsible and immature (i.e. "Do us all a favor and DO NOT BREED!"). This forum is for discussion, not juvenile name-calling.
And clearly, coaching is not solely about winning.
I have coached at elementary, high school and college sports. The better school systems have a strong HPE program combined with competitive interscholastic sports.
Schools need to make sure every student has a chance to participate in some type of physical fitness activity, but too many emphasis competition above all else.
I have worked with and coached against too many coaches that do not take the profession seriously.
Not every coach needs a degree in health & physical education or kinesiology, but they should be certified in their sport when applicable, and have hopefully had some training by groups like the Positive Coaching Alliance.
I can not count the number of basketball coaches are so-called experts without any playing expereince or decent credentials.
A good school system should have comprehensive health & phys. ed. dept. with an intramural program open to all students (especially for elementary and junior high). A strong competitive interscholastic program with properly trained and credentialed coaches can only gain from good HPE and intramurals. |
Coach
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 08, 2005 - 3:37 pm: | |
I know all too well the problem we have with overweight children in today's society. But why do have to chastise students who excel in sports? Are we eventually going to bring this thinking to the college or professional level?
Whatever happened to INTRAMURAL sport programs? Can you imagine what a school's band would sound like if they allowed everyone to play...I have no musical ablitilty (tone deaf) and I do not think that any bands would be winning competitions, or that anyone would want to hear them with people that did not have any musical abilities.
I work with overweight children in an after school program getting them to be active. We have to look at other alternatives to get these kids active. Having a child participate in sports is no guarantee that they will be active as an adult. I have been in sports since I was in middle school and many of my past team members have not kept up on being active.
When the children are all grown up and out in the real world, they will have to know how to deal with disappoinments and that the "playing" field will not be equalized. |
Geoff Davison
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 22, 2005 - 8:20 pm: | |
I have coached at every level from elementary to college, in community recreation and club sport, and I currently prepare future physical educators and coaches. The problem with competitive athletics in this country is the ego inflation associated with your role in sport and the resulting inability to "see the wood for the trees!"
We have parents bemoaning the playing time their child gets at U10 soccer games; athletes specializing in one sport; coaches thinking everyone in the community owes them a favor; a school board cutting teaching positions but adding an athletic trainer (!); and college presidents referring to one element of the bottom line being athletic success. Almost everyone in athletics has an inflated impression of their self-worth and contribution, and this is always to the disadvantage of the participants.
Has anyone bothered to look at the "success-rate" statistics of HS and college athletics in terms of the numbers of students who actually make it to the professional level. If we are attempting to produce winners, in this context at least we are failing miserably. Who are we kidding but ourselves? Athletics are an extra-curricular bonus of the education system. Many good things are learned through competitive sport, but it seems like coaches and parents never learn anything new. They relive their own athletic memories or dreams vicariously through their children or players, urging them to be something they themselves never became and many never experienced.
Please, allow children to experience the sheer pleasure of playing the game, bonding with friends and peers, testing their own limits and identifying and resolving relationships. If the journey is truly more valuable than the destination, it is not the arduous practice schedule which should be the journey, but the evolution of the games player through experience which counts.
We see too many trees in front of us - the squad, the opposition, the record, the injuries -and fail to see the big-picture in the woods beyond. At the college level, I see the results of competitive athletics - the players you have produced over the years - they are self-centered and narrow-minded, striving only to re-produce the effects their high school coach had on them whilst ignoring those who truly deserve their help. Most of them approve of Dodgeball!! |
william atlas (Billatlas)
Junior Member
Username: Billatlas
Post Number: 6
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Friday, February 25, 2005 - 12:26 pm: | |
Geoff,
While doing that statistical analysis, I would like to see the comparison of jobs obtained and salary between athletes and non-athletes of high school students. Not that I am agreeing or disagreeing with anyone or that I have a hypothesis, but I would like to see the stats. Do athletics give people a leg up in any way (networking, working with a group, etc.) |
Go Steve
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Wednesday, March 02, 2005 - 2:38 pm: | |
Most of you who responded to the article, whether principles, coaches, etc. are clearly wrong, and in fact majority of the problem. Our "real world" is lead by people who make changes and improve our existence. Sticking to the same old generic sterotypes will get us nowhere. I believe with enough encouragement, any child can succeed in any sport they desire. The only way this is possible is by giving them a chance. And the "real" world is not hopeless for change. Anyone who thinks otherwise is ignorant. And these are our kids, not idols. If you have to re-live through your child you are a big loser, and YOU need to get a real life. I would definitely venture to say that all kids are equal- look at an infant- do not 99% grow, learn words, etc almost the same rate? So why is it that children when they are older are so different? Yup. You. And why is it that most people who coach have children who later play that sport and excel? Seriously, in the real world, I have known of this happening four times in my small town of 15,000. It starts with the "adult", and most of us aren't adult enough to even understand that. |
mike massey
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 10:09 am: | |
I would like to be in the National Honor Society. Can I please? I just want to. Even though I have absolutely no qualifications should I be allowed in? How about all the Honors classes that I was not able to get into. I'm so tired of the same old arguements. whether it's competitive athletics or gym class, some kids are athletic some are not. To say that every student should have the right to be on the varsity fotball team is rediculous. How about safety? There are kids who simply do not belong on a football field or wrestling mat because of their physical condition. That's why intramurals and Rec. leagues are becoming so popular. They are for those who can't handle High School Athletics. Too bad they didn't have intramural Chemistry for people like me in High School. |
chris metzger
Unregistered guest
| | Posted on Saturday, October 29, 2005 - 11:01 am: | |
Every student involved in every sport, how lovely it would be. Not only would you be hurting the students who actually love there game but this would just ruin kinds hopes to play even more. Sure let everyone on the team and let everyone practice but in game times let the players who will help your team win play. the best player plays and thats how it should be. The students who are not so interested in sports and you would like to force them to play sports should be getting there activity in PE class. 50% of the kids in new york are obese than make them particpate in PE class. Dont give them a helmet and expect them to get in shape. |
Paula Summit (Summit5)
Moderator
Username: Summit5
Post Number: 4
Registered: 2-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, October 30, 2005 - 4:20 pm: | |
Every body plays...isn't that what intramurals are for?
In our area, modified teams (7 & 8th grade) try to have a no cut policy so that students can try different sports. They have "5th" quarters so that every one can get into the game situation.
As you move up the ladder, the teams get more selective and competitive as they should. Recreation teams are more appropriate for everyone gets to play scenario.
Mike Massey...how about, I want to be in the school musical as a dancer, but can't remember the routines. Shouldn't I still get to be onstage? Ha ha...I just had to say that.
Some people just don't have common sense and think they are entitled to everything.
(Message edited by admin on March 06, 2006) |
Michelle Homan (Michelleh)
Junior Member
Username: Michelleh
Post Number: 2
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 01, 2005 - 8:34 am: | |
When I took a Principles of Coaching class, my professor always told us, 'Interscholastic athletics should be the advanced placement for PE.' I see how competitive it is to get into those AP classes in high school...the idea of 'everyone makes the team' would degrade the hard work real athletes put in all year round. |
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