PCP Sports

By John Leon

Has high school sports in the South Jersey area gotten bigger than college or pro? It sure seems that way. And the way that some fans and parents are behaving over the last few years; it’s gotten even bigger. Radio and television coverage has made its way into mainstream America at this level and it used to be rivalries and Friday evening games, but now with the recruitment process, the stakes have been raised.

Some teams have been dominant for years, such as St. Joe-Hammonton and others have had one or two dominant seasons, such as Holy Spirit’s football team last season. Recently though, the fans and parents have gotten involved with the way they perceive that their student/athletes are treated by the school that they attend. Parents are more involved than ever, and that places undue pressure on Athletic Directors, Administration and Coaches.

Case in point is just from the past 2 seasons with 3 very successful and TEACHING coaches either resigning or being forced out of their respective schools. The problem with this is that, when fans and parents get involved, they fail to see the big picture. Instead of looking at the program in a certain way, such as to see their children enjoying themselves, learning about teamwork, and trying to get noticed for colleges, they only see the bottom line and that’s W’s and L’s.

The bigger and more visible the program, the more it becomes difficult for coaches to achieve what they set out to do. Outside interference is often the culprit and what happens is that everybody becomes a “Monday Morning Quarterback”. Everybody has an opinion about strategy but nobody want to do the job that the coach has. Everybody has 20/20 vision after the fact and that’s OK because every coach will tell you that it’s part of the job of being second-guessed.

Granted, I’ll not put the entire blame on the outsiders, as some coaches haven’t been exactly forthright in how they recruit and coach. I didn’t think I’d become a fan of the new State rule about transfers but now I am totally in favor of it. Let’s let the coaches do their thing with the talent they have instead of spiriting kids away from another program or overseas. Let’s let them plan around the kids, boys and girls that enroll at their institution and coach, teach and nurture them, for the entire four years, without having to worry about whether the kid is actually going to BE there for the four years.

Every school has their highs and lows. Every school is not dominant year after year, it comes with the territory and every coach will tell you that there are many years that it’s a struggle to win and be competitive. But to have the extra pressure to go out, and teach the student/athletes right from wrong, to get the most out of their abilities, takes a special person.

We need to all step back and enjoy what used to be a fun, inexpensive and great night out. As fans, reporters and parents, we need to take a breath and realize that these times only last for four years, and as I’ve stated in the past, usually with a lot more venom, if you think it’s that easy, then get your butt out there and do it yourself. Stop whining about the politics and how many wins or losses a coach has. Look at the big picture and see how many kids have gotten valuable experience from being in a team sport. Does every kid flourish? No, but check the odds. I’d bet that 90-95% have a better chance to get to college by having played and with their grades; it has enhanced their opportunities.

It just needs to stop and until it does, I’ll be a proponent of citing all of the indiscretions caused by people that fail to see what really is going on, and that’s getting kids into college. Not every kid can be D-1, and that’s all right. Some kids aren’t cut out for major colleges but there’s nothing wrong, with the West Chester’s, Delaware’s, Rowan’s, etc.

An education is an education and these coaches do nothing but try and help. If that’s not good enough, then once again, you try doing this, spending time away from your family, putting up with why Johnny/Janey isn’t playing and seeing how fast you quit.

I’ve been there. I have the utmost respect for the coaches. I may not like the way they strategize, but at least I respect the time and effort they put in. So should you.