Wussification

I take my role as a high school coach very seriously.  I realize the responsibility that is placed upon me and I strive to make my kids not only better players, but better people when our time together is done.  I believe that many life lessons can be taught through sport that you can’t get anywhere else during your formal years of education.  It teaches kids not only how to win but how to lose.  How to fight through adversity and to keeping working hard to maintain a high level.  It prepares them for life where there are winners and losers and no apologies.  Well, that used to be true till this weekend.

I have a friend who coaches girls basketball.  She has worked very hard the past few years to build up her program and finally, this year all the hard work is paying off.  SHe has led her team to ten wins and a state playoff berth.  On Saturday they were playing a very overmatched team.  A team that they had beat a week earlier by 47.  Saturday they beat the team by 37.  This team does not have a win all year and has scores like 62-8, 63-7, and 64-10.  This is an overmatched and untalented team.  They have been blown out in all their games but one.  Sometimes, no matter how good the kids are or how hard they work, the team just sucks.  It seems to me that this is the case for this particular squad.

Well, after her game on Saturday, my friend was forced to apologize to the other team for “embarrassing” them.  No joke, an actual apology.  As a coach there is no way I would ever apologize to another team for beating them.  I don’t care if I would be in danger of losing my job, that’s not sports.  Just this week, my JV squad lost by 30+ points.  The other team was better than us, but our kids showed no quit.  After the game thee was no head hanging, no “woe is me” attitudes.  We simply looked at each other, realized we played our asses off and that this team was just better.  It’s a team that we need to strive to be like.  They ran their stuff and we didn’t stop it.  One of the officials that did the game thought I should be pissed because he thought the score was run-up.  I told him that’s sports and if we can’t stop ’em than that is our problem not their’s. 

High School athletics have gotten soft.  It all stems from the stupid “Cochran Rule” the CIAC forced a few years ago.  Now, while I agree with it in theory, the way it is enforced is wrong.  It should only be enforced if it is the 1st string offense still playing.  If the 2nd and 3rd stringers go in and run the game plan and execute it then there should be no punishment brought down upon the coach. 

Kids, coaches and schools have all gotten soft and it’s about time we stop this and start teaching kids that life ain’t fair.  There are more talented people than you and there are less talented.  Never feel the need you have to apologize for your success and on the flip side don’t expect one in return.  Work your butt off to try to get to that next level, stop blaming other for your shortcomings.

God damn, I am pissed!!!!