Impressive!!

While reading news online this morning, I came across this article that Bob Fortuna wrote on Glenville benching 29 of it's players before their big game against St. Ignatius. The article, and the whole benching scenario, gave me hope for the future of high school sports.

I used to coach a competitive cheerleading squad for a large high school. I felt that it was my job to teach these kids about responsibility and about being role-models. I felt that it was my job to show these kids that we have to not only have skills important to our sport, but also to be upstanding citizens. I found though, that I was in the minority among coaches. That even at the high school level, many coaches were willing to sacrifice these life lessons for the big win.

My last season coaching, I had an amazing squad that was going to be extremely hard for any other squad to beat. Our school also had a basketball team that had a great shot of making it to the state playoffs. Our school was bringing in some of the best gates sales they had ever seen as the community wanted to come and support two groups that could win state titles. In the middle of the season, however, it was brought to my attention that a large number of individuals on my cheer squad and the basketball team were doing poorly in class. They weren't technically ineligible by the state standards, but they were putting everything else before school. The basketball coach just shrugged it off and ignored the many complaints that were coming from his players' teachers. The AD also just wanted the whole thing swept under the rug. I, however, attempted to take action.

I called a meeting for the members of my cheer squad, letting them know that if grades and attendance didn't improve, they wouldn't be competing in the state championship. That I would fill their spots with members on the JV squad. This was a hard decision to make as I had put in so much time and effort to create a squad of this caliber. But at the same time, I always preached to them about responsibility and being role-models, and I wasn't about to be a hypocrite. They understood, signed an agreement, and promised to make some changes.

The week before the state championship, I did a grade check. Some of the girls had taken the talk to heart and changed their attendance habits and raised their grades, others didn't. At practice, I posted the list of girls that I would be bringing to the state championship, a list that excluded three of the best squad members that I had. They were outraged. They didn't think it was fair. They AD even got involved, calling me into his office. Come on, are you really willing to give up a state championship just to prove a small life lesson to these kids? This is a state championship we are talking about!

I walked out of his office, letting him know that I was willing to give it up. There are somethings that are just more important. Like Glenville, we didn't end up winning, but they learned an important lesson. And I think that at the high school level, that is what really matters.